Monitoring and Controlling Saturation Zones in Heap Leach Piles Using Thermal Analysis

Omar Daud,Javier Ruíz-Del-Solar,Mauricio Correa,Humberto Estay

doi:10.3390/min11020115

Omar Daud, Javier Ruíz-Del-Solar + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020115

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Journal: Minerals	Publication Date: Jan 24, 2021
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Chile, University of Santiago Chile

Abstract

This manuscript describes a method that is based on the implementation and setup of a mechatronic system that can recognize and detect, through thermal analysis, the zones where heap leaching piles may become locally saturated. Such a condition could trigger the potential of liquefaction, generating local or general collapse in the pile. In order to reduce this potential danger, and therefore achieve full stability in the pile, the irrigation system must be properly controlled; for instance, in potentially saturated zones, the irrigation flow can be reduced or eliminated until the saturation has disappeared. The mechatronic system consists of a hexacopter, equipped with a thermal infrared camera mounted on its structure and pointing down to the ground, which is used to obtain the temperature information of the heat transfer between the heap pile and the environment. Such information is very useful, as the level of saturated zones can then be traced. The communication between the operator of the irrigation system and the mechatronic system is based on a radio-frequency link, in which geo-referenced images are transmitted.

Highlights

This manuscript describes a method that is based on the implementation and setup of a mechatronic system that can recognize and detect, through thermal analysis, the zones where heap leaching piles may become locally saturated
The main scope of this method was controlling the irrigation in heap leaching, in order to avoid saturation zones that can compromise the stability of the pile and the leaching performance
The idea was to detect the saturation zones, zones, as wellasaswell those were irrigated by thermal analysis along with saturation as that those thatnot were not irrigated by thermal analysis alongimage with processing techniques

Summary

Introduction

This manuscript describes a method that is based on the implementation and setup of a mechatronic system that can recognize and detect, through thermal analysis, the zones where heap leaching piles may become locally saturated. Reducing the metal extraction, but it could promote saturated zones that can increase the risk of landslide stability In this regard, different methods have been studied and applied to monitoring the fluid flow, moisture distribution, and liquid spread in heap leaching, such as electrical resistivity [5], X-ray computed tomography imaging [6], or UV fluorescence-based image analysis [7]. Different methods have been studied and applied to monitoring the fluid flow, moisture distribution, and liquid spread in heap leaching, such as electrical resistivity [5], X-ray computed tomography imaging [6], or UV fluorescence-based image analysis [7] These techniques are still limited to application at the laboratory scale (X-ray tomography and UV fluorescence) and the possibility to have results in real time, dynamically (electrical resistivity), in order to have results that allow the taking of operational decisions immediately. The irrigation monitoring method presents challenges, due to the large extent of the irrigated zones, and the large number of irrigation drippers involved

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion