SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING IRRIGATION DELIVERY IN LEACHING PILES
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring and controlling failures in irrigation of heap leach, comprising:
- a system of thermographic vision and a vision system of visible spectrum to capture images of areas of the heap leach;
a guidance system that selectively directs the objective of capture of the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems;
a processing system that interacts with the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems, processing information, identifying, quantifying and classifying based on the captured images, the surfaces according to moisture levels;
dry areas, humid areas and saturated areas; and
a user interface that displays information processed by the processing system and allows the user to control variables of the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems, and of the guidance system;
thus, allowing control over the process of irrigation of heap leach.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a system and method for monitoring and controlling irrigation faults in leaching piles, comprising: a thermographic vision system and a visible spectrum vision system which capture images on areas of the leaching piles; an orientation system which selectively directs the capture lens of the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems; a meteorological system which measures meteorological variables close to the leaching pile; a processing system which interacts with the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems and with the meteorological system, processing information and, from the captured images, identifying the levels of moisture in pre-determined areas; and a user interface which displays the information processed by the processing system and allows the user to control variables of the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems and of the orientation system.
6 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring and controlling failures in irrigation of heap leach, comprising:
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a system of thermographic vision and a vision system of visible spectrum to capture images of areas of the heap leach; a guidance system that selectively directs the objective of capture of the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems; a processing system that interacts with the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems, processing information, identifying, quantifying and classifying based on the captured images, the surfaces according to moisture levels; dry areas, humid areas and saturated areas; and a user interface that displays information processed by the processing system and allows the user to control variables of the thermographic vision and visible spectrum systems, and of the guidance system;
thus, allowing control over the process of irrigation of heap leach. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for quantitatively assessing the irrigation failures of at least one heap leach, comprising the following steps:
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a) having a system of thermographic vision and a vision system of visible spectrum, which observe a plurality of modules or variables areas of heap leach for the capture of images, through the following steps; capturing thermographic and in visible spectrum images of the module; quantifying the percentage of surface of dry areas and irrigated areas based on temperature distributions in the module surface; quantifying the surface percentage of saturated areas, based on textures in the images of the visible spectrum; b) ordering the modules according to their percentage of area for each moisture level; c) selecting modules that are located outside the predetermined control limits; d) evaluating the irrigation efficiency in each module and in the heap leach; e) displaying periodically information about the irrigation status of the modules outside the control limits, which is displayed in a user interface and generates a map of the state of the heap leach; and f) implementing control measures on modules under the control limits. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification