Method and system for wireless measurement of detonation of explosives

1. A system for wireless measurement of detonation of explosives for detonation according to a timed sequence, the system comprising:

an antenna for detecting electromagnetic emissions resulting from detonation of the explosives and providing an electromagnetic signal representative of the electromagnetic emissions;

a high speed data logger operatively connected to the antenna for logging the electromagnetic signal, wherein the high speed logger records at a sampling frequency of at least 1 MHz;

a trigger for setting the data logger for logging the electromagnetic signal upon detonation of the explosives to produce a recorded blast record; and

a comparison arrangement for comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record, wherein the comparison arrangement is adapted to apply a low pass filter to the recorded blast record to facilitate comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is for wireless measurement of detonation of a plurality of chemical explosive charges located in respective spaced blast holes in a mine.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a wire cable system connected to and used to configure electronic detonators which initiate the detonation of the explosives.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises at least one metal electrode connected to a ground mass by insertion into a hole provided in the ground mass.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises an elongate conductor provided above or along a floor or ground surface.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a signal amplifier for amplifying the signal provided by the antenna.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison arrangement comprises a computer which receives data comprising the recorded blast record from the data logger.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison arrangement comprises a detonation matching functionality for matching the individual detonations represented by the recorded blast record to corresponding scheduled detonations of the timed sequence.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison arrangement is operable to identify, for each scheduled detonation, whether the signal representative of the electromagnetic emissions indicates that a corresponding detonation has been detected, and for each scheduled detonation in relation to which a corresponding detonation has not been detected, that a misfire has occurred.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison arrangement is operable to calculate a timing difference between each scheduled detonation and the timing of a corresponding detonation included in the recorded blast record.

11. The system according to claim 1 , comprising a computer operable to calculate the duration of each detonation included in the recorded blast record and to calculate the velocity of detonation for each explosive based on the charge length of each explosive, and the duration of the detonation of that explosive.

12. A method for wireless measurement of detonation of explosives for detonation according to a timed sequence, the method comprising:

providing an antenna for detecting electromagnetic emissions resulting from detonation of the explosives so that the antenna provides an electromagnetic signal representative of the electromagnetic emissions;

providing a high speed data logger operatively connected to the antenna for logging the electromagnetic signal, wherein the high speed logger records at a sampling frequency of at least 1 MHz;

using a trigger to set the data logger for logging the electromagnetic signal upon detonation of the explosives to produce a recorded blast record; and

comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record, wherein a low pass filter is applied to the recorded blast record to facilitate comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the antenna is provided between 10 and 90 metres of at least one of the explosives to be detonated.

14. A system for wireless measurement of detonation of a plurality of chemical explosive charges according to a timed sequence, the system comprising:

an antenna for detecting respective, substantially discrete electromagnetic pulses resulting from detonation of the plurality of chemical explosive charges and providing an electromagnetic signal representative of the electromagnetic pulses;

a high speed data logger operatively connected to the antenna for logging the electromagnetic signal, wherein the high speed data logger records at a sampling frequency of at least 1 MHz;

a trigger for setting the data logger for logging the electromagnetic signal upon detonation of the explosives to produce a recorded blast record; and

a comparison arrangement for comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record, wherein the comparison arrangement applies a low pass filter to the recorded blast record to facilitate comparing the timed sequence with the recorded blast record,

wherein the antenna of the system comprises:

at least one metal electrode inserted in a rock mass and configured to detect the electromagnetic pulses travelling through the rock mass;

a wire cable system connected to and used to configure electronic detonators which initiate detonation of the explosive charges; or

an elongate conductor adjacent and/or across blast sites corresponding to the plurality of chemical explosive charges.