MATERIAL MIXING SYSTEM

• US 20160045877A1
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas Dynamics LLC
• Original Assignee: Douglas Dynamics LLC
• Inventors: Truan, Charles, Truan, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 9,890,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 21/20 using flow mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/10 Mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2133 Electrical conductivity or dielectric constant of the mixture
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71775 using helical screws
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/82 by adding a material to be mixed to a mixture in response to a detected feature, e.g. density, radioactivity, consumed power or colour
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/8821 involving controlling
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 13/02 with horizontal rotor shaft with axial flow B02C13/10
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/20 after crushing or disintegrating
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/185 Thawing materials

Abstract

The invention relates generally to a mixing system for mixing a dry material with a liquid. The mixing system includes a supply of dry material and a supply of liquid. An infinitely variable metering device meters the dry material into the liquid. A sensor senses the ratio of dry material to liquid. The sensor is operatively connected to the metering device to control the metering device to obtain a desired ratio of dry material to liquid. The dry material is dispensed volumetrically by volume of liquid to form the desired ratio of dry material to liquid.

Claims

1. A liquid de-icer producing system comprising:

a hopper adapted to contain a quantity of bulk de-icing material, said hopper having a first opening for receiving bulk de-icing material and a second opening for discharging bulk de-icing material;

a metering unit positioned adjacent said second opening, said metering unit being adapted to meter bulk de-icing material from said hopper to a bulk de-icing material conditioner;

a bulk de-icing material conditioner adapted to receive bulk de-icing material from said metering device, said bulk de-icing material conditioner conditioning the bulk de-icing material to form conditioned bulk de-icing material;

a mixing bowl having at least one water inlet for supplying water to said mixing bowl, said conditioned bulk de-icing material being fed into said mixing bowl to mix with said water to form liquid de-icer, said mixing bowl having an outlet adapted to discharge the liquid de-icer;

whereby liquid de-icer can be produced continuously at a pre-determined discharge ratio of conditioned bulk de-icing material to water.

2. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, wherein said metering device includes a shaft and a plurality of fingers extending radially outwardly from said shaft, said fingers sweeping bulk de-icing material from within said hopper to said bulk de-icing material conditioner as said shaft rotates.

3. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 2, wherein said fingers are positioned along said shaft in longitudinally extending rows, each finger having a space between it and the next adjacent linger and each linger of each row being positioned adjacent a space of the next circumferentially spaced row.

4. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 3, further including at least three circumferentially spaced rows of fingers.

5. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, wherein said metering device includes an auger positioned within said hopper, said auger having a first end operatively connected to a motor for rotating said auger and a second end, said second end being positioned adjacent said second opening of said hopper, said auger receiving bulk de-icing material from said hopper and moving said bulk de-icing material to said second opening as said auger rotates.

6. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 5, further including a bulk de-icing material shield at least partially covering said second end of said auger.

7. A liquid de-icer producing system of claim 5, further including a tube, said auger extending within said tube, said tube having a discharge opening to discharge bulk de-icing material to said conditioner.

8. A liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, further including a motor operatively connected to said metering device and a controller operatively connected to said motor, said controller controlling said motor to meter bulk de-icing material from within said hopper to said bulk de-icing material conditioner as required for maintaining a pre-determined mixture of the liquid de-icer.

9. A liquid de-icer producing system of claim 8, further including a salinity sensor mounted within said mixing bowl, said salinity sensor communicating with said controller to control the mixture of the liquid de-icer.

10. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, wherein said bulk de-icing material conditioner is a hammer mill.

11. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, further including a vibrator mounted within said hopper to facilitate the flow of bulk de-icing material to said metering device.

12. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 11, wherein said vibrator includes a plate mounted adjacent to said metering device.

13. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, wherein said mixing bowl includes a plurality of nozzles positioned about said mixing bowl to circulate the water to facilitate mixing of the bulk de-icing material and water.

14. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, wherein said mixing bowl has a concave bottom section.

15. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, further including a pump to circulate water within said mixing bowl.

16. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1, further including a storage tank operatively coupled to said mixing bowl, said mixing bowl discharging liquid de-icer to said storage tank.

17. A continuous bulk mixing system comprising:

a hopper adapted to contain a quantity of bulk material, said hopper having a first opening for receiving said bulk material and a second opening for discharging said bulk material;

a metering unit positioned adjacent said second opening, said metering unit being adapted to meter the bulk material from said hopper to a bulk material conditioner;

a bulk material conditioner adapted to receive said bulk material from said metering device, said bulk material conditioner conditioning the bulk material to form conditioned material;

a mixing bowl having at least one water inlet for supplying water to said mixing bowl, said conditioned material being fed into said mixing bowl to mix with said water to form a solution said mixing bowl having an outlet adapted to discharge the mixed fluid, said mixing bowl includes a plurality of nozzles positioned about said mixing bowl to circulate the water to facilitate mixing;

whereby solution can be produced continuously at a pre-determined discharge rate.

18. The continuous bulk mixing system of claim 17, further including a motor operatively connected to said metering device and a controller operatively connected to said motor, said controller controlling said motor to meter bulk material from within said hopper to said material conditioner as required for maintaining pre-determined mixing of the fluid mixture.

19. The continuous bulk mixing system of claim 17, wherein said material conditioner is a hammer mill.

20. A mixing system for mixing a dry material to a liquid, said mixing system comprising:

a supply of dry additive;

a supply of material;

a variable metering device for metering said dry material to said liquid;

a sensor for sensing the ratio of material to liquid, said sensor being operatively connected to said metering device to control said metering device to obtain a desired ratio of dry material to liquid;

whereby said dry material is dispensed volumetrically by volume of liquid to form said desired ratio of dry material to liquid.

