Method and device for dispensing liquids

• US 20080308167A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Construction Research & Technology GmbH (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: Construction Research & Technology GmbH (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Hines, Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/896
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/28 Mixing cement, mortar, clay, plaster or concrete ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/883 using flow rate controls for feeding the substances
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/0418 control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/0472 for continuous feeding, e.g. by controlling the velocity of a transporting belt or the thickness of the ingredients on the belt or by regulating the outlet of a hopper B28C7/0477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87652 With means to promote mixing or combining of plural fluids

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for dispensing a user-defined quantity of one or more liquids for use in a cementitious mixture. The method includes moving a liquid from a liquid supply to a manifold; moving the liquid from the manifold to a flow meter; measuring the liquid while it moves through the flow meter; moving the liquid to a cementitious mixture; repeating these steps for any additional liquids; flushing any remaining liquid from the manifold with a purgative fluid; and moving purgative fluid and flushed liquid to the cementitious mixture.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing a user-defined quantity of one or more additive liquids to a cementitious mixture comprising:

(a) moving an additive liquid to a manifold;

(b) moving said additive liquid from said manifold to a flow meter;

(c) measuring the quantity of said additive liquid while said additive liquid is moving through said flow meter;

(d) moving said additive liquid from said flow meter to a cementitious mixture;

(e) optionally, repeating (a)-(d) for one or more additional additive liquids;

(f) purging at least one of said manifold and said flow meter with a purgative fluid, wherein at least a portion of said purgative fluid is moved to a cementitious mixture;

wherein there is substantially no accumulation of additive liquid in the manifold or any components downstream of said manifold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving of said additive liquid comprises pumping said additive liquid to said manifold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said pumping of said additive liquid to said manifold comprises pumping said additive liquid with a dedicated pump.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising conducting said purging after measuring all additive liquids.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said purgative fluid comprises at least one liquid, at least one gas or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said purgative fluid comprises at least one liquid purgative selected from the group consisting of water and water-based solutions.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said purgative fluid comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, a Nobel gas and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said purgative fluid comprises water.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said purgative fluid comprises air.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said purging comprises purging with a liquid purgative followed by an air purgative.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said purging comprises purging with water followed by purging with air.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein purging comprises:

supplying water to at least one of said manifold and said flow meter;

moving at least a portion of said water from said manifold to said flow meter; and

moving at least a portion of said water from said flow meter to either (i) a cementitious mixture or (ii) a temporary storage vessel and then to said cementitious mixture.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing flow for at least one of the additive liquids for a preliminary period of time prior to moving said additive liquid to said manifold.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of establishing the flow of said additive liquid comprises recirculating at least a portion of said additive liquid prior to moving said additive liquid to said manifold.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving of said additive liquid through a flow meter comprises moving said liquid through a flow meter which does not rely upon the viscosity of the material flowing through the meter for measurement purposes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said moving of said additive liquid through a flow meter comprises moving said liquid through a flow meter selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic, Doppler ultrasonic, time-of-travel ultrasonic, Coriolis and thermal mass flow meters.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising moving said additive liquid through a Coriolis mass flow meter.

18. The method of claim 17. wherein said additive liquid comprises a pigment dispersion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said pigment dispersion comprises a thixotropic pigment dispersion.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising:

recirculating said thixotropic pigment dispersion prior to moving to said manifold;

moving said thixotropic pigment dispersion to said manifold;

moving said thixotropic pigment dispersion from said manifold to a Coriolis mass flow meter;

moving said thixotropic pigment dispersion from said Coriolis mass flow meter to a cementitious mixture; and

purging said manifold and Coriolis mass flow meter with water.

21. A device for dispensing liquids comprising:

an additive liquid supply;

a purgative liquid supply;

a manifold comprising a plurality of inputs, a flow path in fluid communication with each of said plurality of inputs, and an output in fluid communication with each of said flow paths, wherein output is substantially equidistant from each of said plurality of inputs and wherein said flow paths comprise a substantially same volume; and

a flow meter in fluid communication with said manifold capable of measuring the quantity of said additive liquid while said additive liquid is moving through said flow meter.

22. A method of dispensing a user-defined quantity of one or more additive liquids to a cementitious mixture comprising:

(a) moving an additive liquid to a manifold;

(b) moving said additive liquid from said manifold to a flow meter;

(c) measuring the quantity of said additive liquid while said additive liquid is moving through said flow meter;

(d) moving said additive liquid from said flow meter to a cementitious mixture;

(e) optionally, repeating (a)-(d) for one or more additional additive liquids;

(f) purging at least one of said manifold and said flow meter with a purgative fluid,

wherein there is substantially no accumulation of additive liquid in the manifold or any components downstream of said manifold.

23. A manifold comprising:

a plurality of inputs;

an output selectively in fluid communication with each of said plurality of inputs, wherein said output is substantially equidistant from each of said plurality of inputs; and

flow paths extending between each of said plurality of inputs and said output, wherein each of said flow paths comprise a substantially similar volume.

24. A device for dispensing liquids comprising:

an additive liquid supply;

a purgative liquid supply;

a manifold comprising a plurality of inputs, an output selectively in fluid communication with each of said plurality of inputs, wherein said output is substantially equidistant from each of said plurality of inputs, and flow paths extending between each of said plurality of inputs and said output, wherein each of said flow paths comprise a substantially similar volume; and

a flow meter in fluid communication with said manifold capable of measuring the quantity of said additive liquid while said additive liquid is moving through said flow meter.