System and Method for Measuring Slump of Concrete Mix in a Pump Hopper

A method for measuring slump of concrete as the concrete pools in a hopper feeding a concrete pump, the method comprising:

• providing a pressure gauge configured to measure hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic drive hose passing between a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor the concrete pump comprises, the hydraulic motor being configured to rotate an agitator shaft the concrete pump further comprises, the agitator shaft including agitator paddles extending radially from the agitator shaft, the pressure gauge generating a pressure gauge signal corresponding to the slump of the concrete in the hopper in response to the pressure gauge as measured at the hydraulic drive hose;
• providing a controlling computer, the controlling computer including:
• a central processing unit (CPU);
• an input/output system, the input/output system allowing the CPU:
• to respond to the pressure gauge signal;
• and
• to generate an alert signal in response to instructions from the CPU
• a memory in which an operating range may reside to be retrieved by the CPU;
• defining the operating range extending from a pressure gauge signal value corresponding to a lower limit of slump value to a pressure gauge signal value corresponding to an upper limit of slump value;
• and
• as the concrete pump draws concrete from the hopper, comparing, by means of the controlling computer, the pressure gauge signal to the defined operating range to determine whether the pressure gauge signal falls outside of the operating range and when the signal falls outside of operating range, to generate the alert signal.

A device for measuring slump of concrete in a concrete pump hopper feeding a concrete pump, the concrete pump including an agitator shaft the concrete pump further comprises, the agitator shaft including agitator paddles extending radially from the agitator shaft, the device comprising:

• a slump sensor selected from a slump sensor group, the slump sensor to generate a slump sensor signal, the slump sensor group consisting of:
• an ammeter to measure current from a power source feeding an electric motor being configured to rotate the agitator shaft, the ammeter generating the slump sensor signal corresponding to the slump of the concrete in the hopper in response to the electrical current as measured at the ammeter;
• and
• a pressure gauge configured to measure hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic drive hose passing between a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor the concrete pump comprises, the hydraulic motor being configured to rotate the agitator shaft, the pressure gauge generating the slump sensor signal corresponding to the slump of the concrete in the hopper in response to the hydraulic pressure as measured at the hydraulic drive hose;
• and
• a controlling computer, the controlling computer including:
• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a memory in which an operating range may reside to be retrieved by the CPU, the operating range being defined as extending from a lower slump signal value corresponding to a lower limit of slump value to an upper slump signal value corresponding to an upper limit of slump value;
• an input/output system, the input/output system allowing the CPU:
• to respond to the slump sensor signal;
• and
• to generate an alert signal in response to instructions from the CPU in response to a slump sensor signal received at the CPU in that the slump sensor signal falls outside of the operating range.