21. The mixing system of claim 20, wherein said metering device includes a shaft and a plurality of fingers extending radially outwardly from said shaft, said fingers sweeping dry material from said dry material supply.

22. The mixing system of claim 20, a mixing bowl having at least one inlet for receiving liquid from said supply of liquid, said dry material being fed into said mixing bowl to mix with said liquid, said mixing bowl having an outlet adapted to discharge the mixed dry material and liquid.

23. The mixing system of claim 20, further including a dry material conditioner said dry material conditioner being adapted to receive said dry material from said metering device, said dry material conditioner conditioning the dry material to form conditioned dry material.

24. The mixing system of claim 20, further including a hopper to contain said supply of dry material, said hopper having a first opening for receiving said supply of dry material and a second opening for discharging said supply of dry material.

25. The mixing system of claim 20, further including a motor operatively connected to said metering device and a controller operatively connected to said motor, said controller being operatively connected to said sensor for controlling said motor to obtain a desired ratio of dry material to liquid.

26. The mixing system of claim 20, wherein said dry material is salt.

27. The mixing system of claim 20, wherein said liquid is water.

28. The mixing system of claim 22, wherein said mixing bowl has a round cross section and a conical lower portion.

29. The mixing system of claim 28, wherein said mixing bowl includes a plurality of nozzles to facilitate mixing.

30. A method for producing a liquid de-icer comprising the steps of:

providing a hopper adapted to contain a quantity of bulk de-icing material, said hopper having a first opening for receiving bulk de-icing material and a second opening for discharging bulk de-icing material;

adding a bulk de-icing material to said hopper;

providing a metering unit positioned adjacent said second opening;

discharging bulk de-icing material from said hopper into said metering unit, metering through said metering unit said bulk de-icing material from said hopper;

providing a bulk de-icing material conditioner to receive bulk de-icing material from said metering unit, discharging bulk de-icing material from said metering unit into said bulk de-icing material conditioner, conditioning the bulk de-icing material through said conditioner to form conditioned bulk de-icing material;

providing a mixing bowl having at least one water inlet, supplying water through said water inlet to said mixing bowl,

feeding said conditioned bulk de-icing material into said mixing bowl to mix with said water to form liquid de-icer, said mixing bowl having an outlet adapted to discharge the liquid de-icer;

initiating a startup step to start the production of liquid de-icer, said startup step initiating water supply to said mixing bowl and initiating the metering unit and the de-icing conditioner to feed a greater percentage of conditioned de-icing material to said mixing bowl than is required to produce a pre-determined discharge ratio of conditioned bulk de-icing material for a first period of time to create a conditioned de-icing material reserve in the bottom of the mixing bowl,

controlling said water supply, metering unit and de-icing conditioner alter said start up step to continuously produce liquid de-icer at pre-determined discharge ratio of conditioned de-icing material and water.

31. The method for producing a liquid de-icer of claim 30 further including a cleanup mode including the steps:

a. stopping the metering unit and de-icing conditioner;

b. circulating the liquid de-icer within the mixing bowl until the ratio of de-icing material to water is above the discharge ratio;

c. supplying water to said mixing bowl alter step b until said ratio of de-icing material to water is lower than said discharge ratio;

d. repeating steps b and c until said ratio of de-icing material to water remains below said discharge ratio;

e. stopping the supply of water and circulation after step d;

f. rinsing out said mixing bowl.

32. A method for producing a liquid de-icer comprising the steps of:

providing a hopper adapted to contain a quantity of bulk de-icing material, said hopper having a first opening for receiving bulk de-icing material and a second opening for discharging bulk de-icing material;

adding a bulk de-icing material to said hopper;

providing a metering unit positioned adjacent said second opening;

discharging bulk de-icing material from said hopper into said metering unit, metering through said metering unit said bulk de-icing material from said hopper;

providing a bulk de-icing material conditioner to receive bulk de-icing material from said metering unit, discharging bulk de-icing material from said metering unit into said bulk de-icing material conditioner, conditioning the bulk de-icing material through said conditioner to form conditioned bulk de-icing material;

providing a mixing bowl having at least one water inlet, supplying water through said water inlet to said mixing bowl,

feeding said conditioned bulk de-icing material into said mixing bowl to mix with said water to form liquid de-icer, said mixing bowl having an outlet adapted to discharge the liquid de-icer;

controlling said water supply, metering unit and de-icing conditioner alter said start up step to continuously produce liquid de-icer at a pre-determined discharge ratio of conditioned de-icing material and water;

initiating a cleanup mode to clean the mixing bowl, said mode including;

a. stopping the metering unit and de-icing conditioner;

b. circulating the liquid de-icer within the mixing bowl until the ratio of de-icing material to water is above the discharge ratio;

c. supplying water to said mixing bowl after step b until said ratio of dc-icing material to water is lower than said discharge ratio;

d. repeating steps b and c until said ratio of de-icing material to water remains below said discharge ratio;

e. stopping the supply of water and circulation after step d;

f. rinsing out said mixing bowl.

33. The method for producing a liquid de-icer of claim 32 further including a startup mode, said start up mode including the steps:

f. initiating water supply to said mixing bowl and initiating said metering unit and said de-icing conditioner to feed a greater percentage of conditioned de-icing material to said mixing bowl than is required to produce said pre-determined discharge ratio for a first period of time to create a conditioned de-icing material reserve in the bottom of the mixing bowl,

g. controlling said water supply, metering unit and de-icing conditioner after step f to continuously produce liquid de-icer at said pre-determined discharge ratio of conditioned de-icing material and water.