Mine Muck Inventory Tracking with Beacon-Based Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mining operations, transporting muck can be complex due to long distances, mixed muck piles, and the difficulty in maintaining muck identity, leading to potential loss of valuable components that are visually indistinguishable from non-valuable materials, complicating inventory management.
Innovation Solution
An inventory management system utilizing beacons, readers, controllers, a display system, and a connectivity system, employing a Wireless Positioning and Sensing Network (WPSN) for precise localization and data communication, enabling accurate tracking and identification of muck piles through unique identifiers and types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If muck piles are stored in random locations and mixed during transit, then storage and transport flexibility is improved, but muck identity is lost and valuable materials cannot be tracked
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the muck transport process into discrete trackable units by attaching beacons to individual muck piles. Each beacon contains a unique identifier that segments the otherwise mixed and indistinguishable muck into individually identifiable entities throughout the transport chain.
Solution Approach 2:
Beacons serve as intermediary devices between the muck piles and the tracking system. These beacons carry identification information and enable remote identification of muck piles without requiring direct observation or physical inspection of the muck itself.
2Ease of manufacture
If visual inspection is used to identify valuable muck, then no additional equipment is needed, but valuable materials are visually indistinguishable from non-valuable materials leading to mischaracterization
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification and tagging of muck piles with beacons before transport. This preliminary action assigns unique identifiers to each pile based on its composition, enabling accurate tracking and characterization without relying on visual inspection during later stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces visual inspection (mechanical/optical method) with electronic identification using beacons and readers. This substitution provides precise, automated identification that does not depend on human vision or the visual characteristics of the muck.
3Device complexity
If manual tracking of muck piles is used, then system complexity is reduced, but mischaracterization of loads occurs leading to financial loss
Solution Approach 1:
The muck piles effectively self-identify through the beacons attached to them. Each beacon automatically provides identification information when queried by readers, eliminating the need for manual tracking while ensuring accurate and consistent identification throughout the transport process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where readers continuously query beacons and update the central system with current locations and identification data. This feedback mechanism ensures real-time tracking and allows for immediate correction or verification of muck pile characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
The system includes beacons, readers, controllers, a display and connectivity. The beacons: are selectively actuable; have unique identifiers; when active, receive a type; when active and in motion, emit a signal including identifier and type; when active, periodically emits the signal. Readers: receive signals; identify beacons that have attained proximity. Controllers: receives signals; identifies beacons that attained proximity; have programmable logic and a relay responsive thereto and signals. The display displays: zones associated with readers and controllers; active beacons in zones, the entry of beacon into zones being associated with that beacon having attained proximity to the associated reader or controller; active beacons not in a zone. The connectivity: receives from the controllers and readers the identifiers of beacons determined to have attained proximity thereto and deliver same to the display; permits users to associate a type and a location to an identifier and write a type to a beacon.