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The extractive industry is currently undergoing a transition toward operating models with reduced environmental impact and enhanced energy efficiency. This study aims to evaluate, through empirical data, the efficiency of an excavator equipped with a hybrid swing system compared to a conventional diesel-powered unit of the same class and performance level. The methodology involved a systematic monitoring period of 65 working days. To ensure a rigorous comparison, two crawler excavators in the 36-tonne class were d...

In terms of sustainability of mining, one of the decisive factors, in addition to economics, is safety. This mainly includes minimizing the effects of safety risk factors such as noise, vibration and technical seismicity, dustiness, the occurrence of harmful gases, etc. From this point of view, it is necessary to pay due attention to this area in research and try to maximize the protection of workers, but also the environment, from the effects of these risk factors resulting from the mining and subsequent mineral ...

The problem of industrial ventilation has arisen as a result of the serious pollution problems that arise both in the industrial and industrial environments. Before addressing an industrial ventilation study, the question should be raised whether there is no simpler means of reducing or eliminating the causes of pollution or of reducing pollution by modifying the production process or the design and construction of the actual ventilation system . The commissioning of an industrial ventilation system occurs wheneve...

Ensuring safety from the point of view of the air is determined by the importance of re-ducing the risks of untimely appearance of toxic and explosive gases in the underground workings of the salt mine, while maintaining safety and security sanity at work by monitoring and foreseeing possible failures and voluntary conscious actions under-ground. Still keeping in mind the context of the society from the socio-political-economic point of view and for the development of knowledge in the problem studied the following...

The working environment specific to underground activity under normal operating conditions refers to the type and concentration of gases specific to the underground atmosphere (O2, CO2, CH4, CO, N2, CnHn), the humidity present in the underground atmosphere, the type and concentration of suspended dust, barometric pressure, air temperature, air speed, flow rates, etc. In order to know the normal environmental conditions specific to an underground workplace, specialized measurements and laboratory determinations are...

The paper explores the utilization of modern measurement technologies, particularly drones and GPS systems, in the process of mineral resource exploitation. These technologies have revolutionized the way topographic surveys are conducted, providing efficient and precise solutions for land mapping and mineral deposit evaluation. Drones, equipped with RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) modules, enable rapid collection of geospatial data, facilitating the acquisition of high-resolution aerial images and digital terrain models...

The role of a ventilation system is to establish or maintain conditions of temperature, humidity, dust content and gaseous products compatible with a certain degree of comfort [2], in the presence of various external inputs, respecting the noise level and air speed compatible with this comfort. In order to obtain prescribed (previously fixed) temperature, pressure and humidity conditions in ventilated premises, the air must first be subjected to a complex treatment process, a process that may include heating, cool...

The recycling of old extractive dumps as filler and aggregate in civil and road construction is considered a conventional recycling method. In contrast, the use of extractive waste as an admixture in cement or as a precursor additive in clinker manufacturing represents an upcycling approach. Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 has shifted the paradigm of waste upcycling by highlighting the dissipative loss of critical raw materials contained not only in extractive waste but also in other waste types when recycled without aw...

Propellant powders represent a very important category of explosive substances that enter into the composition of ammunition, with military and civil purpose, in general in all systems where it is necessary to perform a progressive mechanical work. Propellant powders are widely spread in the military field and deflagration is the main form of explosive transformation. Propellant powders, also called colloidal powders, are homogeneous mixtures containing one or more energy-providing substances. Due to their imprope...

The mining industry is facing increasing pressure to enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, and adapt to modern technological trends. One of the key challenges is the effective management of logistics, particularly the transportation of raw materials within mining operations. This paper addresses the application of simulation software as a strategic tool for solving logistics problems in the mining sector. Using event-based simulation, the research analyzes transport processes in the Hradova quarry in Kosic...

The article analyzes the mineral and raw material base of coal deposits of the Arctic zone of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), all of them were explored in the Soviet time in the middle of 40-50 years. The paper presents a comparative characteristic of the geographic and economic, mining and geological and geotechnological conditions of coal deposits in the basins of north rivers Jana and Indigirka. The qualitative characteristics of the coals have been studied, which showed that from the point of view of consumer...

In the case of dangerous incidents produced in industrial technological processes, where hydrogen is used, their mastery requires, in addition to a personnel servicing the facilities properly trained for such situations, the participation of professional staff for interventions in dangerous environments. The activity of intervention and rescue in special conditions, in potentially explosive areas due to the appearance of hydrogen can be carried out exclusively by specialized personnel trained and authorized in thi...

Gases released because of accidents and events that cause the contamination of certain indoor spaces with methane have become more frequent recently. These gases endanger the lives of people who are inside the contaminated spaces, and there is a need for more and more in-depth research on the dynamic behavior of certain substances with a toxic effect, such as methane, once it begins to accumulate in a closed space, for to develop new detection systems and especially for its evacuation in the shortest possible time...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is well known as a robust technique that can support and improve the quality of human life. In the mining industry, the applications of artificial intelligence have changed the sciences and technologies as well as the performance of the mining industry through machine learning, autonomous technologies that provide many economic benefits to the mining industry by reducing costs, efficiency and improving productivity. In principle, reducing the exposure of workers to hazardous conditions...

It is essential to adopt appropriate prevention measures to protect workers operating in confined spaces. Working in confined spaces poses a risk factor for accidents or unwanted events with an impact on human health. Implementation of good practice rules in these situations is a mandatory preventive measure. A confined space is any location not intended for regular work, has entry or exit restrictions, is under atmospheric pressure, has inadequate ventilation, a risk of drowning or suffocation, a contaminated atm...

Mining activities are carried out employing a variety of machineries and equipment; in many cases these can generate relevant health problems for workers. One of the biggest hazards for workers is noise, since prolonged exposure to a noise source could cause damage through long-term exposure. Various researchers pointed out that the damage that can be generated by exposure to noise is of various types with sometimes very serious consequences. Specially drivers of particular vehicles of the mining sector, such as d...

On the territory of Romania, there are large salt deposits grouped on either side of the Carpathian mountains. Made up of over 300 large salt deposits covering an area of about 30,000 km2. The Trotus mine within the Targu Ocna Saltworks Branch was opened and put into operation in 1971, with the objective of dry salt exploitation, using the mining method with small chambers and abandoned square pillars, with a vaulted ceiling. Currently, Salina Trotu? has 14 horizons: 2 at the level of the Pilot mine and 12 at the ...

In the last decade, at the global level, most countries have emphasized the reduction of energy consumption produced with the help of solid fuels, trying to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases and polluting gases by identifying new sources and methods of energy production that have a low effect on the environment and people. Romania is preparing to ensure energy security by producing electricity from renewable sources. Romania's medium- and long-term strategy will be influenced by the European Green Pact, which ...

Transport by mine hoisting equipment is used to remove excavated materials, deliver materials, machinery, and equipment required for the mining process and related activities, as well as transport persons. These technological devices use transport containers to pull the load in the form of a skip, cage, or skip-cage from underground to the surface. Mining machines are intended for vertical and inclined pits. Scientific research discussed in the present article focuses on the transport capacity of the mine hoisting...

Fine particles known as combustible dusts can cause explosions when they are suspended in the air under certain conditions. A dust explosion could result in severe fatalities, injuries, and structural devastation. The risk of such events can be reduced by knowing the flammability parameters and the physico-chemical analysis for combustible dusts, in order to take additional protective measures generated by the occurrence of these types of explosive mixtures. The purpose of this research was to identify the flammab...

The identification and analysis of the dangers of accidental initiation/detonation of pyrotechnic devices with a technical purpose in the automotive field containing pyrotechnic articles of category P1 is carried out on the basis of the results obtained following the performance of specialized tests according to the applicable reverential SE EN ISO 14451. The evaluation of the safety quality of these types of products is of particular interest both for occupational safety in their manufacturing process because the...

At European and national level there is Directive 2013/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the harmonisation of the legislation of the member states relating to the making available on the market of pyrotechnic articles and Decision 1102 of 10 December 2014 issued by the Government of Romania for the national regulation of the placing on the market of these products. The specific quality system of the Explosive Materials and Pyrotechnic Articles Laboratory of INCD INSEMEX Petro?a...

In chemical processes, fire and explosion prevention is crucial, especially when flammable liquids or gases are present because they can create explosive atmospheres of gas or vapour in the air. These include oil-based products and organic solvents. It is essential to understand these compounds' characteristics as well as the size of an explosive atmosphere. Explosion hazards as well as the locations where explosive atmospheres are present can be identified and assessed. Safety data sheets also contains crucial in...

In order to carry out the detection and examination of explosive substances both before and after their detonation, this multifunctional integrated system uses the work facilities provided by the use of: ISCAN type specialized equipment intended for the determination of threat traces based on the principle of ion mobility spectrometry; GSCAN type specialized equipment intended for the detection of explosives in bulk form and in closed containers using the principle of Raman spectrometry; the LDS800HDK specialized ...

Multiple crises in recent years, including the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global energy crisis, the climate crisis, the decarbonization of the energy mix, the European Green Pact, the energy transition, the conflict in Ukraine, and the energy trilemma, have created the conditions for a new energy revolution. If the listed influencing factors, the sanctions imposed on Russian oil and gas as well as the confrontation with the components of the trilemma, energy security, minimal impact on the ...

In the exploration and mining industry, fixed and mobile machines use hydraulic drive systems (HDSs) involving hydraulic cylinders powered at high pressure rates. Such cylinders operate in heavy and high-magnitude dynamic load regimes, e.g., as part of mobile crusher buckets, excavators and mini excavators, hook-lift trailers, or mobile hydraulic jacks. In this context, there are two solutions for generating high pressure rates in HDSs: (1) by using high-pressure pumps, or (2) by using hydraulic power units consis...

The increase of the population also involve the increase of the consumption of raw materials. This requires the diversification and development of industrial processes in closed semi-enclosed or open spaces. The carrying out of human activities of an industrial nature involves the accidental use, handling or presence of explosive substances such as methane. The presence of this gas in closed or semi-closed spaces can generate explosion phenomena. The dynamics of methane discharge in closed enclosures, industrial o...

The ventilation network related to a mining unit for the exploitation of the useful mineral substance aims to ensure optimal microclimate conditions in underground. An ventilation network is made up of nodes and branches in order to establish its structure. In this sense, the mine ventilation must be seen as a source of life, in which the ramifications represent at the same time the arteries that transport the air to the working fronts and the evacuation of the poluted air to the surface. In order to establish the...

It is recognized that increased mechanization in mining has resulted in a larger number of workers exposed to longer durations of whole-body vibration (WBV) in mining work context. This physical agent is one of the leading causes for workplace disability and it is regarding of many mining operators that during daily activities use mining vehicles such as dozers, haul trucks, Load Haul Dump (LHD) vehicles and wheeled shovel. The present study was conducted in a typical mining context in order to investigate the eff...

Mining wastes represent a specific type of waste and, like sites after mining, represent sites where a comprehensive assessment of pollution at these sites needs to be approached, taking into account various specific conditions. Subsequently, the design of the remediation technologies used at a specific location must also be adapted to this fact. Until now, mining waste facilities (heaps and sludge ponds) have been treated as environmental burdens. However, it should be borne in mind that abandoned extractive wast...

The processing, transport and storage of flammable materials in the form of dust generates an explosion risk due to the possibility of initiating potentially explosive atmospheres created by dust suspended in air with various ignition sources, some of which may be their own installations. As explosions can cause human casualties and severe property damage, the explosion risk assessment and the application of appropriate measures by manufacturers and users of installations to prevent the ignition of explosive atmos...

Accidental explosions and fires caused by combustible dusts dust are some of the most significant threats in many industries where layers of combustible dusts and clouds are formed as a result of technological processes. When there is a possibility of a combustible dust to occur during the process, as a residue or byproduct, safety measures need to be taken in order to protect the installations and personnel. In the process of manufacturing the aluminum packaging a combustible dust residue is formed. In the presen...

The carrying out of human activities of an industrial nature involves the use, handling or accidental presence of substances of a toxic nature such as carbon oxide. The presence of this gas in closed or semi-closed spaces can seriously affect the human body and when concentrations are high it can lead to death. Knowing how carbon oxide affects the human body and how it disperses into the air is very important for establishing preventive measures. Also, in order to establish the escape routes and the refuge areas, ...

The Alto do Sobrido and Ribeiro da Serra Mines, are two antimony-gold mines located in Gondomar, Portugal, and are part of the Durico-Beirao Mining District (DBMD). In this work, we use four geophysical methods, such as gravity, radiometry, magnetic and electromagnetic, to improve the knowledge about these mineralizations and the lithologies and structures associated with them. These four methods allowed us to study these mineralizations through different physical properties. The gravimetric method allowed us to a...

Conveyance of goods and travelling of persons through the tunnels of mines or subway is done on railways of narrow or normal gauge. In interventions in case of accidents, hydraulically operated installations with small dimensions are used for lifting and rerailing the derailed rolling stock. They include hydraulic jacks (double or single acting hydraulic cylinders), supplied with low flow rates at high pressures. Feeding of hydraulic cylinders for lifting and relocating the derailed rolling stock is usually done b...

Managing emergencies is a complex task, which involves precise coordination of many activities and people, as well as fast decision-making in environments in which critical, vital information can often be lacking. From a technical and technological point of view, in spite of all advances encountered in most industrial branches, accidents with human casualties and material damage can still occur. For this reason, the presence of special intervention and rescue teams within certain industrial/ economic units is esse...

The energy crisis triggered globally in the last quarter of 2021, forced Romania to go through a winter with liberalized electricity and gas prices, a period unprecedented in terms of consumer prices, accentuated by the result of closing energy targets that coalfired operations as a result of the imposition of EU conditions for the restructuring of the mining and energy sector. The year before, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions imposed, produced a decrease in electricity demand, a decline in coal-fire...

