Monitoring discharge pressure on concrete mix load

• US 10,363,684 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verifi, LLC (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Verifi, LLC (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Roberts, Mark F., Jordan, Richard K., Cooley, Roy J., Koehler, Eric P., Bahira, Meriem
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Marc C
• Application Number:
  US15/374,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 366 2
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/422 Controlling or measuring devices B28C5/4227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/4244 Discharging; Concrete conveyor means, chutes or spouts therefor in general B28C7/168
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/32 Supports for air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/0442 with volume control at a constant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/601 by bonding, e.g. by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/00 Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2011/0046 In situ measurement during mixing process
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2011/006 Determining flow properties indirectly by measuring other parameters of the system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1798 with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/477 Fusion bond, e.g., weld, etc.

Abstract

Disclosed are method and system for treating concrete in mixing drums of delivery vehicles having automated rheology (e.g., slump) monitoring systems programmed to dose fluids into concrete based on the monitored rheology. The present invention takes into account a Revolution-To-Discharge value (“RTD”) which reflects drum rotations needed to move concrete towards and through the mixing drum opening from which concrete is discharged, and also takes into consideration a Volume-Per-Revolution-Upon-Discharge (“VPRUD”) value which reflects the relation between the rate of discharge and rheology (e.g., slump) of concrete upon discharge. The invention is especially useful for reclaiming concrete in the drum after delivery and can confirm rheology based upon peak (maximum) discharge pressure. The present inventors found surprisingly that discharge pressure readings are useful for recalibrating automated rheology monitoring systems as well as for reporting and/or treating the remainder concrete.

Claims

1. A method for determining rheology of concrete, comprising:

in an automated concrete rheology monitoring system having a computer processing unit (CPU) connected electrically or wirelessly to a plurality of sensors configured for monitoring conditions on a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum for concrete, including a sensor for monitoring discharge pressure on the mixing drum, performing the following steps;

monitoring discharge pressure of a concrete load discharged from the concrete mixing drum;

comparing the monitored peak discharge pressure of the discharged concrete load with CPU-accessible database wherein peak discharge pressure values correspond to concrete rheology values;

reporting a rheology value of the concrete discharged based on the peak discharge pressure as monitored; and

wherein said automated concrete rheology monitoring system further comprises CPU-accessible data comprising correlations involving concrete rheology values measured prior to discharge based on charge pressure and during discharge based on discharge pressure, and

wherein said CPU determines whether to update the correlation involving charge pressure and concrete rheology values if the concrete rheology values measured prior to discharge based on charge pressure and measured during discharge based on discharge pressure differ by more than a pre-determined amount.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said reporting comprises one or more of the following steps:

(a) indicating said rheology value on a monitor screen and/or ticket;

(b) providing an indication on a monitor screen and/or ticket confirming whether or not peak discharge pressure monitored corresponds to a rheology condition that coincides with target rheology specified for the concrete;

or (c) performing (a) and (b).

3. The process of claim 1 further comprising treating concrete remaining in the concrete mixing drum after partial concrete load discharge, the load (“

LS”

) being computed by the CPU based on the formula, LS =OLS−

(RR−

RTD)*VPRUD, wherein “

OLS”

represents the original load size of concrete in the mixing drum before said previous partial discharge of concrete from the drum;

“

RR”

represents the number of drum rotations in the discharge direction required for said previous partial discharge;

“

RTD”

represents the Revolution-To-Discharge value which corresponds to the number of mixing drum rotations in the discharge direction required to commence discharge of concrete from the mixing drum, said number of mixing drum rotations being a function of concrete load size in the mixing drum; and

“

VPRUD”

represents the Volume-Per- Revolution-Upon-Discharge value which corresponds to discharge rate of the concrete in terms of amount of concrete discharged for each mixing drum rotation in the discharge direction, said discharge rate of concrete being a function of the rheology of the concrete at the time of discharge; and

said OLS, RR, RTD, and VPRUD being stored in CPU-accessible location and employed by a CPU in calculating load size of the concrete remaining in the drum after a prior partial discharge.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using CPU-accessible data having correlation values between concrete rheology and fluid additions which are added into the concrete mix to alter said rheology, and wherein peak discharge pressure is measured and used to calibrate the correlation values between concrete rheology, as monitored by the system based on charge pressure when the drum is rotating in the mixing/loading direction and the fluid additions which are added into the concrete mix to alter the rheology of the concrete, the effect of such fluid additions being correlated with rheology as monitored by the system based on charge pressure when the drum is rotating in the mixing/loading direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rheology value is slump of concrete.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising confirming that total amount of concrete discharged from the concrete mixing drum equaled the load size received in the mixing drum.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein calculation of the remaining load size is used to calculate or manage the amount of water or chemical admixture or admixtures to be added to the concrete in the mixing drum, the admixture or admixtures being selected from the group consisting of water-reducer admixture, set retarding admixture, accelerator admixture, and air entraining admixture.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein an alarm, monitor screen symbol, alert, or other indication is transmitted to a dispatch center, foreman at the construction site, supervisory architect, or driver of the truck or other trucks, corresponding to remaining concrete is available in the mixing drum and volume and slump of the available remaining concrete.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing a paper or electronic ticket confirming quantity of concrete remaining in the mixer drum.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing a paper or electronic invoice for disposal of concrete remaining in the mixer drum.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising determining whether the concrete remaining in the mixer drum can be re-used based on factors selected from time since initial batching or loading at the concrete plant, the number of drum revolutions since initial batching or loading, temperature of concrete, quantity of water added to concrete, quantity and type of chemical admixture added to the concrete, the design strength of the concrete, and water-to-cement ratio.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the rheological value is slump flow.

