Method and apparatus for tracing and blending commingled non-liquid bulk materials

• US 7,707,003 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bin Tech L.L.L.P.
• Original Assignee: Bin Tech L.L.L.P.
• Inventors: O'Connor, Timothy C., Fromme, Guy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano; Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta; Elias
• Application Number:
  US11/816,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20080156124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 702/152, 702/155, 702166-167, 702/179, 353/5, 356/2, 356/300, 356/306, 705/500, 738/617.3
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/82 uniting flows of material taken from different parts of a receptacle or from a set of different receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2209 Controlling the mixing process as a whole, i.e. involving a complete monitoring and controlling of the mixing process during the whole mixing cycle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and system collects and manipulates information from various sources for the purpose of determining the location of loads of material in a bulk material storage container and tracing the number and identity of bulk material sources, such as farms or processing plants, for loads located within a bulk material storage container. Such production source information is thus uniquely associated with a particular non-liquid bulk material load. Surface mapping of a surface of bulk material stored in a storage container is performed before and after material is added to the container, and are used to determine position of loads within the storage container. Embodiments of the present invention, using knowledge of the position of loads within the container, may be used for the purposes of preplanning and enhancing blended load-out batches.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of each of multiple loads of commingled non-liquid bulk material in a storage container comprising:

obtaining a first surface map of an upper surface of existing bulk material stored in a bulk material storage container;

recording properties and identification information associated with loads of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container, including at least a first load of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container;

obtaining a second surface map of said upper surface of bulk material stored in said bulk material storage container, said second surface map obtained after said first surface map and after at least said first load of bulk material is added to said bulk material storage container; and

arranging said properties and identification information to indicate actual sequential layering of each of said loads of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a volume of at least said first load within said bulk material storage container based on a difference between said first surface map and said second surface map, and based on said properties and identification of said loads of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording properties and identification information associated with a second load of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container, said second load added after said first load; and

wherein said second surface map is obtained after said second load of bulk material is added to said bulk material storage container.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a volume of each of said first and second loads within said bulk material storage container based on a difference between said first surface map and said second surface map, and based on said properties and identification of said loads of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a third surface map of said upper surface of bulk material stored in said bulk material storage container, said third surface map obtained after a first withdrawal of bulk material from said bulk material storage container;

comparing said third surface map to said second surface map;

determining portions of said loads of bulk material remaining at said bulk material storage container after said first withdrawal based on said previously determined sequential layering of said loads, said properties and identification information of said loads, and said step of comparing; and

determining a volume of material withdrawn from said bulk material storage container based on said second and third surface maps, and determining a volume of material withdrawn that is associated with each of said loads based on said previously determined sequential layering of said loads, said properties and identification information of said loads, and said step of comparing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of recording comprises recording a source associated with said first load of bulk material and recording measured properties that characterize the bulk material, said properties including at least one of:

bulk type, species, water content, protein content, foreign material content, defect content and impurity content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of recording properties and identifying information further comprises:

processing said properties and identifying information to provide a record of sources associated with all incoming bulk material loads handled through said bulk material storage container.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

exchanging said records of source and said properties and identifying information associated with each bulk material load with at least one other bulk material storage facility that received at least a portion of bulk material withdrawn from said bulk material storage container; and

tracing bulk material sources associated with all loads that are stored at said bulk material storage facilities.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said bulk material storage containers include all bulk material storage containers located at one or more transshipment facilities owned by a corporation and/or all bulk material storage and transshipment facilities monitored by a government regulatory agency.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, based on said properties and identifying information and bulk material withdrawal geometric characteristics for said bulk material storage container, required input volumes of bulk material needed from one or more separate bulk material storage containers to achieve an arbitrary output load composition that meets a predefined blend specification based on blending parameters that are used to blend the input from said one or more separate bulk material storage containers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said bulk material storage containers are located at a bulk material facility, and further comprising:

coordinating with other bulk material storage facilities to trace all bulk material sources and recipients as all loads, blended or unblended, are stored and moved across an arbitrary number of such facilities.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said bulk material storage facilities include all bulk material storage, transshipment and processing facilities operated by a corporation and/or monitored by a government regulatory agency.

