Sr. Design Project Class

2014

How the Class Works

• This is not a lecture and train class– You will be attempting to put together things

learned over your training into a single project– Lectures will be provided when topics are needed– Guest lectures will be provided to train you in

software use• Carlson will be presenting• Vnet will be presenting

– The other presenters – You!

Generalized Lecture Pattern

• Start of the week– I explain goals for the week

• End of the week– You make oral presentations– And turn in required maps and writings• At the end of class

• Middle of the week– Special topics if needed– Otherwise – work on your projects

Work Warning

• Senior Design is extremely work intensive– As much as 50% of your work this semester could be in

this class– Some tasks are tedious and laborious– You will likely spend many midnight hours cursing Dr.

Paul because things aren’t working out for you.• Mitigating the work load– You get my sympathy – but not a break– You work in teams

• You don’t have to do the whole project yourself

Team Work and Team Jerk

• Mine designs involve many inter-related projects– Failure to work in a timely manner can stop the

progress of other team members– Failure to “do your part” causes resentment of others

• Tending to know laborious difficulties of your own tasks and not others makes everyone feel they are doing a greater % than they really are

• If it gets out of line (such as some people working long hours and others waiting for estimates from vendors) will call for action.

How is Sr. Design Graded

• Grades are fixed percentage– 90% A– 80% B– 70% C– 60% D– Do you really want to discuss whats down here?

Where Do Points Come From

• 60% from weekly projects• 15% from final oral report• 15% from final written report• 10% from performance evaluation

The Weekly Project• Step #1 – I Identify goals for the week

– Your group sub-divides tasks and sends me the task division• Your submissions

– Oral Presentation of your work (will be 30% of grade)– You submit your written assignments (will be 30% of grade)

• You will not always have one

• Individual and Group Identity– Group grade makes 25% to 50% (varies with how much the

project work demanded coordination) on oral presentations– Group grade makes 0% to 50% on written submissions

The Final Projects

• Oral and Written Final Project– 50% by group– 50% by individual• Written sections should have author name

Performance Evaluation (10%)• My hammer in case someone gets lazy• What has been done with it

– I may feel everyone worked hard and just give a full 10% to everyone

– I may feel most everyone has worked hard but one person hasn’t performed• I will give varying percentages to different people

– I may put it out for peer feedback• Don’t tick your peers off!• In abuse cases the group clusters on percentages and the lazy peoples

work % is way out of line with everyone else– I may split points between my evaluation and peer evaluation.

Tasks for Now• Choose your team leader

– Good generalized knowledge of mining so he/she can balance work-load (and pull things together)

– Good sense of organization– Charisma – sometimes they will have to ask people to do things they don’t

want to– Firm but Fair – can push for deadlines, persuade when needed, kick-butt in

extremes• Look for other skills

– Who can do maps and Carlson work?– Who can read washability curves and simulate prep plants?– Who has knowledge or equipment and connections to get quotes and

estimates?– Who are your good writers?

Once Upon A Time

• Golden Goat Mining– Obtained mineral rights on about 24 square miles of

land believed to contain unusually large coal reserves due to multi-seam potential

– They agreed with landowners to maximize recovery• Land owners agreed to allow subsidence

– They went in with a 55 hole semi-grid drilling program• Where recommended by geologists they did limited

additional drilling specifically to delineate features of interest• Where something looked troubling they hired expert

opinions

The Land is in Crawford County Illinois

It is Located South East of Palestine

Tract about4 miles NS6 mile EW

Drilling Confirms

• 4 minable coal seams– Unusually thick Danville #7 coal• Rather weak, low BTU, high ash and sulfur, and chlorine• May have good sulfur washability

– Consistent minable Herrin #6 coal• Good quality with low ash and low chlorine• Sulfur depends on top

– Thick high BTU Springfield #5 coal– Metallurgical Grade Cochester #2 coal

Challenges

• Multi-seam mining• Faults and Dikes• Washout channels• Roof conditions• Underclay floors

What Will You Do

• Evaluate prices and qualities required for coal• Evaluate ways of getting coal to market• Evaluate available labor forces• Build models of coal quality and thickness

together with roof and floor conditions• Use rock mechanics principles and formulas to size

openings, pillars, panels, and support• Size markets, mine production, labor forces, and

labor schedules

More to Do

• Plan mine layouts, and areas to be mined in various time periods

• Select equipment, organize crews, estimate mining costs• Plan ventilation including sizing of fans (ie- this is a

quantitative not just qualitative plan)• Plan drainage networks• Design coal preparation plant and simulate its

performance in producing various products• Identify type of coal refuse facilities, size, development

and cost

Still More

• Design surface facilities shops and warehouses• Design loadouts• Estimate Costs• Develop Cash Flows• Evaluate Economics• Include Everything with texts, maps,

illustrations in a final report (likely to be hundreds of pages long)

What to Start First

• Take your drill hole data – get it in a Carlson compatible format – read it in and build a model of the coal resource in Carlson (guaranteed to be lots of tedious work)

• Identify customers in the area – find routes to market and estimate shipping costs

• Identify climate conditions and flooding tendencies for Wabash River

• Identify demographics of local populations and available labor force and driving distances