A booster assembly

Abstract

A booster assembly (60) for use in a drill and blast operation comprises in co-axial alignment: (a) a booster (65) for initiating an explosion of an explosives material in a hole (90) in a pit floor (91) as part of a drill and blast operation, (b) a spool (63) and a detonation cord (66) wrapped around the spool in a storage position outside the hole and connected to the spool and to the booster, and (b) a stake (61). The spool allows the detonation cord to be unwound from the spool as the booster is moved from the storage position to an operative depth in the hole and the spool remains in the storage position. The stake is provided for locating the spool in the pit floor proximate the hole after the booster is at the operative depth in the hole.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The invention relates to a booster assembly for use in drill and blast operations.BACKGROUND[0002]The drill and blast process used on many mining sites involves a number of operations that are carried out by mine personnel on a pit floor.[0003]There are safety risks for the mine personnel when on a pit floor. The safety risks are compounded when mining operations are carried out in extreme conditions, such as in mines located in very hot and in very cold regions. The safety risks are also compounded when mining in and around pits where there is geothermal activity and the surface of the pit floor is hot and unstable and the pit temperature increases with depth. When mining in these pits, by way of example there can be unpredictable geysers in drilled holes, with hot water / steam being projected upwardly.[0004]The applicant is involved in a research and development project to minimise the above-described safety risks.[0005]As part of the project, the inventors of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]The booster and the spool may have complementary formations that allow the spool to receive and locate the booster and thereby seat the booster on the spool.

[0023]The booster casing may have an engagement feature, such as a collar, that facilitates engagement of the booster with a delivery assembly, for example that forms part of an initiation system vehicle, for transporting the booster assembly to a delivery position directly above the hole.

[0024]The spool may comprise a spool casing having an engagement feature, such as a collar, that facilitates engagement of the booster assembly with the delivery assembly for transporting the booster assembly to an intermediate transfer position proximate the delivery position directly above the hole. With this arrangement, in use, the delivery assembly can transport the booster to the loading position directly above the hole, with the spool and the stake remaining at the intermediate transfer position.

[0053]The internal guide may include an outer surface that has a diameter that is marginally less than a diameter of an internal wall of the tube and, in use, contacts the inner wall and facilitates sliding movement of the guide in the tube.

Problems solved by technology

There are safety risks for the mine personnel when on a pit floor.

The safety risks are compounded when mining operations are carried out in extreme conditions, such as in mines located in very hot and in very cold regions.

The safety risks are also compounded when mining in and around pits where there is geothermal activity and the surface of the pit floor is hot and unstable and the pit temperature increases with depth.

When mining in these pits, by way of example there can be unpredictable geysers in drilled holes, with hot water / steam being projected upwardly.

Images