Mining system with sustainable energy reservoir legacy

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a mining system which comprises ore, waste, and a reservoir which comprises a portion of said waste through which air can flow with low resistance for storing thermal energy from a tempered air source and supplying it to a tempered air consumer, and connections for tempered air flow between said tempered air source and said reservoir and between said tempered air consumer and said reservoir. Note: As used herein, tempered air means air of a temperature sufficiently high to heat, or low to cool, an object to a desired temperature. For example, in a house, the furnace is a source of tempered air for heating in winter, the air conditioner a source of tempered air for cooling in summer, and the house is a consumer of tempered air.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 61 / 562823, filed November 22, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. technical field [0003] The present disclosure relates to a mining system having a closed legacy including a reservoir for storing sustainable thermal energy. Background technique [0004] As billions of people around the world are lifted out of poverty, their demand for basic raw materials will require increased mining activity. In seeking a social license to operate, "leading mining companies have recently developed and committed themselves to standards and principles for the sustainable development of global mineral resources" (Chapter 16.1, p. 1644, SME Mining Engineering Handbook by Michael G. Nelson, "Site Environmental Considerations”, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). To obtain such a license from ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The intermittent generation of the aforementioned low-grade heat energy is a challenge

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