Prediction of blasting-induced fragmentation in Meydook copper mine using empirical,statistical, and mutual information models

One of the most important aims of blasting in open pit mines is to reach desirable size of fragmentation. Prediction of fragmentation has great importance in an attempt to prevent economic drawbacks. In this study, blasting data from Meydook mine were used to study the effect of different parameters on fragmentation; 30 blast cycles performed in Meydook mine were selected to predict fragmentation where six more blast cycles are used to validate the results of developed models. In this research, mutual information (MI) method was employed to predict fragmentation. Ten parameters were considered as primary ones in the model. For the sake of comparison, Kuz-Ram empirical model and statistical modeling were also used. Coefficient of determination (R ²), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) were then used to compare the models. Results show that MI model with values of R ², RMSE, and MAE equals 0.81, 10.71, and 9.02, respectively, is found to have more accuracy with better performance comparing to Kuz-Ram and statistical models.     

Vertical resolution enhancement of petrophysical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) log using ordinary kriging

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logging provides priceless information about hydrocarbon bearing intervals such as free fluid porosity and permeability. This study focuses on using geostatistics from NMR logging instruments at high depths of investigation to enhance vertical resolution for better understanding of reservoirs. In this study, a NMR log was used such that half of its midpoint data was used for geostatistical model construction using an ordinary kriging technique and the rest of the data points were used for assessing the performance of the constructed model. This strategy enhances the resolution of NMR logging by twofold. Results indicated that the correlation coefficient between measured and predicted permeability and free fluid porosity is equal to 0.976 and 0.970, respectively. This means that geostatistical modeling is capable of enhancing the vertical resolution of NMR logging. This study was successfully applied to carbonate reservoir rocks of the South Pars Gas Field.     

Application of alternative digital rock physics methods in a real case study: a challenge between clean and cemented samples

High‐resolution three‐dimensional images are used in digital rock physics to numerically compute rock physical properties such as permeability and elastic moduli. These images are not widely available, and their preparation is both expensive and time consuming. All of these issues highlight the importance of alternative digital rock physics methods that are based on two‐dimensional images and use different approaches to compute effective properties of three‐dimensional samples. In addition, the scale of study in both standard and alternative digital rock physics is very small, which applications of its results are questionable at wells or reservoir scale. The aim of this study is to use two‐dimensional images and alternative digital rock physics techniques for computing seismic wave velocity and permeability, which are compared with well and laboratory data. For this purpose, data from one well in a reservoir located in the southwestern part of Iran are used. First, two clean (carbonate) and two cemented (limy sandstone) samples were collected from well cores at different depths. Then, two‐dimensional images by scanning electron microscope and conventional microscope were captured. In the next step, two alternative digital rock physics methods, namely, empirical relations and conditional reconstruction, have been employed to compute P‐wave velocity and permeability of a three‐dimensional medium. Results showed that, in clean (mono‐mineral) samples, velocity values were reasonably close to well data. However, permeability values are underestimated compared with laboratory data because laboratory data were obtained at ambient pressure, whereas alternative digital rock physics results are more representative of reservoir pressure conditions. Nevertheless, permeability–porosity trends are valid for both samples. In the case of cemented samples, a two‐scale procedure, along with a method for two‐scale computation and grain‐cement segmentation, is presented and developed. Results showed that P‐wave velocity is overestimated probably due to random sampling in this method. However, velocity–porosity trends are in agreement with well data. Moreover, permeability results obtained for cemented samples were also similar to those obtained for the clean samples.     

Optimal PD/PID control of smart base isolated buildings equipped with piezoelectric friction dampers

Long-period pulses in near-field earthquakes lead to large displacements in the base of isolated structures.To dissipate energy in isolated structures using semi-active control,piezoelectric friction dampers(PFD) can be employed.The performance of a PFD is highly dependent on the strategy applied to adjust its contact force.In this paper,the seismic control of a benchmark isolated building equipped with PFD using PD/PID controllers is developed.Using genetic algorithms,these controllers are optimized to create a balance between the performance and robustness of the closed-loop structural system.One advantage of this technique is that the controller forces can easily be estimated.In addition,the structure is equipped with only a single sensor at the base floor to measure the base displacement.Considering seven pairs of earthquakes and nine performance indices,the performance of the closed-loop system is evaluated.Then,the results are compared with those given by two well-known methods:the maximum possive operation of piezoelectric friction dampers and LQG controllers.The simulation results show that the proposed controllers perform better than the others in terms of simultaneous reduction of floor acceleration and maximum displacement of the isolator.Moreover,they are able to reduce the displacement of the isolator systems for different earthquakes without losing the advantages of isolation.     

Evaluation of local site effect from microtremor measurements in Babol City,Iran

Every year, numerous casualties and a large deal of financial losses are incurred due to earthquake events. The losses incurred by an earthquake vary depending on local site effect. Therefore, in order to conquer drastic effects of an earthquake, one should evaluate urban districts in terms of the local site effect. One of the methods for evaluating the local site effect is microtremor measurement and analysis. Aiming at evaluation of local site effect across the city of Babol, the study area was gridded and microtremor measurements were performed with an appropriate distribution. The acquired data was analyzed through the horizontal-to-vertical noise ratio (HVNR) method, and fundamental frequency and associated amplitude of the H/V peak were obtained. The results indicate that fundamental frequency of the study area is generally lower than 1.25 Hz, which is acceptably in agreement with the findings of previous studies. Also, in order to constrain and validate the seismostratigraphic model obtained with this method, the results were compared with geotechnical, geological, and seismic data. Comparing the results of different methods, it was observed that the presented geophysical method can successfully determine the values of fundamental frequency across the study area as well as local site effect. Using the data obtained from the analysis of microtremor, a microzonation map of fundamental frequency across the city of Babol was prepared. This map has numerous applications in designing high-rise building and urban development plans.     

