Identification of material type and condition in a dry bulk material storage bin

A device comprising:

• a processor circuit;
• and
• a memory circuit storing commands, which when executed by the processor circuit cause the device to perform a method comprising:
• receiving an output signal from each of a plurality of optical computing devices disposed in separate locations in a system for storing and transporting a bulk material or powder;
• processing each of the output signals from the plurality of optical computing devices with a signal processor;
• determining a characteristic of the bulk material or powder based on the processing of the output signals;
• and
• transmitting an alert when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for continued storage or transport.

A system for storing and conveying a raw material from storage, comprising:

• a container configured to store the raw material;
• and
• a conveyor coupled to the container to transport the raw material from the container to a second location, wherein at least one of the container and the conveyor comprise:
• an optical computing device configured to receive an optical signal interacted with the raw material and an integrated computational device, the optical signal indicative of a characteristic of the raw material.