Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2018 number 6

The impact of flow-diverters used in the treatment of cerebral aneurysm on human brain hemodynamics was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Numerical simulation of flow-diverter placement in cerebral vessels with aneurysms for the case history of a real patient was carried out with the commercial ANSYS 17.2 package, using different (Newtonian and non-Newtonian) hydrodynamic models of blood rheology in different parts of the vessel and aneurysm, according to experimental data. It is shown that after flow-diverter placement, the blood flow through the artery segment containing the aneurysm neck decreases, resulting in a redistribution of the cerebral blood flow, which becomes close to a healthy bloodstream. Changes in wall tangential stresses in the flow-diverter region are indicative of possible aneurysm recanalization.

This paper describes a laboratory study of the behavior of turbulent boundary layers in the presence of two-dimensional hills. Flow measurements of the developing turbulent boundary layer on a single hill and on two successive hills are performed in a wind tunnel. The mean and turbulent velocities are measured by PIV anemometry. The results provide a detailed description of the inner layers upstream and above the hills in the separation recirculation zones. The deduced mean and fluctuating velocity fields are compared for the flow in the presence of a single hill and two successive hills located on smooth and rough walls.

This paper deals with an unsteady flow of a micropolar fluid sandwiched between Newtonian fluids through a horizontal channel. The governing time-dependent partial differential equations are solved numerically by using the Crank-Nicolson finite difference approach. The continuity of velocity and shear stress is considered at the fluid-fluid interfaces. It is observed that the fluid velocities increase with time; eventually, a steady state is reached at a certain time instant. The velocity decreases with increasing micropolarity parameter in the micropolar fluid region and remains almost unchanged in both Newtonian fluid regions.

A new rheological model (a modification of the Pokrovskii-Vinogradov model) is investigated. The model was shown by computational experiments to take into account the nonlinear effects occurring during melt flows and polymer solutions in regions with a complex geometry of the boundary. For the case where the main solution is an analogue of the Poiseuille flow in an infinite flat channel (viscoelastic polymer fluid considered), an asymptotic formula is obtained for the distribution of points of the spectrum of the linear problem. It is shown that small perturbations have the additional property of periodicity on the variable that runs along the axis of the channel.

A new method of focusing the rarefaction wave in a one-dimensional axisymmetric formulation is proposed. The method is based on shock wave generation initiated by motion of a piston coaxial with the axis of symmetry with a prescribed pulse profile for the maximum velocities of 20 to 100 m/s and the exponent decay constant up to 10 s. It is found that reflection of the shock wave from the free boundary generates a rarefaction wave propagating toward the axis of symmetry with increasing amplitude, and a cavitation zone is formed and developed behind the wave front.

The airflow and temperature distribution in a heated tunnel greenhouse in the presence of a row of tomato plants owing to heat dissipation from heating pipes is numerically studied with the use of the Fluent-CFD software. The fully turbulent airflow in the greenhouse induced by buoyancy forces is modeled by using the κ-ε model. The radiative heat transfer is taken into account by using the model of discrete ordinates. Two types of boundary conditions expressing heat losses at the greenhouse cover are treated: pure convection and convection combined with thermal radiation.

An analytical solution of the problem of the diffraction of a plane monochromatic sound wave on a sphere with a coating of several spherical layers is obtained using the equations of a linear coupled dynamic problem of the thermoelasticity of a homogeneous isotropic body. The results of calculations of the frequency and angular characteristics of the amplitude of a scattered acoustic field for a sphere with a multilayer coated and a coating with heterogeneity continuous across the thickness are given. It is shown that a continuously inhomogeneous thermoelastic coating can be modeled by a system of homogeneous thermoelastic layers. The effect of the thermoelasticity of the sphere materials and its discrete inhomogeneous coating on the scattering of sound was investigated.

