METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR HOT ASPHALT RECYCLING

• US 20100203462A1
• Filed: 01/21/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-Mak Makine Insaat Ticaret VE Sanayi Limited Sirketi
• Original Assignee: E-Mak Makine Insaat Ticaret VE Sanayi Limited Sirketi
• Inventors: Gencer, Mehmet Nezir
• Granted Patent: US 8,882,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 432/86
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/1004 Reconditioning or reprocessing bituminous mixtures, e.g. salvaged paving, fresh patching mixtures grown unserviceable; Recycling salvaged bituminous mixtures; Apparatus for the in-plant recycling thereof E01C19/1036 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a hot asphalt recycling system for adding any used and then ripped asphalt from its original place into new asphalt production, characterized by comprising a heat-insulated frame (2) with a closed volume; at least one RAP material transmission channel (2.1) within said frame (2), said channel being embodied so as to produce a geometrical shape with at least three edges; a transmission line (2.3) displacing within said RAP material transmission channel (2.1) and comprising a plurality of transmission plates (2.3.1) positioned thereon (2.3) at certain intervals; optionally a feeding mechanism (2.6) feeding RAP material to said transmission line (2.3); heating means used to heat the RAP material in the transmission line (2.3) up to a certain temperature; an actuation mechanism to displace said transmission line (2.3) at a certain speed; an accumulation reservoir (2.7) formed within said frame (2) to store the RAP material heated to a certain temperature without causing any temperature fall; optionally a discharge mechanism (2.8) providing the transfer of accumulated hot RAP material to a desired means; and optionally a discharge unit (2.9) to discharge the RAP material within the transmission line (2.3) to the exterior when it becomes necessar

Claims

1. A hot asphalt recycling system for adding any used and then ripped asphalt from its original place into new asphalt production, characterized by comprising a heat-insulated frame (2) with a closed volume;

at least one RAP material transmission channel (2.2) within said frame (2), said channel being embodied so as to produce a geometrical shape with at least three edges;

a transmission line (2.3) displacing within said RAP material transmission channel (2.1) and comprising a plurality of transmission plates (2.3.1) positioned thereon (2.3) at certain intervals;

optionally a feeding mechanism (2.6) feeding RAP material to said transmission line (2.3);

heating means used to heat the RAP material in the transmission line (2.3) up to a certain temperature;

an actuation mechanism to displace said transmission line (2.3) at a certain speed;

an accumulation reservoir formed within said frame (2) to store the RAP material heated to a certain temperature without causing any temperature fall;

optionally a discharge mechanism (2.8) providing the transfer of accumulated hot RAP material to a desired means; and

optionally a discharge unit (2.9) to discharge the RAP material within the transmission line (2.3) to the exterior when it becomes necessary.

2. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said heating means comprise a hot air circulation channel (2.4) surrounding said transmission channel (2.1) from the interior and/or exterior, and a hot air generation mechanism (3) used for providing hot air to be circulated at a desired flow rate and speed within said hot air circulation channel (2.4).

3. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 2, characterized in that said hot air generation mechanism (3) further comprises a pre-combustion chamber (3.5), fan (3.6), and a boiler (3.1).

4. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 2, characterized in that said hot air generation mechanism (3) comprises cold air supplying means in order to control the temperature of generated hot air.

5. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 4, characterized in that said cold air supplying means is a flap, which is placed at the inlet of the hot air channel (3.4), is opened and closed so as to increase/decrease the cross-section of said cold air inlet channel (3.3), and is composed of a plurality small flaps.

6. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 5, characterized in that said small flaps are in the form of wings disposed in sequence along the inner wall of said cold air inlet channel (3.3) so as to narrow and enlarge the channel by rotating around multiple connection axes.

7. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the opening/closing of said small flaps is controlled by means of an automation system.

8. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmission channel (2.1) and accordingly the hot air circulation channel (2.4) have a right-angled triangle-like form.

9. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 8, characterized by comprising a hot air reservoir (2.2) formed at the zone of the hypotenuse border of the transmission channel (2.1) comprises, so that the hot air having completed the circulation within the hot air channel (3.4) is supplied into said reservoir (2.2).

10. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 9, characterized in that said hot air reservoir (2.2) comprises a plurality of small guiding wings that lengthen the way to be traveled by hot air within the hot air reservoir (2.2) so that heat transfer is provided to the transmission channel (2.1) and the RAP material accumulation reservoir (2.7) and that divert the hot air becoming polluted with the emerging steam and gases to the air outlet pipe (2.4.2).

11. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 1, characterized in that a whorl conveyor is employed in the role of said feeding mechanism (2.6).

12. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuation mechanism comprises at least one electric motor and reducer (2.3.4) and a plurality of chain gears (2.3.3) coupled to said motor and reducer (2.3.4) and a plurality of chains (2.3.2) which are rotated by means of these chain gears (2.3.3) and positioned so as to rotate in turn within the transmission line (2.3).

13. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 1, characterized in that a whorl conveyor is employed in the role of said discharge mechanism (2.8) and optionally, a discharge shutter (4.2) is used which is embodied at the base of said accumulation reservoir.

14. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 1 or claim 13, characterized in that said discharge mechanism (2.8) comprises weighing means equipped with weight sensors in order to ensure the addition of processed RAP material within the system into the new mix at a desired proportion.

15. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 14, characterized in that said weighing means comprises at least one discharge outlet (2.7.3) wherein hot RAP material output from the material accumulation reservoir (2.7) is discharged, weight sensors measuring the weight of the material filled into said discharge outlet, closing means closing the discharge shutter (4.2) once the material is discharged and weighed to a desired weight, and a whorl cylinder (4.5) to transfer the material released from the discharge shutter (4.2) to the mixer (5.1).

16. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 15, characterized in that said material accumulation reservoir (2.7) is embodied so as to make an outward projection from one side of said frame (2) so that the reservoir'"'"'s discharge outlet (2.7.3) becomes aligned with said discharge reservoir (4.1).

17. An asphalt recycling system according to claim 16, characterized in that a hot air channel (2.7.4) is provided which is embodied in an insulated manner so as to adequately envelop the outward projecting part of the reservoir from the exterior in order to avoid any temperature drop in the accumulation reservoir (2.7).

18. An asphalt recycling system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said frame (2) has a right-angled triangle-like form in line with the forms of the transmission channel (2.1) and the hot air circulation channel (2.4).

19. An asphalt recycling system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said frame (2) is placed by means of support legs at a present asphalt plant (5) for transferring hot RAP material output from the discharge mechanism (2.8) to the mixer (5.1) of said asphalt plant.

20. An asphalt recycling system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the RAP material to be recycled for addition into a new mix is conveyed to said feeding mechanism (2.6) by means of a vertical bucket elevator (1.3).

21. An asphalt recycling system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that an aspiration system and filter are provided at the end of the channel in order to safely release to the atmosphere the hot air which becomes polluted due to steam and gases emerging as a result of heat within said hot air reservoir (2.2), and then is canalized to the air outlet pipe (2.4.2) by means of guiding wings.

22. An asphalt recycling system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said discharge mechanism (2.8) comprises at least one shutter positioned at the lowermost point of the transmission channel (2.1) and an optional whorl conveyor, in order to discharge for any reason any processed asphalt before arriving the accumulation reservoir.

23. An asphalt recycling system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that an aspiration system and filter are provided at the end of the channel in order to safely release to the atmosphere the hot air which becomes polluted due to steam and gases emerging as a result of heat within said hot air reservoir (2.2), and then is canalized to the air outlet pipe (2.4.2) by means of guiding wings.

24. A hot asphalt recycling method ensuring the recycling and reutilization of bitumen-containing asphalt ripped for any reason from its original place of application, comprising the steps of

a) providing an environment which is adequately heat-insulated from the exterior,

b) displacing on a given direction and transferring the RAP material within said environment,

c) providing heat transfer to the RAP material along the line of displacement by means of hot surfaces and hot air contact during displacement, thus achieving a desired process temperature for recycling,

d) transferring said heated asphalt material to an accumulation reservoir within said heat-insulated environment,

e) discharging to exterior the material within said accumulation reservoir once it is accumulated to an adequate amount, and

f) transferring such RAP material to another environment from the lowermost point of the transmission channel (2.1) before arriving the silo, when it becomes necessary for any reason to discharge said material.

25. A hot asphalt recycling method according to claim 24, wherein the asphalt material is displaced on a direction in a closed geometrical form with at least three edges in step (b), and accordingly in step (c), the hot air is circulated along the line having said geometrical form.

26. A hot asphalt recycling method according to claim 24, wherein the heating air becoming polluted with steam and gases in the means is discharged to the exterior after being passed through a filter in said step (d).

27. A hot asphalt recycling method according to claim 24, wherein the discharge mechanism (2.8) of said heat-insulated means is adapted so as to carry out discharging to the mixer (5.1) of the asphalt plant in step (a).

28. A hot asphalt recycling method according to claim 24, wherein the desired process temperature in step (c) is between 140°

C. and 180°

C.