Courses Taught

Undergraduate Courses

Underground Mining Systems

• • A course offered at West Virginia University. It is an introductory course to mining engineering students with particular emphasis on underground mining systems.

  • Introduction of major tasks, components and methods in developing and operating underground mines (coal, metal and non-metal)

  • Introduction of the scientific concepts, considerations and procedures in major design tasks

  • Applications of mathematical, computer skills in the computations, data handling, engineering designs involved in planning, design and operating underground mines.

    • • Introduction of the four stages of mining: objectives and major tasks

      • Prospecting

      • Exploration: Objectives, field works, reserve estimate, feasibility study, decision makin

      • Mine Development

        • Objectives, Major tasks involved

        • Planning & Design tasks and considerations

        • Ground control: pillar design and roof bolting

        • Mine Ventilation

        • Mine Drainage

        • Underground transportation systems, belt conveyor design

        • Manpower planning

        • Project scheduling

        • Unit operation: Rock breakage: Penetration and fragmentation, explosive, underground blasting pattern design

      • Exploitation

        • Objectives, underground mining methods and classifications

        • Unsupported Methods: Room and pillar mining methods, stope and pillar, shrinkage stoping, sublevel stoping

        • Supported Mining Methods: Cut and fill, Stull stoping, Square set stoping

        • Caving Methods: Longwall mining method and concerns and issues, shortwall mining, sublevel caving, block caving, problems with caving method, post mining activities

Mineral Property Evaluation

• A required course taught at West Virginia University with particular emphasis on mineral property evaluation and project management. It covers:

  • Mineral exploration and reserve estimation

  • Linear programming

  • Engineering economics

  • Alternative comparison

  • Cost estimates

  • Taxation considerations

  • Discounted cash flow - rate of return analysis

  • Risk assessment

Mine Ventilation

• • • A course offered at West Virginia University. It covers topics of engineering principles, purposes, methods, and equipment applied to the design and operating underground ventilation systems. The ultimate goal is to maintain a safe, healthy and productive working environment in the mines. It covers topics of

      • Basic gas thermodynamics

      • Components of Mine Ventilation Systems

      • Mine Ventilation Regulations, overview

      • Engineering Ethics

      • Dilution Requirements

      • Air Flow, Pressure Gradients

      • Head Losses, Air Power

      • Airway Resistances

      • Simple Ventilation Circuits

      • Controlled Splitting ‑‑ CPM Approach

      • Natural Ventilation

      • Fan Characteristics

      • Fan Applications

      • Complex Networks

      • Computer Aided Network Analysis

      • Auxiliary Ventilation

      • Economics of Airflow

      • Coal Mine Ventilation Systems

      • Gas Control

      • Dust Control

      • Mine Fires and Explosions

Multi-Disciplinary Project

• • • An undergraduate mining engineering course offered at West Virginia University.

    • The objectives of this course are to introduce the need to seek input from other professionals in solving mining engineering problems, to incorporate the constraints imposed by other disciplines in solving mining engineering design problems, and working with other professionals in a multidisciplinary team. Detailed problem-solving session will supplement the materials covered in the lecture part of the course. Completion of a design project is required.

Graduate Courses

Surface Subsidence Engineering

• • • A graduate level course offered at West Virginia University. It covers the basic theories and practical aspects of mine subsidence. Methods for predicting final and dynamic mining subsidence and techniques for assessing and mitigating subsidence influences are introduced.

    • The topics covered are

      • Introduction including: history, regulatory issues, examples of subsidence problems and solutions

      • Subsidence fundamentals

      • Subsidence Prediction Methods

        • Commonly used subsidence prediction methods

        • Final subsidence prediction

        • Influence functions and mathematical models

        • Final subsidence along major cross-sections

        • Final subsidence over an rectangular opening

        • Final subsidence over irregular opening

        • Determination of final subsidence parameters

        • Final subsidence due to mining in multiple panels

        • Final subsidence in hilly terrain

        • Final subsidence over high extraction room-and-pillar mines

      • Dynamic subsidence prediction

        • Dynamic subsidence processes associated with longwall mining

        • Normal dynamic subsidence process

        • Subsidence initiation process

        • Residual subsidence process

      • Subsidence Influence Assessments

        • Type of subsidence damages to surface structures and disturbance to environment

        • Various critical values

        • Assessment techniques to common structures

      • Subsidence Damage Mitigation

        • Approaches to mitigate subsidence damage

        • Mitigation measures to common surface structures

      • Subsidence Monitoring & Data Processing

        • Subsidence monitoring techniques

        • Subsidence monitoring program

        • Data processing techniques

Advanced Mine Ventilation

• • • A graduate level course offered at West Virginia University.

    • Advanced topics in mine atmospheric control including control of methane, dust, humidity, and heat.

    • Also covers leakage characteristics, fan selection, analysis of ventilation networks, and planning of mine ventilation system.

      • Coal mine ventilation systems

      • Formulation and solution of ventilation networks

        • Formulation of ventilation networks

        • Hardy-Cross method

        • Ventilation network solution using Excel

        • Air leakage through ventilation stoppings

        • Applications of VNetPC

        • Ventilation simulation for a planned coal mine with large longwall panels.

      • Humidity and heat in mines

        • Determination of humidity and heat exchange inside a mine

        • Considerations of humidity, temperature and air compressibility in mine ventilation network simulations

        • Mine air conditioning

      • Gas explosions in mines

        • Chemical reactions

        • Explosive conditions

        • Explosion heat and pressure

        • Lower and upper explosive limits when multiple gases involved.

      • Coal mine fires and detection

      • Spontaneous combustion

Theories of Surface Subsidence

• • • A graduate level course offered at West Virginia University. Main Topics to be Covered

      • Methods to predict final subsidence in hilly regions

      • Methods to predict final subsidence for inclined coal seems

      • Method to predict subsurface subsidence and its implication to surface streams and subsurface aquifers

      • Method to predict long-term subsidence and its applications

      • Physical modeling in subsidence studies

      • Review of numerical modeling methods in subsidence studies

      • Methods to assess subsidence influences to special surface structures

      • Special subsidence topics and subsidence investigation cases

      • ...