A method for designing a pulsed MHDG fueled by the combustion products of the modern Start-2 aluminized plasma-forming solid propellant was developed based on experimental and numerical studies of the characteristics and operating modes of a Sakhalin pulsed magnetohydrodynamic generator (MHDG) of the first generation with a capacity of more than 500 MW fueled by a solid powder propellant (SPP). This paper presents the results of calculations and optimization of the characteristics of the designed pulsed MHDG with a self-excited resistive “iron-free” magnetic system with an electrical power of more than 500 MW. The local, integral, and specific energy, weight, and size characteristics of this generator were determined. The stability parameters of supersonic flow during strong magnetohydrodynamic deceleration of the plasma of combustion products and the self-excitation time of the magnet were determined. The obtained characteristics of pulsed MHDG were compared with similar characteristics of MHDG fueled by the combustion products of the first-generation SPP. It is shown that the obtained values the energy, mass, and size characteristics of MHDG fueled by the Start-2 SPP substantially exceed the corresponding characteristics of the pulsed MHDG fueled by the new-generation SPP.

A method for studying the thermo-electro-magneto-elastic state of a multiply connected piecewise-homogeneous piezoelectric plate under the action of a linear heat flux is proposed. The solution of a problem using complex potentials and the generalized least squares method is reduced to solving a system of linear algebraic equations with respect to unknown expansion coefficients of functions into Laurent series and Faber polynomials. For the case of a plate with one inclusion, an exact analytical solution of the problem is obtained. The results of the numerical studies, which determine the effect of the electric and magnetic properties of the plate materials and inclusions and their location on the main characteristics of the thermo-electro-magneto-elastic state are described.

A forced convection flow and heat transfer of a water-based nanofluid with SiO₂ particles with different volume fractions and nanoparticle diameters in corrugated ducts with different shapes are numerically studied. The three-dimensional governing equations are numerically solved in the domain by the control volume approach based on the SIMPLE technique. The effects of the nanoparticle diameter and shape on heat transfer is considered in the Reynolds number range 3000 ≤ Re ≤ 5000, and a uniform wall temperature is applied on the walls. The corrugated duct shape is optimized by the maximum performance evaluation criterion (PEC).

A mathematical model for the elastic-plastic bending deformation of spatially reinforced plates is constructed based on a leap-frog numerical scheme. The elastic-plastic behavior of the component materials of the composition is described by the theory of flow with isotropic hardening. The low resistance of the composite plates to transverse shear is taken into account using Reddy's theory and the geometric nonlinearity of the problem using the von Karman approximation. The dynamic elastic-plastic bending deformation of flat and spatially reinforced metal composite and fiberglass rectangular plates under the action of an air blast wave is investigated. It is shown that for relatively thick plates, replacing a flat leap-frog reinforcement structure by a spatial one leads to a decrease in strain intensity in the binder (a few tens of percent for the metal composite structure and a few hundred percent for the fiberglass structure) and to a decrease in the pliability of the plate in the transverse direction (insignificant for the metal composite structure and a factor of almost 1.5 for fiberglass). It has been found that for relatively thin plates, replacing the flat reinforcement structure by the spatial one leads to a slight decrease in its pliability.

Experiments on tension and compression of solid solid samples cut out from a 60-mm thick plate of an Ti-Al-Sn-V alloy at a temperature of 700^oC are used to determine that this alloy possesses small anisotropy and a difference between tensile and compressive moduli of elasticity. The approximations of the power law of creep are obtained for each series of these experiments and each direction in the plate. Two models based on the transformed space of stresses are used to simulate the torsion of solid solid samples. The models account for the difference between tensile and compressive moduli of elasticity. A series of experiments are carried out on the torsion of solid round rods cut out in the normal direction of the plate. It is shown that the computational and experimental results satisfactorily agree.

