Systems and methods for loading explosive compositions having programmably/selectively defined density profiles into boreholes

Abstract

A system/apparatus including: at least one control system or control unit configured for changing a concentration/flow rate of a set of sensitizing agents for an explosive composition, wherein the sensitizing agents are introduced at or into at least one portion of an explosive composition loading system or apparatus in a manner that facilitates or enables generation of two or more explosive compositions having at least one density profile/distribution, wherein the changing of the concentration/flow rate provides the sensitizing agents with a concentration profile/distribution within and along a conduit/hose during flow of the explosive compositions toward and prior to the explosive compositions reaching a distal portion of the conduit/hose that is fluidically coupled to an outlet structure, wherein the concentration profile/distribution corresponds to the density profile/distribution.

1 . A system/apparatus including:
 at least one control system or control unit configured for changing a concentration/flow rate of a set of sensitizing agents for an explosive composition,   wherein the sensitizing agents are introduced at or into at least one portion of an explosive composition loading system or apparatus in a manner that facilitates or enables generation of two or more explosive compositions having at least one density profile/distribution,   wherein the changing of the concentration/flow rate provides the sensitizing agents with a concentration profile/distribution within and along a conduit/hose during flow of the explosive compositions toward and prior to the explosive compositions reaching a distal portion of the conduit/hose that is fluidically coupled to an outlet structure, wherein the concentration profile/distribution corresponds to the density profile/distribution.   
     
     
         2 . The system/apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein introduction of the set of sensitizing agents occurs by way of at least one sensitizing agent introduction site that is away from the outlet structure of the conduit/hose, including wherein each sensitizing agent introduction site is not proximate to the outlet structure of the conduit/hose, including:
 at least one meter, or one or more meters away from the outlet structure;   prior to, essentially at, or at a suction side or inlet or input of a pump by which explosive composition constituents, which can include an unsensitized or partially sensitized explosive composition, are conveyed;   just after, essentially at, or at a pump throat associated with or corresponding to an outlet or output of the pump;   proximate to, essentially at, or at a pump-facing input coupling structure corresponding to the conduit/hose, including a rotary union structure relative to which the conduit/hose can be coupled;   out of a borehole when the conduit/hose is extended substantially into the borehole; and/or   closer to a collar of the borehole than to a toe of the borehole when the conduit/hose is extended substantially to the toe of the borehole.   
     
     
         3 . The system/apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the density profile/distribution includes a gradient to compensate for hydrostatic pressure in a borehole;   the density profile/distribution includes a mathematical function with a non-zero average, including a sinusoidal function, a square wave function, or a triangular wave function, to provide customizable, programmable, selectable, or variable selection of velocity of detonation (VoD) in the sensitized explosive composition; and/or   the density profile/distribution corresponds to two or mutually distinct or different programmably specified densities corresponding to two or more respective rock types in the borehole or from the borehole to a next borehole.   
     
     
         4 . The system/apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the sensitizing agents are selectively introduced at mutually different concentrations/flow rates, or in accordance with different concentration/flow rate functions, at respective different times, to provide the concentration profile/distribution in a manner intended or expected to serially or sequentially produce explosive compositions having respectively the different densities or density profiles/distributions. 
     
     
         5 . The system/apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein introduction of the set of sensitizing agents at a sensitizing agent introduction site at the different concentrations/flow rates, or in accordance with different concentration/flow rate functions, at the different times, gives rise to different lengthwise segments of conduit/hose material contents corresponding to different-density explosive compositions such that at least two different along-conduit/along-hose or in-conduit/in-hose material contents or masses, volumes, or inventories of chemical compositions/substances/species or explosive composition products exist, each of which corresponds to:
 a selected/specific sensitizing agent concentration/flow rate or function therefor that was established at a particular prior time; and   a distinct or different explosive composition density, density function, or density profile/distribution, which is correlated with the sensitizing agent concentration/flow rate or function therefor.   
     
     
         6 . The system/apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein, if during a first time interval the set of sensitizing agents was introduced at a first concentration/flow rate or a first function therefor to facilitate or enable the production of a first density explosive composition, and during a successive second time interval the set of sensitizing agents was introduced at a distinct or different second concentration/flow rate or a second function therefor to facilitate or enable the production of a distinct or different second density explosive composition, then:
 a first lengthwise segment of the conduit/hose that is closer to the outlet structure carries a first in-conduit/in-hose mass, volume, or inventory corresponding to the first density explosive composition; and   a second lengthwise segment of the conduit/hose, which is rearward of the first segment of the conduit/hose and hence further from the outlet structure and closer to a sensitizing agent introduction site than the first segment of the conduit/hose carries a second in-conduit/in-hose mass, volume, or inventory corresponding to the second density explosive composition,   such that the first in-conduit/in-hose mass, volume, or inventory corresponding to the first density explosive composition physically and temporally leads the second in-conduit/in-hose mass, volume, or inventory corresponding to the second density explosive composition with respect to reaching and being output from the outlet structure of the conduit/hose.   
     
