| PhD Seminar

Name of the Speaker: Ms. Catherine Thomas (EE21D068)
Guide: Dr. Boby George
Venue: CSD-308 (Conference Hall)
Online meeting link: https://meet.google.com/wta-jryg-wjv?hs=224
Date/Time: 23rd May 2025 (Friday), 3 PM
Title: Copper Ore Quality Sensing in an Excavation Bucket using a Capacitively Coupled Sensor

Abstract :

The copper percentage in copper ore varies, and it can be as low as 0.45%. Such low percentage levels result in high refining costs. It is better to discard such non-profitable ore at the excavation site instead of transporting it to the refining factory. This is possible only if the non-profitable ores are detectable at the excavation site. In this talk, the design and development of a suitable capacitively coupled sensor will be presented that can be integrated into the excavation bucket. The electrodes of the sensor are capacitively coupled to the ore, and an output as a function of the conductivity of the ore is obtained. As this is achieved without any direct physical contact with the ore, the sensor electrodes can be mechanically protected from the ore and other environmental factors. With this approach, detection of non-profitable ore is possible at the excavation site. The proposed sensor measures the effective resistance of ore, which helps in detecting the non-profitable ores. The quality sensors developed are placed inside, at the bottom of the excavation bucket, to ensure that the ore is present within the sensing area, regardless of the fill level. Moreover, simulations and practical testing are conducted to evaluate the sensor’s sensing functionality and sensitivity concerning the ore fill level. The measurement values associated with quality are independent of the ore fill level once it crosses the minimum fill level. This helps in the detection of non-profitable ores, independent of the variations in the level and weight of ore. The details of the development will be presented in the talk.