This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
May 05, 2005
DOE Funds Five Research Projects to Boost Mining Efficiency
 |
The new DOE-funded projects aim to achieve greater efficiency in mining operations.
|
DOE announced on May 5th its selection of five new projects to develop new mining technologies that will reduce energy use and lower costs. DOE will contribute nearly $1.88 million to the five projects, matched by $1.13 million from the private sector. The largest project is the development of an integrated data analysis system that aims to change the way mines measure, predict, control, and monitor their processes, with a goal of making the processes more efficient. The other four projects will investigate the use of high-pressure water jets for hard rock mining, develop a novel processing technology for dry coal, and evaluate two methods to remove water from wet slurries containing small particles of coal. See the DOE press release.
Each year, nearly 47,000 pounds of materials are mined for each person in the United States. The Mining Industry of the Future—a collaboration between the U.S. mining industry and DOE's Industrial Technologies Program—is working to make the U.S. mining industry the most efficient, advanced, and energy-efficient in the world. See the Mining Industry of the Future Web page.