An interpretation of the nature of the relationship between elastic and plastic strains, called the elastic-plastic strain invariant, is given which takes into account the change in the entropy of the system during autowave generation at the stage of linear strain hardening. It is shown that this approach consistently explains the nature of the invariant and its role in plasticity description

A model of a physical section that describes stress-strain states in elastic-plastic solids weakened by cracks is proposed. The problem of plane deformation and the stress state of a solid of an infinite size of an arbitrary geometry, weakened by a physical section, is solved. It comes down to a system of two variational equations with respect to displacement fields in the parts of the solid bordering the interaction layer. For a material whose properties are close to those of a D16T alloy, the linear parameter introduced into the crack model is estimated, and the critical conditions of solids with lateral cracks in the case of a normal detachment are determined.

With account for a complex behavior of glass (the phenomenon of glass transition) and the degree of adhesion between glass and metal layers, a numerical-analytical method for calculating the evolution of a stress state of glass-metal composite during temperature treatment is proposed. The effect of relaxation processes in the glass - metal junction region on the technological and residual stresses in the composite is studied.

Cylindrical delamination in a multilayered functionally graded circular shaft loaded in torsion is analyzed assuming a nonlinear mechanical behaviour of the material by using the Ramberg-Osgood equation. The shaft is made of an arbitrary number of adhesively bonded concentric layers of different thicknesses and material properties. In each layer, the material is functionally graded in both radial and longitudinal directions. A solution for the strain energy release rate is derived by analyzing the energy balance. The solution is used to perform parametric investigations of the delamination behaviour.

Based on the stress distribution model of a horizontal well, the calculation model on the fracture pressure of the coalbed methane (CBM) horizontal well is developed. This model deals not only with initiation of the matrix fracture, but also of shear and open fractures. The effects of the cleat parameters and spatial orientation of the well on the fracture character are considered.

The process of crack growth in parts subjected to hot fluids is studied. The high temperature of the fluid activates the creep and corrosion processes. The hereditary creep theory is used for calculating the stress field. A creep function is introduced to determine the forces acting on the crack at the crack concealment and crack growth stages. The resisting force is calculated by using the Rabotnov method of accumulated small fractures in the crack region. The effect of the corrosive environment is considered in the calculations by using the penetration function. The resultant equations are solved by using the MATLAB software. The effects of the initial crack length and the applied stress on the crack growth curve are investigated.

Results of experimental and numerical investigations of the process of creating coatings from the titanium-aluminum intermetallic compound by using an additive method are presented. It is demonstrated that the process of intermetallic compound formation is limited by the rate of titanium dissolution and diffusion in the aluminum melt. The proposed method can be applied for hardening titanium plate surfaces during their exploitation at high temperatures and pressures.

Data on the speeds of longitudinal and transverse waves are used to derive relations for the principal values of the damage tensor proposed. The relationship between acoustic anisotropy and the main values of the damage tensor are established. The distribution pattern of local speeds and damage along the thickness of the specimen is studied. It is shown that damage is localized in a narrow surface layer, with local damage maxima far exceeding the average damage value

A test rig designed for studying oscillating fluid flows in channels is described. The shape of pressure oscillations is defined by displacements of a piston whose motion is controlled by a stepping motor, and the minimum step of the piston is 6 μm.

In deep stratified lakes the processes of growth and death rates of zooplankton populations result in uneven vertical distributions of live and dead organisms in a water column. The carcasses in the water are removed by process of sinking, and degradation due to microbial decomposition and detritivory and etc. In case of epilimnion maximum of zooplankton and when the degradation prevails over the sinking the downward flux of carcasses exponentially decays with depth. The vertical profile of dead organisms, demonstrating the decline in meta- and hypoliminon, can be fitted with the curve of numerical model, presented in this paper. The model approximation of the field data allow to determine non-predator mortality rate m and degradation rate D in relative terms ( m / v and D / v , v - sinking velocity) or absolute values (with defined v ). For the case of copepod population of Arctodiaptomus salinus in Lake Shira the calculated m and D (medians of 0.13 and 0.26 day-1, respectively) were in a good agreement with the literature data. The presented method also gives the advantage of using the depth depended sinking velocity v .

