AWARDEE OF EARTH SCIENCES PRIZE

GU DESHENG

Gu Desheng, born on Oct. 13, 1937, is an expert of mining engineering. After graduation in the specialty of mining and management at Central South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in 1960, he became a faculty in the Institute. At present, he is professor, doctor supervisor and director of research institute at Central South University. Professor Gu got many honor titles, such as “Young or Middle Age Expert with Outstanding Contributions (1986)", “Science and Technology Star in Hunan Province (1996)". He holds many posts concurrently, e.g. the standing member of China Nonferrous Metals Association, consulter of China Mining United Association and so on. In 1995, he was elected  the academician of China Academy in Engineering.
For a long time, professor Gu has been focusing on the mining front area of “continuous mining in underground metallic mines". He developed and invented the vibrating ore-drawing technique and the continuous mining theory and technology for hard rock mines. Based on the developed dynamic direct-cut test machine, he finished 4 research projects, such as “the dynamic effect and mechanism investigation in a granular field with vibrating force", funded by China Natural Science Foundation. By a series of study, he discovered the vibrating patterns and the relevant factors that influence on the dynamic characteristics in a granular field, the relationship between the stress and strain as well as the variation laws of τ, C, Ф in the ore dump with vibrating force, and the mechanisms of resistant reduction and energy consumption in the field with vibrating force. These contributions greatly enrich the contents of granular dynamics. Accordingly, in 1980s, he put forward the designing theory of vibrating ore-drawing machines, including the high light of optimizing parameters of vibrating ore-drawing machines, the formula for computing pressure on the vibrating platform, and the vibrating force transfer and energy consumption. In 1990s, depending on the fruits of key research projects of national program, he set up the optimizing principles of continuous mining technology in a stope, including the continuous mining system, continuous operation machines, no ore pillar continuous mining pattern, and the underground pressure regulations with space and time. These results play a significant role in the progress of the continuous mining technology in underground hard rock mines and promote the level of China in this area in the world.
Besides the inventions of the vibrating ore-drawing machines, professor Gu successfully developed the vibrating ore-screen, the mobile vibrating conveyor and more than ten types of new vibrating equipment. They can be used in many cases with various technical conditions, e.g. different types of stopes, ore passes, ore bins, concentrated ore bins and so on. These new machines promote the technical revolution of the conveying patterns of bulk solid, stickiness materials, concentrated ores and granular. Furthermore, he invented five mining methods with use of vibrating machine, for example, level caving and shrinkage stoping with vibrating machines. He designed six new techniques, such as the main ore pass with vibrating equipment and the continuous ore convey system for a stope. He developed a series of equipment for realizing continuous operation for a stope too. The ore-drawing production in a stope reaches 1643 tons per day and it created the world record. These achievements promote the progress of Chinese underground mining technology, greatly reduce the accidents of hazard in mining operation, much save the mining cost and increase the production in a stope and ore pass up to 1～2 times.
Up to now, professor Gu has published more than 110 academic papers and 4 books  internationally. He was awarded 3 significant national prizes and 36 ministerial or provincial prizes in science and technology all together. Also, he was authorized 3 inventions.