     
         7 . The system/apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one control system or control unit is configured for automatically managing, coordinating, or controlling the introduction and flow/conveyance of explosive composition constituents into and/or along portions of the system/apparatus, as well as formulation or production and output of different-density explosive compositions in and/or among a set of boreholes in accordance with a blast plan, including wherein the control system is configured for automatically selectively managing, controlling, monitoring, establishing, changing, adjusting, modifying, and/or varying the concentration(s)/flow rate(s) of, or concentration/flow function(s) for, the set of sensitizing agents introducible or introduced at the sensitizing agent introduction site in a pre-scheduled manner with respect to the generation of a sequence or series of the in-conduit/in-hose masses, volumes, or inventories that will be output by the outlet structure to produce explosive compositions having intended densities or density profiles/distributions within one or more segments of individual boreholes/blastholes and/or across particular boreholes/blastholes, as indicated, established, or defined by the blast plan. 
     
     
         8 . The system/apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control system or control unit is configured for following a borehole loading sequence involving a current borehole under consideration/being loaded and a next-in-sequence borehole to be loaded, including after loading a final or last segment of the current borehole under consideration with a final explosive composition having an intended or target density or density profile/distribution, loading any remaining in-conduit/in-hose mass, volume, or inventory corresponding to this intended or target density or density profile/distribution into an initial or first segment of a next-in-sequence borehole to be loaded. 
     
     
         9 . The system/apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the density or density profile/distribution of the final explosive composition and the density or density profile/distribution of an initial explosive composition that will be output into the initial or first segment of the next-in-sequence borehole to be loaded can each be selected, set, established, defined as a default or neutral density or neutral density value, or default or neutral density profile/distribution, respectively, wherein the default or neutral density, or neutral density value, or default or neutral density profile/distribution defines at least one presettable or preset sensitizer concentration/flow rate for the sensitizing agents, and/or a presettable or preset neutral density voidage of the explosive composition. 
     
     
         10 . The system/apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the default or neutral density, or neutral density value, or default or neutral density profile/distribution includes: values of substantially 0.80-1.25 g/cc or g/cm 3 , including between substantially 0.90 and substantially 1.2 g/cc, including less than or equal to 1 g/cc, or substantially 1 g/cc. 
     
     
         11 . The system/apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the control system or control unit and/or a blast design system is configured for automatically verifying and/or ensuring or requiring that when a final segment of a given borehole to be loaded is not intended to receive or is not capable of receiving entire in-conduit/in-hose material contents between a sensitizing agent introduction site and the outlet structure, each of the final segment of the given borehole to be loaded as well as the first segment of a next borehole to be loaded will be or are loaded to include or contain an explosive composition having an identical neutral density, or using the same neutral density function, such that a density of an uppermost amount of explosive composition in the given borehole and the density of a lowermost amount of explosive composition in the next borehole to be loaded have the same or essentially the same neutral density value. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system or control unit is configured to establish at a sensitizing agent introduction site at least one sensitizing agent concentration/flow rate or concentration/flow rate function that corresponds to or which will implement a selected explosive composition density or density profile/distribution, after in-conduit/in-hose explosive composition constituents corresponding to the selected density or density profile/distribution have flowed away from the sensitizing agent introduction site through the conduit/hose and are output from the outlet structure thereof, based on one or more of:
 current or most-recent system configuration data, including:
 one or more of the set of sensitizing agents under consideration, 
 the explosive composition, 
 a critical density of the explosive composition or a highest usable density, 
 a selected or preset neutral density or neutral density range for the explosive composition, 
 a pump speed, and 
 a diameter of a flexible hose and/or outlet structure; and 
   current or most-recent borehole data, including:
 the diameter of the borehole, 
 current or most-recent borehole condition data, including whether the borehole is a wet hole or a dry hole, and 
 a final/pre-loading blasthole depth measurement. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system or control unit maintains a given sensitizing agent concentration/flow rate or concentration/flow rate function across a selected/specified time interval that will subsequently produce a target volume of explosive composition having a selected density or density profile/distribution across or along a target segment of a borehole when this explosive composition is output into the borehole, wherein a target segment/target length of the borehole corresponds to or is specified by blast plan data corresponding to this borehole. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system or control unit is configured to utilize one or more mathematical functions and/or lookup table values to establish a sensitizing agent concentration/flow rate or function corresponding to a selected explosive composition density or density profile/distribution. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system or control unit is configured for introducing or programmably/selectively/selectably introducing a set of void size stabilization agents at or into one or more structural portions of an explosive composition loading system or apparatus, in a manner that introduces the set of stabilization agents into the explosive composition. 
     
     
         16 . The system/apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the void size stabilization agent includes a chemical agent that facilitates void size management, predictability, or controllability. 
     
     
         17 . The system/apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the void size stabilization agent include or is a surface-active chemical composition that is soluble in an organic phase and is capable of one or more of: lowering an interfacial tension of a fuel, enhancing foaming, and increasing foam stability in the organic phase. 
     
     
         18 . The system/apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the void size stabilization agents are introduced at one or more void size stabilization agent introduction sites positioned before, essentially at or at, and/or after a sensitizing agent introduction site. 
     
     
         19 . A method/process including: changing a concentration/flow rate of a set of sensitizing agents for an explosive composition, wherein the sensitizing agents are introduced at or into at least one portion of an explosive composition loading system or apparatus in a manner that facilitates or enables generation of two or more explosive compositions having at least one density profile/distribution, wherein the changing of the concentration/flow rate provides the sensitizing agents with a concentration profile/distribution within and along a conduit/hose during flow of the explosive compositions toward and prior to the explosive compositions reaching a distal portion of the conduit/hose that is fluidically coupled to an outlet structure, wherein the concentration profile/distribution corresponds to the density profile/distribution. 
     
     
         20 .- 27 . (canceled)