The work is directed on proceeding study of cyclicity of long-term (1980-2010) population dynamics in odonates in the lake Chany basin (the south of Western Siberia). Four sympatric species of the genus Sympetrum were investigated with using of spectral analysis method. The cycle spectra of population dynamics have been constructed for each species, and the basic parameters of these cycles (period, phase, power) are calculated. The special number cycles were found in each species. Interspecific distinctions amplified in the direction from high to low frequencies of the spectrum. In cases of similar cycles an interspecific distinction was shown in the ratio of cycle powers and/or phases: identical phases can indicate ability of species to increase their number synchronously with any of close species, different phases can indicate opportunity in small species to reach its number maximum against number minimum at numerous species. Comparison of sympatric species spectra of the genera Coenagrion and Sympetrum has led to the conclusion that the more similarity in environmental standards among species inside genus (as at Sympetrum ), the more specific the species frequency spectra. All species of the genus Sympetrum can synchronize their number fluctuations with 2-3 and 4-5-years’ fluctuations of the local climate. Also the specific synchronization with important nature-climatic rhythms was found at each species: at S. danаe - with 18-year rhythm of the lake Chany level and with 16-year of June temperatures; at S. flaveolum - with 24-year briknerovsky, with 8-year of rainfall and with 28-year of April and May temperatures; at S. vulgatum - with 40-42-year of the lake Chany level, with 12-year of rainfall and with 7-year of April and June temperatures; at S. sanguineum - with 7-year of April and June temperatures. Perhaps, in the long-term number fluctuations of species the adaptation mechanism of species to each other and to environment is concluded.

Changes in the quantitative characteristics and functioning of phytoplankton in Lake Bol’shie Shvakshty have been assessed. The changes are evoked by the introduction of herbivorous fishes into the lake and the resulting disturbance of ecological balance in the ecosystem and the shift of the lake into a hypertrophic state from a weakly eutrophic state. Human interference has caused the cyanobacteria density (abundance) and biomass values in the overall phytoplankton composition to strongly exceed (3.5 x 109 cells/L and above 68 μg/L chlorophyll-а, respectively) the threshold value for safe recreational use of water bodies (20 million cells/L and 10 μg/L chlorophyll-а) established by the World Health Organization (WHO). The lake can be assigned to the third level of hazard to human health within the classification proposed by the WHO, as the cyanobacteria density is higher than 100 million cells/L and chlorophyll-а content is higher than 50 μg/L. MC-producing Microcystis species were identified among the cyanobacteria that has propagated in the lake in recent years, and five microcystin variants, including the highly toxic MC-LR, have been detected in the water.

The paper provides an overview of leaf-mining insects complex damaging willows ( Salix spp.) and poplars ( Populus spp.) in Siberia. According to literature data and our observations, 50 leaf-mining insect species (i. e. 24 species from Lepidoptera, 15 Coleoptera, 6 Diptera and 5 Hymenoptera) feed on plants from these two genera in Siberia. Using an integrative approach combining field work, morphological and DNA barcoding analyses, we identified 32 leaf-mining insects from 14 regions across Siberia (i. e. 64 % of all species on Salicaceae in this part of Russia). Among them, 26 species, most often found in parks and botanical gardens, represented new faunistic records for several poorly explored regions of Siberia. We increased the list of Salicaceae-feeding leaf-mining insects in Tomsk Region, Altai Territory and the Republic of Tuva in more than two times and for the first time provided data on leaf-miners for the northwestern region - Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. The micromoth Phyllocnistis gracilistylella (Gracillariidae), recently described from Japan, is a new record to Russia from the south of Krasnoyarsk Territory, where it was found on a new host plant ( Salix carpea ). Eight leaf-mining insect species (i. e. 5 gracillariids Phyllocnistis labyrinthella, Ph. unipunctella, Phyllonorycter apparella, Ph. sagitella , Ph. populifoliella , 2 beetles Zeugophora scutellaris, Isochnus sequensi and one sawfly Heterarthrus ochropoda ) can outbreak on poplars, in urban plantations, botanical gardens and plant nurseries in Siberia, rarely in natural stands. Forty five species of 50 leaf-mining insects known to feed on willows and poplars in Siberia also occur in Central and Eastern Europe. The remaining five species ( Phyllocnistis gracilistylella, Phyllonorycter sibirica, Heterarthrus fasciatus, Tachyerges dauricus, Isochnus arcticus ) recorded in Asia only. The species richness of the family Gracillariidae, the most diverse on Salicaceae in Siberia, has 80 % of similarity to that of the European part of Russia and 71 % to the Russian Far East. We discuss the faunal proximity of these regions and highlight the importance of applying an integrative approach combining ecological, morphological and DNA barcoding analyses to explore and characterize the insect fauna of poorly studied regions of Asian part of Russia.

