Former producer used for mining research

New life has been breathed into the old Beacon mine, a copper-gold producer, 16 km east of here, which operated between 1922 and 1933.

These days, the property is the home of an experimental mine belonging to CANMET (Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology), an agency of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, where research into such areas as blast conditions and robotics are performed.

A 500-metre ramp leads to three levels with 1,550 metres of drifts. The underground facility provides a realistic environment for in situ testing of equipment and methods. It operates as part of the Mining Research Laboratory, which maintains four other facilities across Canada.

At the Val d’Or project, engineers work to improve and adapt technologies to Canadian mining situations. For example, tests have been performed on a hydraulically powered drill used in South Africa.

The drill relies on high head pressures created by water in pipes installed from the surface to many thousands of metres underground. Similar equipment using pumps to provide 2,200 lb. per square inch of water pressure could be practical in Canadian mines. Robert Lauriault, manager of the mine, thinks hydraulic drills produce less noise and pollution than their conventional pneumatic counterpart, and that they will prove twice as fast. The mine is also home to CANMET’s rock fragmentation “imaging” work. A computer scans a photograph of a muck pile and the information is analyzed in various ways. The aim is to learn which explosives and patterns reduce the amount of secondary breakage required.

Another promising project is high-speed video recording of underground blasts. Playing the tape at a slower speed, researchers can see clearly whether poor fragmentation occurs because of inadequate stemming or other factors. This is the first project in North America to study underground blast conditions directly, Lauriault noted.

Applied rock physics work is only part of the focus at the laboratory. Mine development, production and support activities are also examined. One project involves an experimental, driverless truck. Unlike the automated haulage truck of Inco (TSE), which relies on markers placed along the travelway, CANMET’s smaller, 26-tonne truck uses a laser and video camera to scan a back-mounted guide.

Automation and robotics are other areas of investigation. Borrowing an idea from police bomb-disposal squads, CANMET is testing a remote-controlled robot. The robot, which scoots along on wheels, has an articulated arm with a grasping device on the end. A video camera on the robot and a monitor on the control console allow the operator to watch what is going on even when the unit is out of sight.

The robot could potentially perform work on equipment in hazardous underground areas. It could, for example, attach a chain to a truck that needs towing or lay cables.

CANMET is also working on an automated monitoring and control system. It will report the status of underground systems, including ventilation, heating, air quality, pumping and compressed air. It should be operational in September. A regional seismic monitoring station, which complements others in northern Ontario, is being set up. Local ground movement is monitored during all mine tests.