13. A method for determining the source(s) of each of multiple loads of commingled non-liquid bulk material withdrawn from a storage container comprising:

obtaining a first surface map of an upper surface of bulk material stored in a bulk material storage container;

obtaining stored load information associated with stored loads of bulk material stored at said bulk material storage container, said load information including properties and identification information for said stored loads and sequential layering information of said stored loads;

obtaining a second surface map of said upper surface of bulk material stored in said bulk material storage container, said second surface map obtained after said first surface map and after a first load of bulk material is withdrawn from said bulk material storage container; and

identifying, based on said stored load information, identification information for each stored load that comprises at least a portion of said first load.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a volume within said bulk material storage container of each of said stored loads; and

determining, for each stored load identified in said step of identifying, a volume of said stored load contained in said first load.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

recording properties and identification information associated with at least a second load of bulk material added to said bulk material storage container, said second load added after said first load is withdrawn;

obtaining a third surface map of said upper surface of bulk material stored in said bulk material storage container, said third surface map obtained after said second load of bulk material is added to bulk material storage container; and

arranging said properties and identification information to indicate actual sequential layering of said second load and any stored loads of bulk material remaining after said first load is withdrawn.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said properties characterize the bulk material, said properties including at least one of:

bulk type, species, water content, protein content, foreign material content, defect content and impurity content.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

exchanging said records of source and said properties and identifying information associated with each bulk material load with at least one other bulk material storage facility; and

tracing bulk material sources associated with all loads that are stored at said bulk material storage facilities.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said bulk material storage containers include all bulk material storage containers located at one or more bulk material storage and transshipment facilities owned by a corporation and/or all bulk material storage and transshipment facilities monitored by a government regulatory agency.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, based on said load information and bulk material withdrawal geometric characteristics for said bulk material storage container, required input volumes of bulk material needed from one or more separate bulk material storage containers to achieve an arbitrary output load composition that meets a predefined blend specification based on blending parameters that are used to blend the input from said one or more separate bulk material storage containers.

20. A system for locating and tracking loads of commingled non-liquid bulk material added to and withdrawn from one or more bulk material storage container(s), comprising:

a mapping unit operable to receive surface data indicative of a surface of bulk material stored at one or more bulk material storage container(s);

a database operable to store properties and identification information associated with loads of bulk material added to and removed from said bulk material storage container(s) and operable to store a sequence in which said loads were added and removed; and

a processor operable to determine a location of one or more loads of bulk material within at least a first bulk material storage container based on said surface data, said sequence information, and said properties and identification of said loads of bulk material stored at said first bulk material storage container.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said mapping unit, database, and processor are operably interconnected to a plurality of bulk material storage containers through a network, and wherein:

said mapping unit is operable to receive surface data from each of said plurality of bulk material storage containers;

said database is operable to receive properties and identification information associated with each load of bulk material added to and removed from each of said bulk material storage containers; and

wherein said processor is operable to determine sequential layering and layer removal that results from successive load additions and removals from each of said bulk material storage containers.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said processor is further operable to trace all bulk material sources and recipients as all loads are stored and moved across an arbitrary number of bulk material storage containers, including bulk material storage and transshipment facilities operated by a corporation and/or monitored by a government regulatory agency.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said processor is further operable to determine required input volumes of bulk material needed from one or more separate bulk material storage containers and to calculate required removal rate for material removal and a duration for removal at the required removal rate for each bulk material storage container, to achieve an output load composition that meets a predefined blend specification based on blending parameters that are used to blend the input from said one or more separate bulk material storage containers.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a plurality of bulk material storage and transshipment facilities, each of said facilities comprising said mapping unit, said database, and said processor; and

a data warehouse in communication with each of said plurality of facilities comprising;

a database operable to store properties and identification information associated with loads of bulk material added to and removed from bulk material storage containers at one or more of said facilities, and operable to store sequential layering information for material stored in said storage containers; and

a processor operable to determine a location of one or more loads of bulk material within said bulk material storage containers at one or more of said facilities based on said sequential layering information, said properties and identification of said loads of bulk material stored, and transport information associated with bulk material transported between two or more of said facilities.