The effect of alcohol extract and essential oil from Juniрerus sabinа L. (Cupressaceae) on the survival and nutrition of the larvae Galleria mellonella L. (Pyralidae) was studied. It was found that the essential oil has insecticidal, antifeedant, deterrent and repellent properties. The loss of larvae with topical application of 0.2 мl of essential oil to the dorsal part (contact action) reaches 64.0 %. Feeding larvae with food treated with essential oil of J. sabinа (200 мl of essential oil per 1.5 grams of feed) is reduced by 2.1 times compared to the control. It is shown that larvae G. mellonella avoid feeding on the oil treated feed during 14 days, and actively move in the opposite direction from the treated feed when they are placed in Petri dishes. It has been established that vapors of essential oil suppress the development of larvae G. mellonella even when fed with untreated food - there is a lag in body weight and a delay molting in the next age. The essential oil of J. sabinа also exhibits moderate toxicity (20.0 %) when the larvae eat the treated food, i. e. possess intestinal action. The alcohol extract of J. sabinа at a concentration of 2.5 % of active substances (on dry residue) has a negligible (insignificant) effect on the loss of larvae in the case with treatment of feed (10.0 % contact action). With topical application to the dorsal part, the extract causes 20.0 % of insect death. Antifeedant and repellent properties against larvae alcohol extract of J. sabina did not show, however, a low level of deterrental activity, expressed in suppressing the formation and development of pupae of Galleria mellonella , was noted. Essential oil reduced the percentage of pupated larvae.

With the increasing depth of mineral resources exploration, hard rock can have a strong impact on the effect and cost of resource exploration. Due to the particularity of rock, including un-predictable damage such as joints, cracks and holes, the development of mesoscopic defects in the rock under the action of vibration load will lead to the deterioration of its macroscopic mechanical properties. At present, the research about the effect of ultrasonic vibration time on rock crushing is almost blank. In this paper, the method of theoretical analysis, finite element numerical simulation and experimental research is used to explore the damage and the strength degradation law of granite under ultrasonic vibration over time. It is of great significance to improve the effect of rock crushing, and to provide theoretical guidance for the application of ultrasonic vibrators in hard rock drilling and devel-opment of ultrasonic vibration rock drilling. The finite element method is used to establish the practical heterogeneous rock model to analyze the law of rock crack propagation in different time periods, and the ultrasonic vibration time threshold (during 15-20 min) is proposed to provide theoretical guidance for the experiment. The porosity and strength of the rock samples are measured by nuclear magnetic resonance and uniaxial compressive strength after vibration, and the influence of vibration time on rock damage is analyzed.

Practice of rock drilling with tri-cone roller bits, which are extensively used in surface mines, needs proper modes of descriptive statistics for predicting the failure rates of its different sub- assembled components. The statistical models for drilling with tri-cone roller bits are investigated in this article and probability of the non- failure operation is calculated. The interdependency of different component failures is examined by 3D contour plot. The failure rate of the components observed is found not significantly different at 95% contour. In such condition, the reliability is best modelled by Mixed Weibull technique.

