Abstract
With the advancement and the wide usage of measurement instruments associated with stockpiles, such as weightometers, a smart sensor can be developed to online monitor the level of a stockpile. Furthermore, the stockpile smart sensor can be used to determine the mixing behaviour of different ores discharged out of the stockpile, by combining the smart sensor technique and element modelling. The mixing behaviour of different materials includes when and how the mixing takes place, and more important, when the mixed materials with a certain portion is discharged out of the stockpile. In this article, only the level function of the stockpile smart sensor will be discussed in detail. The stockpile smart sensor can help estimate accurate residual time for different group of ores charged to the stockpile. The smart sensor makes it possible to monitor the behaviour of different ore types in real time in a stockpile, including when and how the different ores are mixed in the stockpile and when the mixed ores are discharged with certain mixing portion. Using the smart sensor system, the information on ore types can be provided for ores that are discharged from the stockpile. The ore type information includes ore grade, density, hardness, strength, etc. The stockpile smart sensor, developed originally for a diamond mine, can be used for stockpiles of other mines, including iron ore mines, coal mines, copper mines, chromium ore mine, and cement plants.