SBIR Phase II: Heap leaching and slope saturation monitoring with muon detectors

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的重点是开发一种先进的地球物理密度测量技术，并基于对自然产生的宇宙射线的被动探测来监测土壤中的流体锋面。该项目的主要应用领域是采矿行业，该技术可能能够推动铜和其他关键金属的回收效率提高(高达10%)。这些效率可能仅在美国就可能带来每年近10亿美元的价值机会。该技术还可用于监测大坝和堤坝的稳定性，这是一个得到广泛认可的持续关注的问题，它可以为行业和整个社会提供安全和环境效益。该项目的智力优势主要与继续开发现场可用仪器和原始数据反演方法有关。这包括：i)在控制条件下对在第一阶段开发的原型传感器进行验证；ii)开发和测试适合用途的运输工具和远程操作所需的其他硬件；iii)开发由客户需求驱动的原创三维数据重建算法；以及iv)开发商业上可用的答案产品和用户界面。这些创新将有助于证明拟议的解决方案对采矿业的可行性、技术准备和价值。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on the development of a technology for advanced geophysical density measurements and the monitoring of fluid fronts in soils based on the passive detection of naturally occurring cosmic rays. The primary application area for this project is the mining sector, where the technology may be able to drive efficiency improvements (up to 10%) in the recovery of copper and other key metals. These efficiencies could potentially result in a value opportunity of close to $1 billion per year in the US alone. The technology can also be applied to monitoring the stability of dams and levees, a widely-recognized ongoing concern, where it can provide safety and environmental benefits to the industry and society at large.The intellectual merit of this project is primarily related to both the continued development of field-ready instrumentation and of original data inversion methodologies. This includes: i) validation of the prototype sensor developed in Phase I under control conditions; ii) development and testing of fit-for-purpose conveyance and other hardware required for remote operation; iii) development of an original, three-dimensional data reconstruction algorithm driven by customer needs; and iv) development of commercially ready answer products and user interfaces. These innovations will serve to demonstrate the feasibility, technology readiness, and value of the proposed solution to the mining industry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.