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Disc cutting tests on dry and saturated

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Article January 2012

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 SME

Disc Cutting Tests on Dry and Saturated Sandstone: Muck as

a Performance Estimator
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Peer Review for the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration,
Journal:
Inc.

Manuscript ID: TP-11-043

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Publication: Technical Papers Section of Mining Engineering/Transactions

Manuscript Type: Preprint/Meeting paper

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Date Submitted by the

01-Nov-2011
Author:
er

Complete List of Authors: Abu Bakar, Muhammad; Missouri University of Science & Technology,
Rolla, USA, Rock Mechanics & Explosives Research Center

Keywords: mechanical mining, underground mining

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Page 1 of 10 SME

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10 DISC CUTTING TESTS ON DRY AND SATURATED SANDSTONE:
11 MUCK AS A PERFORMANCE ESTIMATOR
12
13
14 M. Z. Abu Bakar, Missouri Univ. of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO
15 L. S. Gertsch, Missouri Univ. of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO
16
17
18
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19 The current paper aims to analyze the effect of
ABSTRACT
20 water saturation on the muck produced during the disc
21 cutting of sandstone and establish any possible link with
22 A series of full scale laboratory linear rock
cutting tests was carried out with a long bladed single specific energy of the cutting operation.
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23
24 disc cutter (292 mm diameter, 11 mm wide constant
cross-section blade) on dry and water saturated Specific energy (SE), defined as the amount of
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25 energy required to fragment a unit volume of rock, is one

26 sandstone blocks using a linear rock cutting machine
(LRCM). The muck collected from the cutting tests has of the important parameters used to judge the cutting
27 efficiency of a mechanical excavation process. This
been analyzed to establish a link with the specific energy
28 parameter has been widely used in the industry and is
(SE) of the operation. Coarseness index (CI), a non
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29 directly related to the amount and particle size

dimensional parameter, has been found to be a useful
30 distribution of the muck produced from a mechanical
indicator of the relative efficiency of the cutting
31 -n excavation process, apart from its dependence on the
operation. An inverse relationship of the form SE = k CI
32 cutting tool design, cutting tool interaction and the rock
is observed between SE and CI with very high CI usually
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33 type. In rock cutting using disc or drag cutters, the SE

corresponding with the lowest values of SE. The power n
34 has been found to be minimum for a particular
of the relationship for both dry and saturated rock tests is
35 combination of cut spacing and cutter penetration known
much less than the values found in the previous studies
36 as optimum S/P ratio (Snowden et al., 1982; Hood and
using constant cross section disc cutters and is believed
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37 to be dependent on the strength of the rock and the Roxborough, 1992; Speight, 1997; Copur et al., 2001;
38 cutter type used. Although the average CI is found to be Balci and Bilgin, 2007). The SE at optimum conditions is
39 lower for saturated rock than for dry rock, at the same very much dependent upon the production of large chips
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40 time saturated rock cutting is found to be less energy indicating a very efficient cutting operation (Roxborough
41 intensive (in terms of SE) than dry rock cutting. and Rispin, 1973). According to Gertsch et al. (2000)
42 Moderate correlation exists between the production rate the disc type of rock cutting tool maximizes the formation
43 or yield and the SE of the cutting operation for both dry of rock chips while minimizing the amount of fines
44 and saturated rock, which can provide some useful produced. The dimensions of the chips are governed by
45 information about the field production rate discounting the penetration of the cutters into the rock and the
46 the effect of discontinuities in the rock mass. spacing between cutter tracks (Gertsch, 2000). Cutter
47 track spacing most commonly averages 76 mm and the
48 largest chips produced are approximately twice as long.
INTRODUCTION
49 Apart from the cutter penetration and spacing,
50 anisotropy and structural features of the rock (such as
The research presented in this paper is part of bedding planes and foliation) also influence the size and
51 an ongoing project at the Rock Mechanics and
52 shape of the chips.
Explosives Research Center, Missouri University of
53 Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA focusing on
54 A number of investigators have attempted to
the water saturation effects on the mechanical correlate the SE with the quantity of the muck produced,
55 excavatability of rocks. Detailed results and the effects of
56 usually expressed as instantaneous cutting rate (ICR) for
water saturation on disc cutting of sandstone are determination of effective cutting rate. McFeat-Smith and
57 presented elsewhere (Abu Bakar and Gertsch, 2011).
58 Fowell (1977) explored the relationship between rock
59
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 SME Page 2 of 10

