Method and Apparatus for Tracing and Blending Commingled Non-Liquid Bulk Materials

A method for determining the source(s) of each of multiple loads of commingled non-liquid bulk material withdrawn from a storage container comprising:

• obtaining a first surface map of an upper surface of bulk material stored in a bulk material storage container;
• obtaining stored load information associated with stored loads of bulk material stored at said bulk material storage container, said load information including properties and identification information for said stored loads and sequential layering information of said stored loads;
• obtaining a second surface map of said upper surface of bulk material stored in said bulk material storage container, said second surface map obtained after said first surface map and after a first load of bulk material is withdrawn from said bulk material storage container;
• and
• identifying, based on said stored load information, identification information for each stored load that comprises at least a portion of said first load.

A method for determining input volumes from one or more containers holding one or more sources of non-liquid commingled bulk material to obtain a blended output meeting a target output specification, comprising:

• obtaining first container load information associated with stored loads of bulk material stored at a first bulk material storage container, said load information including properties and identification information for said stored loads and sequential layering information of said stored loads at said first bulk material storage container;
• obtaining load information associated with stored loads of bulk material stored at one or more additional bulk material storage containers, said load information including properties and identification information for said stored loads and sequential layering information of said stored loads at respective bulk material storage containers;
• obtaining a target specification of at least one property of an output load;
• calculating a volume of bulk material to be withdrawn from said first container and said one or more additional containers to achieve said target specification, said calculating based on said first container load information and load information of said one or more additional containers.

A system for locating and tracking loads of commingled non-liquid bulk material added/withdrawn to/from bulk material storage container(s), comprising:

• a mapping unit operable to receive surface data indicative of a surface of bulk material stored at one or more bulk material storage container(s);
• a database operable to store properties and identification information associated with loads of bulk material added to and removed from said bulk material storage container(s) and operable to store a sequence in which said loads were added and removed;
• and
• a processor operable to determine a location of one or more loads of bulk material within at least a first bulk material storage container based on said surface data, said sequence information, and said properties and identification of said loads of bulk material stored at said first bulk material storage container.