METHOD FOR PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE PROFILE CONTROLLED CONCRETE CURING CONTAINER AND APPARATUS FOR SAME

• US 20150266783A1
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Romeo Ilarian Ciuperca
• Original Assignee: Romeo Ilarian Ciuperca
• Inventors: Ciuperca, Romeo Ilarian
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/245 Curing concrete articles B28B11/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/246 Underwater curing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0075 making use of a decrease in temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0082 making use of a rise in temperature, e.g. caused by an exothermic reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0263 Hardening promoted by a rise in temperature C04B40/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0286 Hardening under water

Abstract

The invention comprises a method of curing concrete. The method comprises placing a concrete cylinder in an insulated container having a sufficient quantity of water therein so that the concrete cylinder is submerged in and surrounded by the water and selectively adding heat to the quantity of water in an insulated container, so that the temperature of the quantity of water follows a predetermined temperature profile. Apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of curing concrete comprising:

placing a quantity of plastic concrete in an insulated container having a sufficient quantity of water therein so that the plastic concrete is submerged in and surrounded the water; and

selectively adding heat to and removing heat from the quantity of water in the insulated container, so that the temperature of the quantity of water follows a predetermined temperature profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat selectively added to the water comes from an electrically heated element in thermal contact with the quantity of water.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selective addition of heat to the quantity of water is controlled by a computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selective addition of heat is done in response to a detected temperature of the quantity of water so as to control the temperature of the quantity of water according to the predetermined temperature profile.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the temperature of the quantity of water is detected by placing a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the quantity of water.

6. A method comprising:

placing a concrete cylinder in a quantity of water;

detecting the temperature of a quantity of water;

selectively adding heat to or removing heat from the quantity of water in response to the detected temperature; and

controlling the temperature of the quantity of water so that the water temperature follows a predetermined temperature profile.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising selectively removing heat from the quantity of water, so that the temperature of the quantity of water follows a predetermined temperature profile.

8. A concrete curing device comprising:

an insulated container sized and shaped for containing a quantity of water and at least one concrete cylinder submerged in and surrounded by the quantity of water;

a heating element in thermal communication with the quantity of water;

a temperature sensory in thermal communication with the quantity of water so that the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the quantity of water;

a computing device controlling the heating element so that heat is selectively added to the quantity of water; and

wherein the computing device is programmed so that it controls the heating element so that the temperature of the quantity of water follows a predetermined concrete curing temperature profile as a function of time.

9. The concrete curing device of claim 8 further comprising:

a cooling element in communication with the quantity of water so that heat can be selectively removed from the quantity of water; and

wherein the computing device controls the cooling element so that heat is selectively removed from the quantity of water so that the temperature of the quantity of water follows a predetermined concrete curing temperature profile as a function of time.