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3 index properties, laboratory SE, in situ SE and
-n
SE = k CI for most of the rock types using drag and
4 instantaneous cutting rate for a range of British Coal disc cutters. The parameter k is reported to be a function
5 Measure rocks. They came up with a simple equation: of rock strength and the cutting tool type, with n being
6 SE=HP/ICR, where SE is the specific energy, HP is the around 1.2 for chisel picks, 1.7-3.2 for V-type disc
7 head power of the roadheader and ICR is the cutters, 2.2-4.4 for conical cutters and around 5.5 for
8 instantaneous cutting rate. Rostami and Ozdemir (1996) CCS disc cutters. Copur et al. (2003) defined a
9 also established a link between the specific energy and brittleness index (BI) from load-indentation tests and
10 the instantaneous cutting rate of the mechanical have shown its direct correlation with the CI. They
11 excavators. They developed the equation: ICR = k noticed an increase in the CI with the increase in BI for
12 (P/SEopt), where ICR is the instantaneous cutting rate in unrelieved cutting conditions. Few other researchers
13 3
m /hr, P is the cutting power of the mechanical (Altindag, 2002, 2003, 2004; Kahraman et al., 2004)
14 excavator in kW, SEopt is the optimum specific energy in used CI in rock drillability studies and found very
3
15 kW-hr/m and k is the energy transfer coefficient reasonable correlations with the penetration rates of
16 depending on the mechanical excavator utilized. different borehole drills.
17
18 To associate SE with the quantity and size of the EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
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19 chips from linear cutting experiments of Lower Chalk,
20 Roxborough and Rispin (1973) introduced a non- The disc cutting tests were performed on linear rock
21 dimensional number known as coarseness index (CI). cutting machine (LRCM) at Missouri University of
22 This index gives a measure of production of large chips Science & Technology, USA, which permits full scale
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23 from the cumulative mass percentages of chips retained cutting tests at normal loads up to 27.22 tons (60,000
24 on each sieve. Roxborough and Rispin performed lbs). The basic design of the machine is a load bearing
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25 cutting experiments on dry and wet samples of chalk frame beneath which the cutting tool is mounted,
26 using drag picks, roller cutters and disc cutters. In all of perpendicular to and above a track or table on which a
27 their cutting experiments, they found reasonable sample of the target rock cemented into a heavy steel
28 agreement between SE and CI values. The CI values for box is fixed and can be moved beneath the cutter by a
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29 wet chalk were always lower than for the dry chalk. hydraulic ram (attached to a linear actuator) at a
30 Roxborough et al. (1981) also performed cutting controlled rate past the disc. A schematic illustration of
31 experiments on coal in connection with the performance LRCM is shown in Figure 1.
32 prediction of continuous miners. They found an increase
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33 in CI of coal with increased pick spacing for all the A 3-D load cell assembly is mounted between the
34 depths of cut tested. Hood and Roxborough (1992) saw cutter assembly and the stiff reaction frame, separated
35 strong evidence that the coarseness of the rock broken by cutter penetration spacer plates. The 3-D load cell
36 during cutting increases with cutting efficiency. consists of four load transducers arranged in a square
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37 diamond pattern, centered over the cutter that transmits

