Method of repairing bitumen surfaces and device for carrying out this method
AssigneeFUTTEC a.s.
InventorJiri Rusikvas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method for using microwave heating to repair defects in bitumen surfaces. The device identifies a defect in a bitumen layer and divides a region around the defect into a primary heating zone and a secondary heating zone. Microwaves transmitted through waveguides arranged over the primary and secondary heating zones heat the bitumen layer in each zone such that the temperature of the primary heating zone is always 20° C. higher than the temperature of the secondary heating zone. After heating the bitumen layer around the defect, the defect is filled with a pre-heated bitumen mixture compacted until a top surface of the pre-heated bitumen mixture is level with an original surface of the bitumen layer.
Claims6
A device for repairing bitumen surfaces comprising:
- an application unit comprising a microwave generator and a plurality of waveguides coupled to the microwave generator;
- and
- a control unit configured to:
- define a primary heating zone and a secondary heating zone of an area including a defect in a bitumen layer, and
- cause the microwave generator to transmit microwaves:
- through a first portion of the plurality of waveguides located above the primary heating zone of the bitumen layer to heat the bitumen layer within the primary heating zone to a first temperature, and
- through a second portion of the plurality of waveguides located above the secondary heating zone of the bitumen layer to heat the bitumen layer within the secondary heating zone to a second temperature.
A method for repairing a bitumen surface comprising:
- locating a defect in a bitumen layer;
- dividing an area containing the defect into a primary heating zone and a secondary heating zone,
- wherein the primary heating zone extends at least 10 mm on both sides of a defect edge, and
- wherein the secondary heating zone is adjacent to the primary heating zone having a width of at least 10 mm;
- applying microwave radiation to heat the primary heating zone and the secondary heating zone,
- wherein the primary heating zone is heated to a first temperature and the secondary heating zone is heated to a second temperature, and
- wherein the first temperature at least 20° C. higher than the second temperature;
- filling the defect with a pre-heated bitumen mixture when the primary heating zone is heated to the first temperature and the secondary heating zone is heated to the second temperature;
- and
- compacting the pre-heated bitumen mixture until a top surface of the pre-heated bitumen mixture is level with an original surface of the bitumen layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.