Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves

Mark  McGuinness; Sean Bohun; Vincent Cregan; William Lee; Jeff Dewynne; Gary O'Keefe; Tuoi Vo

doi:10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2

Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves

Mark McGuinness, Sean Bohun, Vincent Cregan, William Lee, Jeff Dewynne, Gary O'Keefe, Tuoi Vo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Moisture measurement in bauxite ore as it is being offloaded from a ship is a challenge that was brought to a European Study Group with Industry at the University of Limerick in 2017. A refinery asked the Study Group to confirm if it is possible to calculate the moisture content once every second, by passing microwaves through the ore as it is being offloaded at about 2 m/s. The microwaves experience a phase shift and signal attenuation, depending on the amount of moisture present. We review the theory of microwave transmission through a polarising medium, and we present and study the data produced by the microwave analyser. We explore the consequences of the method for measuring phase change, and the effects of noise on the phase shifts observed. We provide an algorithm for lifting the measured phase shifts from their restricted range to an unlimited range for the true phase shift. Concurrent measurements of ore height are central to the lifting algorithm. We note the effect of interference on the attenuation seen in data.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019
Subtitle of host publication	Mathematics for the Primary Industries and the Environment
Editors	Robert McKibbin, Graeme Wake, Osamu Saeki
Publisher	Springer Singapore
Pages	13-64
Number of pages	52
Volume	36
Edition	1st
ISBN (Electronic)	9789811911545
ISBN (Print)	9789811911538
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2
Publication status	Published - 11 Sep 2022
Event	Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019: Mathematics for the Primary Industries and the Environment - Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand Duration: 18 Nov 2019 → 21 Nov 2019 https://apcmfi.org/event/view/139

Publication series

Name	Mathematics for Industry
Publisher	Springer Singapore
Volume	36
ISSN (Print)	2198-350X
ISSN (Electronic)	2198-3518

Conference

Conference	Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019
Country/Territory	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Period	18/11/19 → 21/11/19
Internet address	https://apcmfi.org/event/view/139

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2Licence: Unspecified

FMFi_MicrowaveMoisture_MJM_R2Accepted author manuscript, 18.8 MBLicence: Unspecified

Cite this

McGuinness, M., Bohun, S., Cregan, V., Lee, W., Dewynne, J., O'Keefe, G., & Vo, T. (2022). Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves. In R. McKibbin, G. Wake, & O. Saeki (Eds.), Proceedings of the Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019: Mathematics for the Primary Industries and the Environment (1st ed., Vol. 36, pp. 13-64). (Mathematics for Industry; Vol. 36). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2

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title = "Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves",

abstract = "Moisture measurement in bauxite ore as it is being offloaded from a ship is a challenge that was brought to a European Study Group with Industry at the University of Limerick in 2017. A refinery asked the Study Group to confirm if it is possible to calculate the moisture content once every second, by passing microwaves through the ore as it is being offloaded at about 2 m/s. The microwaves experience a phase shift and signal attenuation, depending on the amount of moisture present. We review the theory of microwave transmission through a polarising medium, and we present and study the data produced by the microwave analyser. We explore the consequences of the method for measuring phase change, and the effects of noise on the phase shifts observed. We provide an algorithm for lifting the measured phase shifts from their restricted range to an unlimited range for the true phase shift. Concurrent measurements of ore height are central to the lifting algorithm. We note the effect of interference on the attenuation seen in data.",

keywords = "Moisture, Microwaves, Bauxite, Lifting alogrithm, Continuous measurement",

author = "Mark McGuinness and Sean Bohun and Vincent Cregan and William Lee and Jeff Dewynne and Gary O'Keefe and Tuoi Vo",

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booktitle = "Proceedings of the Forum {"}Math-for-Industry{"} 2019",

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McGuinness, M, Bohun, S, Cregan, V, Lee, W, Dewynne, J, O'Keefe, G & Vo, T 2022, Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves. in R McKibbin, G Wake & O Saeki (eds), Proceedings of the Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019: Mathematics for the Primary Industries and the Environment. 1st edn, vol. 36, Mathematics for Industry, vol. 36, Springer Singapore, pp. 13-64, Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019, Auckland, New Zealand, 18/11/19. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2

Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves. / McGuinness, Mark ; Bohun, Sean; Cregan, Vincent et al.

Proceedings of the Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019: Mathematics for the Primary Industries and the Environment. ed. / Robert McKibbin; Graeme Wake; Osamu Saeki. Vol. 36 1st. ed. Springer Singapore, 2022. p. 13-64 (Mathematics for Industry; Vol. 36).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves

AU - McGuinness, Mark

AU - Bohun, Sean

AU - Cregan, Vincent

AU - Lee, William

AU - Dewynne, Jeff

AU - O'Keefe, Gary

AU - Vo, Tuoi

PY - 2022/9/11

Y1 - 2022/9/11

N2 - Moisture measurement in bauxite ore as it is being offloaded from a ship is a challenge that was brought to a European Study Group with Industry at the University of Limerick in 2017. A refinery asked the Study Group to confirm if it is possible to calculate the moisture content once every second, by passing microwaves through the ore as it is being offloaded at about 2 m/s. The microwaves experience a phase shift and signal attenuation, depending on the amount of moisture present. We review the theory of microwave transmission through a polarising medium, and we present and study the data produced by the microwave analyser. We explore the consequences of the method for measuring phase change, and the effects of noise on the phase shifts observed. We provide an algorithm for lifting the measured phase shifts from their restricted range to an unlimited range for the true phase shift. Concurrent measurements of ore height are central to the lifting algorithm. We note the effect of interference on the attenuation seen in data.

AB - Moisture measurement in bauxite ore as it is being offloaded from a ship is a challenge that was brought to a European Study Group with Industry at the University of Limerick in 2017. A refinery asked the Study Group to confirm if it is possible to calculate the moisture content once every second, by passing microwaves through the ore as it is being offloaded at about 2 m/s. The microwaves experience a phase shift and signal attenuation, depending on the amount of moisture present. We review the theory of microwave transmission through a polarising medium, and we present and study the data produced by the microwave analyser. We explore the consequences of the method for measuring phase change, and the effects of noise on the phase shifts observed. We provide an algorithm for lifting the measured phase shifts from their restricted range to an unlimited range for the true phase shift. Concurrent measurements of ore height are central to the lifting algorithm. We note the effect of interference on the attenuation seen in data.

KW - Moisture

KW - Microwaves

KW - Bauxite

KW - Lifting alogrithm

KW - Continuous measurement

UR - https://link.springer.com/book/9789811911538

U2 - 10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2

DO - 10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 9789811911538

VL - 36

T3 - Mathematics for Industry

SP - 13

EP - 64

BT - Proceedings of the Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019

A2 - McKibbin, Robert

A2 - Wake, Graeme

A2 - Saeki, Osamu

PB - Springer Singapore

T2 - Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019

Y2 - 18 November 2019 through 21 November 2019

ER -

McGuinness M, Bohun S, Cregan V, Lee W, Dewynne J, O'Keefe G et al. Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves. In McKibbin R, Wake G, Saeki O, editors, Proceedings of the Forum "Math-for-Industry" 2019: Mathematics for the Primary Industries and the Environment. 1st ed. Vol. 36. Springer Singapore. 2022. p. 13-64. (Mathematics for Industry). Epub 2022 Sep 11. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-1154-5_2

Measuring Moisture in Bauxite with Microwaves

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