38 Barker (1964) reported increased quantity and the load from the loading beam of the frame down to the
39 coarseness of the debris with the increase in depth of cutter. By using four gages it is possible to get a
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40 cut. CI was found to increase with increased depth of measure of the normal (vertical or thrust) load, the rolling
41 cut, slowly at low spacings and more rapidly at wider (in-line) and the side (out-of-alignment) load on the
42 spacings. In some other investigations (Roxborough and cutter acting in three mutually perpendicular directions.
43 Phillips, 1974; Copur et al., 2003; Tuncdemir et al., Gertsch and Summers (2006) have reported this load
44 2008), CI has been shown to relate directly with the SE cell design, which is an alternative to the standard
45 and yield of a cutting operation, with very high CI values square pattern to be more sensitive to the rolling and
46 corresponding with the minimum SE values. Chang et al. side forces while maintaining sensitivity to the much
47 (2009) have reported direct relationship of CI with the higher normal forces. A computer based data acquisition
48 cutter penetration in biotite gneiss; higher penetration system is used to record the outputs form the 3-D load
49 resulting in higher CI values. Balci (2009) has shown the cell and the LVDT attached to the LRCM table for
50 dependence of CI on the geological discontinuities while displacement measurement. The data logging software
51 correlating laboratory disc cutting experiments with the is programmed to scan each force and displacement
52 field cutting performance of TBM in the selected Turkish channel at 5000 samples per second, providing several
53 rock formations. The field CI values were found to be thousand readings for each cut made across the rock
54 lower than the laboratory values and were attributed to sample. The 3-D load cell is calibrated prior to the actual
regrinding of the rock in front of the cutterhead. It has testing to calculate the calibration constants required for
55
been reported by Tuncdemir et al. (2008) that the the determination of different forces.
56
relationship between SE and CI is of the form of
57
58
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Page 3 of 10 SME

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3 into blocks of appropriate sizes for the capabilities of the
4 testbed used. Once delivered, the blocks were cored to
5 obtain samples with which to determine the standard
6 suite of rock strengths, and divided randomly into those
7 to be used for the air-dry cutting tests and those to be
8 used for the saturated cutting tests.
9
10 The blocks to be used for the saturated tests
11 were then subjected to a saturation protocol developed
12 by the US Army Corp of Engineers (1995) for dredging
13 research. The method is based on wicking, the capillary
14 rise of water in the rock pores. Complete initial
15 submergence of the rock samples in water for
16 instrumented rock cutting tests has been reported in
17 some experimental studies (Mammen et al., 2009;
18 Roxborough and Rispin, 1973), but complete
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19 submergence leaves dry zones inside the rock samples
20 from which the pore air cannot escape. This is avoided
21 by progressive saturation, starting with the base of the
22 block sitting in a few inches of water. As the saturation
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23 line (visible in the rock fabric) rises due to capillarity, the
24 water level in the saturation tank is increased only to
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25 bring it up halfway to the saturation line. This process

