Noninvasive Weight Determination of Stockpiled Ore Through Microgravity Measurements.
Abstract
The Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) maintains stockpiles of high-grade ores at various locations throughout the country and has a requirement to produce current mass estimates for selected piles as part of a national audit. Microgravity measurements were performed over each ore pile to provide high-resolution surveys of the gravitational field with which to determine the average bulk density of the ore material. Nettleton's and Parasnis' methods were used to analyze the gravity anomaly data. These methods have the advantage of averaging the effect of density variations more accurately than can be done from surface or core samples. Volumes of the ore stockpiles were determined using standard land surveying method. The computed weight for each ore stockpile is compared to the reported weight provided by DNSC. The greatest differences were computed over piles located on unprepared, sandy soil. Ore stockpiles situated on prepared surfaces or concrete pads typically have computed differences less than 10 percent.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA316585
Entities
People
- Dwain K. Butler
- Keith J. Sjostrom