World mining heritage
The article briefly describes 15 UNESCO world mining heritage sites located in Poland, Norway, Bolivia, Mexico, Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Spain, Belgium, Great Britain, Sweden and Chili. The description of each heritage site is illustrated with photos. More details of these and other mining heritage sites can be found in the book of the same authors “Wealth of Mining Intellectual Culture”.
Transition of the cement industry from gas fuel to coal
The cement industry is one of energy-consuming sectors of the economy. The prospects of the sector radical modernization depend on the rejection of “wet” production methods and transition from gas to coal as a heat and energy source. The list of main Russian cement producers is provided, and the trends of various energy sources consumption for cement production are described. The author substantiates the timeliness of urgent transition of cement producers to coal fuel. The article contains the estimates of the actual and future cement output in the Russian Federation and the structure of fuel consumption.
Methods of the evaluation of mining machinery operators’ professional competence
The article presents a standard technique for the evaluation of the professional competence of mining machinery operators. The author emphasizes the effect of the operator functional status on the efficiency of mining machinery operation and presents the classification of the “man-excavator” sub-system.
Sibelektroprivod Plant: start-up story and prospects of the development
Sibelektroprivod Plant in Novosibirsk is the oldest manufacturer of electrical machinery and equipment in Russia. Since 1958 the Plant has focused on the manufacture of electrical equipment for diesel locomotives, dozers, mine dump trucks, river and marine vessels, electrical trains and aviation-related mobile generators.
Modern mineral and overburden rock transportation systems
The article presents the analysis of the transport component share in mineral production costs of mines, and factors having the greatest effect on the selection of a transportation system. The advantages and shortcomings are discussed of four kinds of mine transport at open pits: railway, conveyor (incl. two types of cable-belt conveyors), rubber-tired and aerial ropeway transport. Preliminary estimates of economics of the analyzed kinds of transport and their comparative analysis are provided.
Current working environment at mines and ways of its improvement
Intensive development of mining and metallurgical sectors requires not only refurbishing and modernization of production on the basis of novel equipment and technologies, but also the continuous monitoring of the effect of unfavourable factors of working environment on the personnel health. Research into the working environment in underground mining and mineral processing has proved its invariability as extremely unfavourable and harmful conditions. The author shows a multi-factor effect of work-related hazards on human health. The article also contains a comprehensive analysis of the working environment and its effect on the mining sector personnel morbidity. The author expresses his concern about the decline of mine owners’ attention to safety-inmining. The current situation can be improved only by sufficient funding of special medical studies and monitoring of workplaces at mines and smelters.
Peculiarities of hydraulically driven roadheading machinery operation and trouble-shooting methods
The author analyzes the development trends of the hydraulic drive for roadheading machinery, peculiarities of its operation and trouble-shooting methods.
Trends of coking coal production in Russia and worldwide: past, present and future
The article presents the analysis of coking coal production in the main regions and countries of the world in the period of 2000–2010. It also shows the trends of coking coal production in the main coal basins of the Russian Federation and by Russian major coal producers in the period of 2000–2010. The author analyzes the statistics on coking coal imports and exports in the main coalproducing regions and countries of the world in 2000–2010, as well as coking coal supply to Japan and EU countries, coking coal prices for Japan and EU countries in 2000–2010. The forecast is presented of Russian coking coal prices exported to Japan and EU countries for the period up to 2030. The forecast is also given of coking coal production trends in Russia for the period up to 2030 and described in the Long-term Program of Coking Coal Production Development in Russia for the Period up to 2030.