The sectoral models are the efficient tools of mathematic simulation and are widely applied in economy. It is inconsistent that the mining industry neglects the sectoral analysis whereas neither industrial sector has ever adopted and implemented operational research methods so promptly as the mining industry. There is no satisfactory explanation of this fact. Aiming to throw light on the dilemma, this article focuses on the characteristics and properties of the sectoral analysis, as well as on the understanding of its applicability in the mining industry. In terms of the sectoral model of the Kolubara mining basin operated by the power industry in Serbia, the implementation and validation of observations and conclusions are demonstrated.

Based on the differentiation of coal ash content into constituents, the procedure is developed for estimating overall (technological and natural) dilution. The accumulated data base on the Elgin coal deposit (South Yakutia) is described. This data base was used to model coal seams for studying variability of their parameters and properties. The estimated ash contents due to mining operations and connected with the discriminated natural groups of mineral admixtures are presented. Higher variability of the overall ash content and its components across the area and in section of coal seams is shown. The percentage of various thickness steaks inside coal seams in the structure of ash content may reach 14-27% and more. Coal mines insufficiently account for this fact, which leads to incomplete utilization of geological potential of complex-structure deposits. It is emphasized that the resource-saving ash content control should not only be focused on processing efficiency. Based on additional appraisal of mineral reserves, it is possible to gain new capabilities of control at the stages of mine planning and design, actual mining and coal pretreatment.

The development of the coal seam long faces with the collapse of the upper packs, characterized by high productivity, due to the presence of powerful coal seams. The study is aimed at predicting the characteristics of the collapse of the upper part of a deep-seated powerful coal seam of the lignite basin in Soma, located in Eastern Turkey. For comparative purposes, the data obtained for active coal mines for long face mining with the collapse of the upper layers, located at a depth of 100 - 400 m. In the future, coal mining in the deep-seated sectors is expected. The upcoming work on coal mining by longwall faces can be attributed to the unique, since the mining will occur at a depth of 700 - 1200 m in layers of different thickness. Empirical and numerical methods are used in this study. Numerical simulation provides a practical basis for constructing soil response curves, with the use of which the results of research at existing and projected mines can be assessed and compared with the subsequent conclusion about the features of the collapse of the upper part of the coal seam.

Slope stability is a critical safety and production issue for mining. Major wall failures can occur seemingly without any visual warning, causing loss of life, damage to equipment, and disruption to the mining process. This study reviews eight different mine operations at different geographical locations. The eight case histories discuss the challenges mining operations have faced regarding instabilities over three decades. Recent rock slope instabilities are also discussed to verify the similarities and differences in past and recent instabilities. The studies show how all the instabilities have been managed, and outline recommendations that will benefit present and future pit operations in managing slope stability issues. The case histories were chosen based on the availability of the data obtained from the mine operations, literature reviews, and consulting reports. At the time this study was conducted, one of the BC mines (Mount Polley) had no records of instabilities in their operation.

Airflow reverse is a severe problem in an underground ventilation system. In addition, the airflow stability and safety production can be seriously affected by the problem of air velocity overrun in the roadways. In this study, the crucial causes of the ventilation problems in a coal mine case study are analyzed and a solution is proposed through an analytical methodology. Measurements indicate high air resistance in the shaft and low values in the maintenance roadway, generating abnormal airflow directional behaviors. Strategies to solve the ventilation-related problems have been proposed and implemented, verifying normal ventilation conditions.

The influence of structural characteristics and interaction parameters of minerals on separation method of lead-bearing complex ore in Russia is analyzed. Based on the studies of deep dissociation of minerals under disintegration using Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA), the quantitative distribution of mineral associations in grain-size categories is determined. From the data on mineral dissociation, the series of mineral associations, characteristic of complex ore from some deposits, are defined using milled samples of ore material. It is shown that galena associations with chalcopyrite, fahlore, secondary copper sulphides, sphalerite, pyrite and gangue mostly occur in finely dispersed aggregates with fahlore and, to a lesser degree, with other sulphides. The obtained series of mineral associations make it possible to determine the sequence of dissociation and separation of final-size minerals in the inter-cycle operations during flotation. The primary flotation concentrate contains: fahlore, secondary copper sulphides, gold associations, galena and corroded pyrite.

