Patent ID: 8536536

Claim:
Collection and analysis system for the in situ determination of mineral concentrations of granular material from a pit being excavated in a continuous, non-intrusive, and real-time manner, comprising: a collection module for collecting granular material comprising a coupling means operatively connected to an auger of a drilling machine excavating said pit; transportation media for the granular material; a conditioning module connected to the transportation media wherein the conditioning module comprises sieves to pass particles of the granular material smaller than 10 mm; a vacuum pump generating air flow through said transportation media; an air compressor or a fan that allows the transport of the granular material; a conditioning module comprising grinding media; a drying chamber connected to the output of the grinding media, the drying chamber comprising a drying means, said drying means comprising a heating means for heating the air flow that carries the granular material; a vapor permeable media to extract condensate from the flow of heated air; a cooling chamber with heat exchangers where the flow of heated air is cooled and dried wherein said cooling chamber of the conditioning module connects tightly to an absorption spectrum acquisition module; said absorption spectrum acquisition module connects said cooling chamber of the conditioning module tightly to a sensor chamber where the circulating air flow carries the granular material, wherein said sensor chamber includes a plurality of photo-emitters emitting electromagnetic radiation and a sensing means disposed on a side of the sensor chamber opposite to the plurality of photo-emitters, wherein the sensor chamber is connected to an outlet duct releasing fine particulate matter out of the system; and an analysis and data transmission module comprising analog-digital converters, computer media and digital media, wherein said analog to digital converters are connected to the sensing means.