Portable asphalt heater apparatus and method

A method for heating and recycling a volume of used asphalt using a portable asphalt heater apparatus, the method comprising:

• loading the volume of used asphalt into a hopper of the portable asphalt heater adapted for mounting on a vehicle, the hopper comprising a floor, first and second side walls and front and rear end walls, the side walls and end walls extending upwardly from the floor and defining an upper opening into the hopper, the upper opening positioned above the floor and having an opening area which is less than a surface area of the floor, the first and second side walls including an inwardly extending portion tapering inwardly and extending between the floor and the upper opening, so as to define a substantially inverted V geometry when viewed in a vertical cross-section of the hopper taken generally parallel to and between the front and rear end walls of the hopper, the hopper further including at least one door for selectively closing the upper opening, the portable asphalt heater further including an asphalt heating manifold including a heating chamber adjacent to and positioned beneath the floor, the asphalt heating manifold in fluid communication with a heater assembly, the asphalt heating manifold adapted to direct a heated gas emitted from the heater assembly through the heating chamber and the asphalt heating manifold,
• loading one or more recycling additives into the hopper,
• setting the heater assembly of the portable asphalt heater to maintain the volume of used asphalt at a recycling temperature.