The results of the research and tests in production of beryllium concentrate of the superior and commercial grades as well as the marketable fluorite concentrate from ore and waste of the Ermakovskoe deposit mining are presented. The ore and waste contain a mineral complex which is hard to separate using fat acids and features an increased content of fluorite. Production of the marketable flotation concentrate is based on fixation of calcium in pulp using sodium carbonate, caustic soda and sodium tripolyphosphate. The autoclave-membrane electrolysis technology is developed for the production of marketable beryllium hydroxide from beryllium concentrates. The technology consists of a set of successive operations: dissociation in autoclave, separation of the suspension after the autoclave dissociation, removal of admixtures from the solutions, membrane electrodyalysis of alkaline solutions, hydrolysis of sodium beryllate and separation of beryllium hydroxide. The processing data of the test beryllium concentrates obtained using the autoclave-membrane electrolysis technology are given.

The influence of the velocity and time of pyrite slurry stirring on the mineralization kinetics of air bubble is studied. The subject of the research was pyrite -0.074 + 0 mm in size, and the collecting agent was sodium ethyl xanthate. The influence of the velocity and time of pyrite slurry stirring on the mineralization kinetics of air bubble is assessed. The conditions, hydrodynamic modes and time of pyrite slurry stirring such that to provide minimum and maximum areas of mineralization of air bubble at the constant concentration of sodium ethyl xanthate are determined.

The urgent nature of the studies into ash and slag from coal combustion in the thermal power sector in Eastern Transbaikalia is governed by the demand for highly efficient and environmentally clean processing technologies aimed at complete utilization of waste. The compositional analysis of the coal-fly ash-ash-and-slag geosystem is given. A special study of processability of ash and slag from combustion of Kharanor, Tataur amd Urtuy coals is carried out, and the main areas of their efficient use in the regional economy are substantiated. The process flow chart is developed for the integrated processing of ash-and-slag waste from thermal power plants in order to obtain marketable products in the form of xenospheres, magnetic fractions, rare and rare earth concentrates, as well as by-products for the building and road construction industries, etc. The proposed complete processing line integrates principles of flotation, magnetic and electrostatic separation as well as leaching, and enables considerable reduction in the environmental impact, improvement in performance and increase in investment attractiveness of thermal power plants.

The purposeful formation of man-made deposits is connected with the creation of such conditions that waste acquires preset process properties while stored. This will enable future environmental clean processing of waste. Aiming to determine general mechanisms of formation of process properties in copper-pyrite mill tailings, the comprehensive analysis of mineralogical composition of tailings from three concentration plants processing ore from six large copper-pyrite deposits in South Ural was performed. The crystal-chemical formulas of the basic ore minerals are studied and systematized. The morphological varieties of ore minerals are identified. It is found that even in case of deposits of the same genetic type, regimes and parameters of processing current mill tailings depend on the initial mineralogical features of waste based on which man-made deposits are formed. These features have influence on the mechanisms and stages of the secondary minerogenesis in the man-made deposits.

The test bench and procedure are proposed for the investigation of methane release from coal samples under wave field treatment, which increases outgassing rate. The ancillary equipment is designed for the shipment of cores from coal mines. Furthermore, the equipment allows measurement of methane emissions.

The variants of application of remote metering technologies, such as laser scanning and airborne imaging, are discussed. Based on the international experience gained in photogrammetry, a technique is proposed for surveying using a camera, quadcopter, electronic tacheometer and an appropriate software support. The sources of errors and the requirements imposed on the survey precision in point positioning in the horizontal and in the vertical are determined. The experimental approval of the technique with the assessment of the obtained data accuracy has been carried out in Sokolovskaya Mine of the Sokolov-Sarbai Mining and Processing Production Association.