1. A method of sorting a stream of minerals, comprising:
receiving response data indicating reflected, absorbed or backscattered energy from a mineral sample exposed to a sensor,
wherein the mineral sample is irradiated with electromagnetic energy;
determining spectral characteristics of the mineral sample by performing spectral analysis on the response data of the mineral sample;
identifying a composition of the mineral sample by comparing the spectral characteristics of the mineral sample to previously developed spectral characteristics of samples of known composition; and
generating a sort decision for the mineral sample based on the comparison,
wherein the sort decision is used in diverting the mineral sample to a desired destination.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the spectral characteristics include at least one of frequency content, wavelength content, or amplitude of the response data.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising collecting spectral response data from a series of mineral samples irradiated with electromagnetic energy and exposed to a sensor to develop the spectral characteristics of samples of known composition.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the spectral characteristics of samples of known composition are developed using at least one of: conditional random field algorithms, Bayesian network, one or more Markov models, knowledge-based techniques, neural networks, or fuzzy logic techniques.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a composition of the mineral sample includes assigning a compositional value to the mineral sample based on the comparison.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the mineral sample is diverted to an accept pile when the compositional value is within a predetermined variation of the previously developed spectral characteristics.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the spectral characteristics of the mineral sample to previously developed spectral characteristics of samples of known composition includes matching the spectral characteristics of the mineral sample to previously developed pattern sets.
8. At least one tangible computer-readable medium carrying instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, determines a composition of a mineral sample, comprising:
measuring a spectral response of a mineral sample to electromagnetic radiation;
comparing the measured spectral response to previously recorded response data from samples of known composition to identify a composition of the mineral sample; and
assigning a compositional value to the mineral sample based on the comparison.
9. The at least one tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, further comprise:
generating a signal based on the compositional value.
10. The at least one tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the signal is a sort signal used to divert the mineral sample to a desired location.
11. The at least one tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the mineral sample is a laterite, and wherein the sort signal is used to divert the mineral sample to one of: a hydrometallurgical process, a pyrometallurgical process, or a waste pile.
12. The at least one tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, further comprise:
transporting the sample into a source field.
13. A system for sorting minerals, comprising:
a device to introduce mineral samples to a sensor;
a device to generate a range of excitation beams to apply to the mineral samples;
a scanner to detect response data including resulting reflected or absorbed energy from the mineral samples;
a means for comparing the response data to previously determined response data of samples of known composition to determine a composition of the mineral samples.
14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:
an analog to digital converter to digitize the detected response data;
a control system to process signal outputs; and
a diverter coupled to the control system for the diversion of the mineral samples.
15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a graphical user interface to control operation and record data.
16. The system of claim 13 wherein the response data of samples of known composition includes spectral characteristics.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the spectral characteristics of samples of known composition are developed using at least one of: conditional random field algorithms, Bayesian network, one or more Markov models, knowledge-based techniques, neural networks, or fuzzy logic techniques.
18. A method of maximizing the recovered value of mineral ores, comprising:
extracting unblended mineral ore from a mine bench or pit using a mechanical excavator or similar earthmoving device;
delivering the unblended mineral ore to a haul truck or conveyor belt using the excavator;
transporting the unblended mineral ore to a mineral sorting system, the mineral sorting system configured to:
apply electromagnetic radiation to the mineral ore,
detect a response of the mineral ore to the electromagnetic radiation, and
compare the response data to previously determined response data of samples of known composition to determine the composition of the mineral ore; and
classifying the mineral ore, based on the comparison, into a first mineral product, a second mineral product, and a third mineral product.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein:
the first mineral product is conditioned for pyrometallurgical treatment,
the second mineral product is conditioned for hydrometallurgical treatment, and
the third mineral product is conditioned for disposal as a waste product.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first mineral product, the second mineral product and the third mineral product are simultaneously classified by the mineral sorting system.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A control system for an internal combustion engine having fuel injection means for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of said engine, said control system comprising:
fuel injection control means for controlling said fuel injection means;
exhaust gas recirculating means for recirculating a portion of exhaust gases from said engine to said combustion chamber;
exhaust cooling means for cooling the exhaust gases that are recirculated, wherein said exhaust cooling means is included in said exhaust gas recirculating means;
target ignition timing calculating means for calculating a target ignition timing of the fuel injected by said fuel injection means;
ignition timing detecting means for detecting an actual compression ignition timing of the fuel injected by said fuel injection means; and
exhaust cooling control means for controlling an operation of said exhaust cooling means based on the target ignition timing and the actual compression ignition timing.
2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said fuel injection control means has first and second fuel injection timing maps which are set according to an operating condition of said engine, wherein said fuel injection control means uses the first fuel injection timing map when said exhaust cooling means is not operating or when said exhaust cooling means is operating and a delay of the actual compression ignition timing with respect to the target ignition timing is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and wherein said fuel injection control means uses the second fuel injection timing map when said exhaust cooling means is operating and the delay of the actual compression ignition timing with respect to the target ignition timing is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value.
3. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in said combustion chamber, wherein said fuel injection control means includes correcting means for correcting a fuel injection timing of said fuel injection means in a retarding direction according to an output of said pressure detecting means when said exhaust cooling means is operating.
4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said correcting means corrects the fuel injection timing so that a change rate of the pressure in said combustion chamber coincides with a target pressure change rate set according to an operating condition of said engine.
5. A control method for an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injection valve which injects fuel into a combustion chamber of said engine, and an exhaust gas recirculation mechanism which recirculates a portion of exhaust gases from said engine to said combustion chamber, said exhaust gas recirculating mechanism including an exhaust cooler for cooling the exhaust gases that are recirculated, said control method comprising the steps of:
a) calculating a target ignition timing of the fuel injected by said at least one fuel injection valve;
b) detecting an actual compression ignition timing of the fuel injected by said at least one fuel injection valve; and
c) controlling an operation of said exhaust cooler based on the target ignition timing and the actual compression ignition timing.
6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein the fuel injection by said at least one fuel injection valve is controlled using first and second fuel injection timing maps, which are set according to an operating condition of said engine, wherein the first fuel injection timing map is used when said exhaust cooler is not operating or when said exhaust cooler is operating and a delay of the actual compression ignition timing with respect to the target ignition timing is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and wherein the second fuel injection timing map is used when said exhaust cooler is operating and the delay of the actual compression ignition timing with respect to the target ignition timing is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value.
7. The control method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of detecting a change rate of a pressure in said combustion chamber, wherein a fuel injection timing by said at least one fuel injection valve is corrected in a retarding direction according to the detected change rate when said exhaust cooler is operating.
8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the fuel injection timing is corrected so that the detected change rate coincides with a target pressure change rate set according to an operating condition of said engine.