26 Figure 1. Schematic view of Linear Rock Cutting continues until the saturation line reaches the top of the
27 Machine (LRCM) at Missouri University of S&T. block, after which the block remains totally submerged in
28 water until testing. Because of the high porosity of the
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29 A 292 mm diameter constant cross-section long Roubidoux sandstone, most of the blocks achieved full
30 bladed disc cutter manufactured by Robbins Company saturation within one week. No block was tested before
31 was used for all cutting experiments in the current at least 60 days of submergence. For more details see
32 research. The disc cutter blade had a width of 11 mm. Abu Bakar and Gertsch (2011).
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33
34 The Roubidoux sandstone used in this research Rock Cutting
35 program is medium grained, laminated to thinly bedded The rock block is cast in concrete within a rigid
36 quartz sandstone that is porous and friable. The sand steel box for ease of handling, which then is welded onto
grains are nearly euhedral double-ended quartz prisms the table of the LRCM. The cutter is positioned over the
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37
38 that show little wear or abrasion (Gertsch and Summers, rock sample and appropriate numbers of spacer plates
39 2006). The X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) shows are inserted to position the cutter height. A series of
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40 almost 94% quartz and 6% kaolinite. The physical conditioning passes, usually two to four, are made at the
41 properties of the Roubidoux sandstone are listed in desired spacing and penetration. Conditioning passes
42 Table 1. are required to create the damaged rock surface similar
43 to the field conditions where the cutters are always
Table 1. Physical Properties of Dry Roubidoux operating in the damaged rock from previous passes of
44
Sandstone. the cutterhead of the excavator. Once the conditioning
45
Uniaxial compressive strength 30 MPa 4351 psi passes are made and the surface of the rock sample is
46
Brazilian tensile strength 1.02 MPa 148 psi ready for actual testing, a data window is marked on the
47 3 3
Dry density 2147 kg/m 2.15 g/cm rock sample (Figure 2). This is the rock area for
48
Porosity 18% 18% collection of data, including three-dimensional cutting
49
forces and the chips produced. The number of cuts in
50
the data window varies for each pass, depending on the
51
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES selected spacing and the rock surface condition. To
52
prevent likely drying of the rock during preparatory work,
53
all saturated blocks mounted on the LRCM are
54 Preparation of Rock Samples maintained and cut under slow, continuous water flow.
55 The rock samples for the test program were The quantity of dripping water is enough to moisten the
56 obtained from a commercial quarry located near the rock surface, but not sufficient to flush rock chips. The
57 campus of Missouri S&T. They were split at the quarry signal outputs from the load cell and the linear variable
58
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 SME Page 4 of 10

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3 The Coarseness index (CI) and the production
4 3
rate or yield in m /min were also calculated. CI values
5 are calculated by summing the cumulative mass
6 percentages of the chips retained on each sieve used.
7 Table 2 shows an example calculation of CI for a
8 particular data pass.
9
10 Table 2. Example to indicate calculation of coarseness
11 index (CI) for saturated rock at S=230mm and P=16mm.
12 Size Fraction Retained Mass Cumulative
13 (mm) (kg) Mass (%)
14 + 50.8 18.835 78.7
15
- 50.8 + 25.4 1.164 83.6
16
17 -25.4 + 9.42 0.838 87.1
18 -9.42 + 1.65 0.092 87.4
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20 -1.65 3.005 100
21 Figure 2. Data window showing 5 data cuts at 76.2 mm Total mass 23.934 CI = 436.8
22 cut spacing for 6.4 mm cutter penetration.
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23
differential transducer (LVDT) attached to the table are
24 Evaluation of the Experimental Results
recorded and processed. To avoid sample edge effects,
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25
the data cuts within the data window are marked 3-4
26 The results obtained from 58 data passes
inches from the ends and the sides of the rock sample.
27 encompassing 600 data cuts are summarized in Table 3
28 and Table 4 for the dry and saturated cutting tests
Chip Collection and Particle Size Analysis
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29 respectively. All the data presented herein represents

The broken rock chips and fines lying within the
30 weighted average values obtained from at least three
data window at the end of each pass are collected
31 carefully to avoid any further breakage during handling, data cuts at larger spacings and up to five data cuts at
32 and if the rock was saturated, the chips are baked in an smaller spacings. The discussion of the results is limited
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33 oven for 24 hours at 105 C to dry them fully. The chips here to the effect of CI on SE, the effect of S/P ratio on
34 are then hand sieved into five particle sizes: (larger than CI, the effect of cut spacing on CI and SE and
35 51 mm, 25 mm - 51 mm, 9.42 mm - 25 mm, 1.65mm - dependence of production rate (PR) or yield on SE.
36 9.42mm, and passing 1.65 mm), and weighed. Sieving is
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37 done by hand because of the minimal cementation of the Specific Energy and Coarseness Index
38 sandstone tested. Figure 4 shows that SE decreases with
39 increasing CI for both dry and saturated rock tests. A
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40 Data Processing wide scatter can be seen in the plotted results since all
41 The signals from the LRCM sensors are used to the spacing and penetration combinations are grouped
42 compute the normal, rolling and side forces, producing
43 force traces such as those shown in Figure 3. From the
44 measured forces the specific energy (SE) of cutting is
45 calculated. It is defined as the amount of energy required
46 to fragment a unit volume or mass of rock, usually
47 expressed in kW-hr/m3 or MJ/m3. The lower the SE, the
48 more efficient the cutting operation.
49
50
51 (1)
52
53
54 where: = average rolling force (kN)
55 L = length of cut (mm)
3
56 = rock density (g/cm )
57 m = mass of chips (g) Figure 3. A trace of the forces recorded during one of the
58 cutting tests.
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Page 5 of 10 SME