13. A method for determining rheology of concrete, comprising:

in an automated concrete rheology monitoring system having a computer processing unit (CPU) connected electrically or wirelessly to a plurality of sensors configured for monitoring conditions on a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum for concrete, including a sensor for monitoring discharge pressure on the mixing drum, performing the following steps;

monitoring discharge pressure of a concrete load discharged from the concrete mixing drum;

comparing the monitored peak discharge pressure of the discharged concrete load with CPU-accessible database wherein peak discharge pressure values correspond to concrete rheology values;

reporting a rheology value of the concrete discharged based on the peak discharge pressure as monitored; and

treating concrete remaining in the concrete mixing drum after partial concrete load discharge, the load (“

LS”

) being computed by the CPU based on the formula, LS =OLS−

(RR−

RTD)*VPRUD, wherein “

OLS”

represents the original load size of concrete in the mixing drum before said previous partial discharge of concrete from the drum;

“

RR”

represents the number of drum rotations in the discharge direction required for said previous partial discharge;

“

RTD”

represents the Revolution-To-Discharge value which corresponds to the number of mixing drum rotations in the discharge direction required to commence discharge of concrete from the mixing drum, said number of mixing drum rotations being a function of concrete load size in the mixing drum; and

“

VPRUD”

represents the Volume-Per-Revolution-Upon-Discharge value which corresponds to discharge rate of the concrete in terms of amount of concrete discharged for each mixing drum rotation in the discharge direction, said discharge rate of concrete being a function of the rheology of the concrete at the time of discharge; and

said OLS, RR, RTD, and VPRUD being stored in CPU-accessible location and employed by a CPU in calculating load size of the concrete remaining in the drum after a prior partial discharge.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein calculation of the remaining load size is used to calculate or manage the amount of water or chemical admixture or admixtures to be added to the concrete in the mixing drum, the admixture or admixtures being selected from the group consisting of water-reducer admixture, set retarding admixture, accelerator admixture, and air entraining admixture.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein an alarm, monitor screen symbol, alert, or other indication is transmitted to a dispatch center, foreman at the construction site, supervisory architect, or driver of the truck or other trucks, corresponding to remaining concrete is available in the mixing drum and volume and slump of the available remaining concrete.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein an alarm, monitor screen symbol, alert, or other indication is transmitted to a dispatch center, foreman at the construction site, supervisory architect, or driver of the truck or other trucks, corresponding to remaining concrete is available in the mixing drum and volume and slump of the available remaining concrete.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a paper or electronic ticket confirming quantity of concrete remaining in the mixer drum.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining whether the concrete remaining in the mixer drum can be re-used based on factors selected from time since initial batching or loading at the concrete plant, the number of drum revolutions since initial batching or loading, temperature of concrete, quantity of water added to concrete, quantity and type of chemical admixture added to the concrete, the design strength of the concrete, and water-to-cement ratio.

19. A method for determining rheology of concrete, comprising:

in an automated concrete rheology monitoring system having a computer processing unit (CPU) connected electrically or wirelessly to a plurality of sensors configured for monitoring conditions on a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum for concrete, including a sensor for monitoring discharge pressure on the mixing drum, performing the following steps;

monitoring discharge pressure of a concrete load discharged from the concrete mixing drum;

comparing the monitored peak discharge pressure of the discharged concrete load with CPU-accessible database wherein peak discharge pressure values correspond to concrete rheology values;

reporting a rheology value of the concrete discharged based on the peak discharge pressure as monitored;

wherein said automated concrete rheology monitoring system further comprising CPU-accessible data comprising correlations involving concrete rheology values measured prior to discharge based on charge pressure and measured during discharge based on discharge pressure; and

using CPU-accessible data having correlation values between concrete rheology and fluid additions which are added into the concrete mix to alter said rheology, and wherein peak discharge pressure is measured and used to calibrate the correlation values between concrete rheology, as monitored by the system based on charge pressure when the drum is rotating in the mixing/loading direction and the fluid additions which are added into the concrete mix to alter the rheology of the concrete, the effect of such fluid additions being correlated with rheology as monitored by the system based on charge pressure when the drum is rotating in the mixing/loading direction.