Underground mining remains one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, and coalmining is known for its high accident rates. In this paper we aim to present an overview of safety in the extractive industry and we will present statistics on known accidents. The repeated occurrence of explosions in underground mining raises questions about the measures taken to prevent their occurrence. Hazard identification and risk analysis are necessary to identify adverse events that may lead to a hazardous situation, to ...

In recent years, virtual reality developers have managed to create an artificial environment that can simulate reality so that the user has the impression of an almost real physical presence in the virtual world. By overlapping and synchronizing projected images with spatial sounds and even with forces that interact with the user, the user is detached from the real environment and an all-encompassing involvement in the virtual world occurs. Virtual reality is frequently present in aviation, medicine, military trai...

The article justifies the need for technological solutions in the use of polymer-composite materials in order to limit the impact of dynamic frictional forces in oil drilling. The relationship between macrostructural surfaces was investigated, in particular increasing the effectiveness of the axial load on the drill bit during drilling directional and horizontal wells. It is established that the polymer coating of drill string elements (BC) based on fluoroplastic brand F-4, with a small thickness of 2 ? 3 mm and t...

The evaluation of the seismic action generated by blasting, aims to establish the connection between the levels of ground vibration with the parameters of the blasting and the characteristics of the geological environment related to the quarry. In order to assess the seismic effects on site of the mining / civil / industrial objectives within the quarry, the criterion of the oscillation speed of the soil particles was chosen, because it was considered to be the only reproducible parameter for the whole frequency r...

The main role of ventilation systems and especially air conditioning systems is to create indoor conditions and air quality inside the rooms that are independent of external atmospheric influences. The sizing of ventilation systems and especially of air conditioning systems is done, in most cases, by considering the climatic elements as a basis for calculation. The real limit to air quality insurance it consists in maintaining in the air certain concentrations of harmful substances which do not endanger human heal...

Quarry sites are famous for the different types of materials produced. Many aggregate elements, extracted by different methods in quarry activities, such as blasting operations, are widely used for different applications, such as construction, road paving and monuments. Generally, the process to obtain these materials is very complex. A stationary production facility does not require machinery to be moved or relocated, whereas the quarry process involves machinery such as wheel loaders, trucks and articulated dump...

The vast territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), located in permafrost conditions and scattered by impassable roads, creates a serious problem in the energy supply of the population. In this regard, throughout the territory of the republic there are small open-pit mines with a production capacity of 40 to 200 thousand tons of coal per year to meet the needs of local consumers. The advantages of small open-pit mines are the low cost of coal mining, reduction of transport and transshipment costs, provision of ...

The dust cloud is the main form of existence of combustible dust in the production area and together with the existence of effective ignition sources are the main causes of dust explosions in production processes. Dust explosions are mainly characterized by the minimum ignition temperature, explosion limits, the minimum ignition energy, maximum explosion pressure and the rate of pressure rise. The explosive behavior which is represented by a mixture of air and flammable substance is influenced by many factors of w...

Taking into account the Regulation (EU) No 98/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the marketing and use of explosives precursors, which establishes harmonized rules concerning the making available, introduction, possession and use of substances or mixtures that could be misused for the illicit manufacture of explosives, with a view to limiting their availability to the general public, and ensuring the appropriate reporting of suspicious transactions throughout the supply chain,...

Dumping during open-pit mining is one of the important processes on which the area of disturbed lands and the environmental friendliness of the technology as a whole depend. In permafrost conditions, the issue of dumping requires a comprehensive study of the technology, dumping processes and taking into account the strength, thermophysical properties of frozen rocks. In most cases, when developing small coal deposits in the North-East of Russia, favorable mining and geological conditions of bedding are used for in...

The use of indicator methods in oil and gas field geology allows us to obtain representative quantitative information about the direction and velocity of fluid movement in the studied formations, to assess the main filtration parameters and the presence of inter-reservoir flows, as well as reliable information about the technical condition of wells. The use of indicators (tracers) is based on the injection of water (or an aqueous solution of the reagent) labeled with a stable or radioactive indicator and subsequen...

In Oituz and Targu Ocna, the attestation of salt extraction was established during the Geto-Dacian period. The oldest written testimony dates from 1380. The mining works that serve the Trotus mine within the Tg. Ocna Salt Mine, are located in the Fetele Targului salt massif located near the town of Tg. Ocna, on the left side of the Trotus river. Currently, the Trotu? Salt Mine has 14 horizons: 2 at the Pilot mine and 12 at the Trotu? mine. The specialized 3D CANVENT program was used to establish the optimal distri...

Usually, only a part of the work capacity is spent in the professional activity, being materialized as products and services made/accomplished within the work process. However, there are also instances, in extreme cases, when total work capacity needs to be engaged, thus an important body reserve being used. Work capacity is represented by the totality of an individual’s (physical, mental, intellectual) possibilities to perform a useful activity at an optimal level of intensity and efficiency. One of the most impo...