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3 Table 3. LRCM cutting test results for long bladed CCS
4 disc cutter in dry sandstone; match with corresponding
5 data in Table 4.
6 S P S/P CI SE PR
7 (mm) (mm) (kW-
3
(m /min)
8 hr/m )
3

9 76.2 6.4 12 285.2 2.90 0.003

10 76.2 9.5 8 283.5 1.97 0.004
11 76.2 12.7 6 248.4 1.98 0.005
12 114.3 6.4 18 365.4 2.68 0.005
13
114.3 9.5 12 283.9 2.85 0.005
14
114.3 12.7 9 336.8 1.27 0.010
15
127 6.4 20 400.0 1.59 0.008
16
127 9.5 13.3 369.8 1.63 0.008
17
127 12.7 10 370.8 3.71 0.009
18
152.4 6.4 24 374.0 2.39 0.008
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19
20 152.4 9.5 16 374.7 2.96 0.009
152.4 12.7 12 394.7 1.39 0.015 Figure 4. Relationship between SE and CI for both dry
21 and saturated sandstone cutting tests.
22 152.4 15.9 9.6 400.9 1.68 0.014
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23 228.6 15.9 14.4 407.0 2.13 0.012
value of n = 1.04 and n = 1.33 for saturated and dry tests
24 S cut spacing, P cutter penetration, CI coarseness index,
SE specific energy, PR production rate (respectively) are far lower than the value given by the
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25 authors (n=5.5). Higher n values cited may be attributed

26 to larger disc diameter (d = 330 mm) used, resulting in
Table 4. LRCM cutting test results for long bladed CCS
27 higher cutter forces and hence an increase in SE values.
disc cutter in saturated sandstone; match with
28 Roxborough and Philips (1975) showed increase in
corresponding data in Table 3.
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29 cutting forces with increase in disc diameter. The lower n

S P S/P CI SE PR
30 3 values in this research may also be ascribed to the low
(mm) (mm) (kW- (m /min)
31 3 strength and high porosity of the sandstone tested.
hr/m )
32 According to Nelson (1993) for porous rocks, disc
76.2 6.4 12 257.6 1.93 0.003
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33 indentation results in local rock fabric collapse, causing

76.2 9.5 8 292.8 0.90 0.005
34 crushing with compaction of available pore space.
35 76.2 12.7 6 232.2 1.48 0.007 Higher stress concentrations do not develop in the
36 114.3 6.4 18 327.7 1.66 0.008 confined crushed zone, inhibiting crack propagation and
114.3 9.5 12 285.5 2.63 0.005
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37 chip formation. For non-porous brittle rock, an indenter

38 114.3 12.7 9 322.8 1.56 0.009 creates high local stress concentrations in the highly
39 127 6.4 20 306.6 2.79 0.004 confined crushed zone.
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40 127 9.5 13.3 341.8 1.95 0.007

