Detonator Positioning via RTK GPS and Spatial Indexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blasting systems face challenges in accurately determining the position of detonators across large, complex blast sites, due to limitations in GPS accuracy and the computational demands of calculating time delays for thousands of detonators.
Innovation Solution
A method using a reference GPS receiver and a roving GPS receiver associated with a tagger, which receives positional data corrections and uses a database with tagging plans and coordinate values to determine the closest detonator to the tagger, incorporating techniques like binary search and haversine calculations to improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a typical GPS is used for positional detection, then the system can cover large areas, but the accuracy of time delay assignment is limited due to GPS accuracy of about 10 meters
Solution Approach 1:
A reference GPS receiver acts as an intermediary between the satellite system and the roving receiver. It receives the same satellite signals and computes correction values for positional, velocity, and time data, which are then transmitted to the roving GPS receiver to improve accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The reference GPS receiver continuously computes correction values based on its known precise position and feeds these corrections back to the roving receiver. This feedback loop enables real-time improvement of positional accuracy throughout the blast site
2Measurement precision
If the distance between the tagger and each detonator is calculated to find the closest detonator, then the closest detonator can be identified, but the processor demand increases heavily and functional aspects are interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The database of detonator positions is segmented into spatial zones or grids. Instead of calculating distances to all detonators, the system divides the blast site into manageable segments and only processes detonators within relevant segments, reducing computational load while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
Detonators are pre-sorted or pre-organized in the database based on their spatial coordinates. When the tagger needs to find the closest detonator, the system has already prepared the data structure to enable rapid querying without performing full distance calculations to all detonators
Data Source
AI summary
In a blasting system a method of determining which borehole in a plurality of boreholes at a blast site is closest to a tagger, wherein latitude and longitude coordinate values for each borehole are determined and by using subsets of the longitude coordinates and latitude coordinates, and by performing a haversine calculation the position of the borehole which is closest to the tagger is determined.