Tidal asymmetry in a tidal creek with mixed mainly semidiurnal tide,Bushehr Port,Persian Gulf

This study investigated the tidal asymmetry imposed by both the interaction of principal tides and the higher harmonics generated by distortions within a tidal creek network with mixed mainly semidiurnal tide in the Bushehr Port, Persian Gulf. Since velocity and water-level imposed by principal triad tides K₁-O₁-M₂ are in quadrature, duration asymmetries during a tidal period in this short, shallow inverse estuary should be manifest as skewed velocities. The principal tides produce periodic asymmetries including a strong ebb-dominance and a weak flood-dominance condition during spring and neap tides respectively. The higher harmonics induced by nonlinearities engender a flood-dominance condition where the convergence effects are higher than frictional effects, and an ebbdominance condition where intertidal storage are extended. Since the triad K₁-O₁-M₂ driven asymmetry is not overcome by higher harmonics close to the mouth, the periodic asymmetry dominates within the creek in which higher harmonics reinforce the weak flood-dominance (strong ebb-dominance) condition in the convergent channel (divergent area). Also, the maximum flood and the maximum ebb from all harmonic constituents occurred close to high water slack time during both spring and neap tides in this short creek. Since occational wetting of intertidal areas happened close to the high water (HW) time during spring tide, the water level flooded slowly close to the HW time of the spring tide.     

Prediction of porosity and water saturation using pre-stack seismic attributes: a comparison of Bayesian inversion and computational intelligence methods

Rock physical parameters such as porosity and water saturation play an important role in the mechanical behavior of hydrocarbon reservoir rocks. A valid and reliable prediction of these parameters from seismic data is essential for reservoir characterization, management, and also geomechanical modeling. In this paper, the application of conventional methods such as Bayesian inversion and computational intelligence methods, namely support vector regression (SVR) optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO) and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system-subtractive clustering method (ANFIS-SCM), is demonstrated to predict porosity and water saturation. The prediction abilities offered by Bayesian inversion, SVR-PSO, and ANFIS-SCM were presented using a synthetic dataset and field data available from a gas carbonate reservoir in Iran. In these models, seismic pre-stack data and attributes were utilized as the input parameters, while the porosity and water saturation were the output parameters. Various statistical performance indexes were utilized to compare the performance of those estimation models. The results achieved indicate that the ANFIS-SCM model has strong potential for indirect estimation of porosity and water saturation with high degree of accuracy and robustness from seismic data and attributes in both synthetic and real cases of this study.     

On the formation of massive galaxies: a simultaneous study of number density, size and intrinsic colour evolution in GOODS

The evolution of number density, size and intrinsic colour is determined for a volume-limited sample of visually classified early-type galaxies selected from the Hubble Space Telescope /Advanced Camera for Surveys images of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) North and South fields (version 2). The sample comprises 457 galaxies over 320 arcmin² with stellar masses above  3 × 10¹⁰ M_⊙  in the redshift range  0.4 < z < 1.2  . Our data allow a simultaneous study of number density, intrinsic colour distribution and size. We find that the most massive systems  (≳3 × 10¹¹ M_⊙)  do not show any appreciable change in comoving number density or size in our data. Furthermore, when including the results from 2dF galaxy redshift survey, we find that the number density of massive early-type galaxies is consistent with no evolution between   z = 1.2  and 0, i.e. over an epoch spanning more than half of the current age of the Universe. We find large discrepancies between the predictions of semi-analytic models. Massive galaxies show very homogeneous intrinsic colour distributions, with nearly flat radial colour gradients, but with a significant negative correlation between stellar mass and colour gradient, such that red cores appear predominantly in massive galaxies. The distribution of half-light radii – when compared to   z ∼ 0  and   z > 1  samples – is compatible with the predictions of semi-analytic models relating size evolution to the amount of dissipation during major mergers.     

Emplacement of massive deposits by sheet flow

Turbidity current and coastal storm deposits are commonly characterized by a basal sandy massive (structureless) unit overlying an erosional surface and underlying a parallel or cross-laminated unit. Similar sequences have been recently identified in fluvial settings as well. Notwithstanding field, laboratory and numerical studies, the mechanisms for emplacement of these massive basal units are still under debate. It is well accepted that the sequence considered here can be deposited by waning-energy flows, and that the parallel-laminated units are deposited under transport conditions corresponding to upper plane bed at the dune–antidune transition. Thus, transport conditions that are more intense than those at the dune–antidune transition should deposit massive units. This study presents experimental, open-channel flow results showing that sandy massive units can be the result of gradual deposition from a thick bedload layer of colliding grains called sheet flow layer. When this layer forms with relatively coarse sand, the non-dimensional bed shear stress associated with skin friction, the Shields number, is larger than a threshold value approximately equal to 0·4. For values of the Shields number smaller than 0·4 the sheet flow layer disappeared, sediment was transported by a standard bedload layer one or two grain diameters thick, and the bed configuration was characterized by downstream migrating antidunes and washed out dunes. Parallel laminae were found in deposits emplaced with standard bedload transport demonstrating that the same dilute flow can gradually deposit the basal and the parallel-laminated unit in presence of traction at the depositional boundary. Further, the experiments suggested that two different types of upper plane bed conditions can be defined, one associated with standard bedload transport at the dune–antidune transition, and the other associated with bedload transport in sheet flow mode at the transition between upstream and downstream migrating antidunes.     

Coal Cleat/Fracture Segmentation Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Natural Resources Research - Cleats/fractures play a vital role in gas extraction from coal bed methane reservoirs. As such, fractures are identified in microcomputed tomography images by...