41 127 12.7 10 350.6 1.25 0.011 Effect of S/P Ratio on Specific Energy and
42 152.4 6.4 24 361.7 2.20 0.006
Coarseness Index
43 152.4 9.5 16 426.1 0.99 0.018 Figures 5a and 5b illustrate the relationship
44 152.4 12.7 12 366.0 1.33 0.011 between SE and CI with varying S/P ratio for both
45 152.4 15.9 9.6 405.2 1.04 0.021 saturated and dry cutting tests. The effect of change in
46 228.6 15.9 14.4 436.8 1.02 0.024 S/P ratio on SE is not very definitive, but it can be
47 S cut spacing, P cutter penetration, CI coarseness index, deduced that there is less variability in the saturated rock
48 SE specific energy, PR production rate.
SE with change in S/P ratio than in dry rock tests. Some
49 minimum SE values can be observed in the S/P ratio
50 in one plot. Moreover, because of the poorly cemented range of 8-16 for saturated rock tests, but there seems
51 and thinly bedded nature of the sandstone, wide to be an increasing SE trend with increase in S/P ratio.
52 variability was expected. The SE difference between dry More tests at wider cut spacings are required to clearly
53 and saturated rock is also visible; saturated rock cutting identify the optimum S/P ratio for saturated rock. This
54 is less energy intensive. An 8.5% reduction in SE values indicates that S/P ratio does not fully capture the
55 was noted between dry and saturated rock tests (Abu behavior of disc cutters. The CI values for saturated rock
56 Bakar and Gertsch, 2011). The relationship between SE cuts (Figure 5a) clearly correspond with the SE values
-n
57 and CI is of the form SE =k CI , similar to the
for same S/P ratios. Very high CI values match with the
58 conclusions of Tuncdemir et al. (2008). Interestingly the
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 SME Page 6 of 10

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3 lowest SE values, showing a direct relationship between
4 SE and CI. A decreasing trend of specific energy with
5 increasing CI values is also found for dry cutting tests
6 (Figure 5b), although there is much more scatter in the
7 data. Some SE minimums are available in the S/P ratio
8 range of 12-16, but at the same time some very high SE
9 values can be observed in the same S/P ratio range.
10 The variability in SE at the same S/P ratio is due to the
11 different spacing and penetration combinations used for
12 those tests, resulting in the change in the fragmented
13 volume and hence the changed SE values directly
14 corresponding with CI values.
15
16 Effect of Cut Spacing on Specific Energy and
17 Coarseness Index
18 The effect of increase in cut spacing on SE and
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19 CI is shown in Figures 6a and 6b. They show clear
20 indications of increase in CI with increasing cut spacing.
21 This behavior is consistent with the reduction in SE
22 values, although the effect is much pronounced in dry
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23 rock (Figure 6b). The variability in SE at much wider cut
24 spacing in saturated rock tests could not be evaluated at
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25 this time, but such would be of interest. The weighted

26 average CI for saturated rock cuts (CI = 324) is lower
27 than for dry rock cuts (CI = 335). This observation
28 Figure 5a. Effect of S/P ratio on SE and CI for saturated conforms the observation of Roxborough and Rispin
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29 sandstone. (1973) for dry and wet Lower Chalk. The lower CI
30 values for saturated cutting tests clearly indicate the
31 saturation weakening of iron oxide and clay cementing
32 material present between the quartz grains and hence a
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33 reduction in the particle sizes of the muck produced.

34 Although the saturated chips tended to be smaller than
35 the dry chips, some anomalous overbreaks were also
36 observed at very wide cut spacings and deeper cutter
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37 penetrations. One overbreak at cut spacing of 230 mm

38 and cutter penetration of 16 mm (Figure 7a and 7b)
39 resulted in a CI value of 437, accompanied with an
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40 appreciable drop in SE (Figure 6a). This overbreak is

41 structurally controlled in this weak, moderately thinly
42 bedded rock.
43
44 Actual and Nominal Chip Mass
45 The theoretical (nominal or expected) chip mass
46 was calculated to compare with the actual chip mass
47 generated by the cutting tests. For saturated rock, it can
48 be seen (Figure 8) that the actual chip mass
49 corresponds well with the nominal mass. There are
50 some exceptions due to overbreak. This overbreak is
51 believed to be structurally controlled because of the
52 moderately thinly bedded nature of the sandstone
53 tested. Although the overall CI for the saturated rock was
54 less than for the dry rock, the proportion of fines
55 produced was much higher than from the dry rock tests.
56 Figure 5b. Effect of S/P ratio on SE and CI for dry A few underbreaks in the saturated rock tests are
57 sandstone.
58
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Page 7 of 10 SME

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18
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19 Figure 7a. Breakage pattern in saturated sandstone for a
20 data pass before chip collection (S=230mm, P=16mm).
21
22
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24
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25
26
27
28 Figure 6a. Effect of cut spacing on CI and SE for
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29 saturated sandstone cutting tests.

30
31
32
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34
35
36
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37 Figure 7b. Rock surface condition after chip collection;

38 overbreak visible in the bottom left hand side of the
39 picture (S=230mm, P=16mm).
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40
41 ascribed to lack of interaction between adjacent cuts due
42 to too-shallow cutter penetration. Since the dry cutting
43 tests were conducted at a much wider cut spacing (305
44 mm) than the saturated tests, underbreaks at shallower
45 cutter penetrations were expected (Figure 9). These
46 underbreaks were coupled with the formation of ridges
47 between adjacent cuts. Overbreaks in dry rock tests are
48 deemed to be due to the natural discontinuities already
49 present in the rock blocks.
50
51 Specific Energy and Production Rate
52 Plotting SE against production rate (yield) of
53 rock chips for both saturated and dry cutting experiments
54 showed reasonably moderate correlations (Figure 10)
55 confirming that higher production rate usually
56 Figure 6b. Effect of cut spacing on CI and SE for dry corresponds with lower SE. The relationship between
57 sandstone cutting tests.
58
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6
7
8
9
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12
13
14
15
16
17
18
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19
20
Figure 8. Nominal and actual chip mass for saturated
21
rock tests.
22
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23
24
Figure 10. Effect of SE on production rate or yield for dry
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25
26 and saturated rock tests.
27
28 the rock mass, it can be expected that the field
production rate or yield may be 10% or more different
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29
30 from the laboratory production rate.
31
32 CONCLUSIONS
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33
34 A series of linear rock cutting tests was
35 conducted to evaluate the effects of water saturation on
36 the performance of constant cross section disc cutters in
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37 sandstone of low strength and moderate porosity. The

38 muck collected from the cutting experiments was
39 analyzed to establish possible links with the specific
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40 energy (SE) of the operation. The coarseness index (CI),

41 Figure 9. Nominal and actual chip mass for dry rock despite a highly empirical foundation, has been found to
42 tests. be a useful indicator of the relative efficiency of the
43 cutting operation. A previously reported relationship of
laboratory SE and production rate for both saturated and -n
44 the form SE = k CI also fits the data from this study.
45 dry rock cutting experiments is an inverse power law: However, the power n of the relationship is much less
-n
46 PR = k SE . The parameter k for saturated cutting is than the values found in previous studies of constant
47 slightly less than for dry cutting, which is attributed to the cross section disc cutters, for both dry and saturated
weakening effect of water. Some previous studies cutting of the test rock. The exponent may be
48
(McFeat-Smith and Fowell, 1977; Fowell and Pycroft, dependent on the structure and strength of the rock and
49
1980; Rostami and Ozdemir, 1996) have shown SE to on relationships between the dimensions of the disc
50
correlate very well with field performance data; cutter used with the grain sizes of the rock. The average
51
consequently SE has been used to calculate the CI was found to be lower in saturated rock than dry rock,
52
instantaneous cutting rate (ICR) of mechanical but the average specific energy of saturated rock cutting
53
excavators. In the absence of field performance data, was also lower.
54
the SE calculated from full scale laboratory linear rock
55
cutting experiments can give some useful information The actual chip mass seems to be in agreement
56
about the expected production rate or yield. Due to with the nominal chip mass, especially in saturated rock.
57
discontinuities and other structural features present in In dry rock, underbreaks were observed at very wide cut
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