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AssigneeThermotech Systems Corporation
InventorsDavid F. Brashears, Edward D. Curtis
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A materials-handling plant is convertible for producing asphalt by either batch or continuous drum mix processes or remediating soil. Common to each process is a rotary drum and burner system for heating the materials, a primary separator and a baghouse for separating particulate matter from exhaust gas streams. For asphalt production by a batch process, aggregate is dried in the drying section of the drum and discharged for combination with asphalt in a batch tower. In the continuous drum mixer mode of asphalt production, dried aggregate is discharged into a drum mixing section for mixing with asphalt and recycle asphalt and conveyed to a storage silo. In both cases, particulate dust is separated from the exhaust gas stream and combined with the resulting asphalt product. For soil remediation, the contaminants in the soil are volatilized in the drum by contact with the hot gases of combustion. Dust particles in the exhaust gas stream are separated and contaminants thereon volatilized in the baghouse. The contaminant-free particles are recombined with the remediated soil in a mixer/cooler. The resulting exhaust gas stream is subjected to elevated heat to volatilize any residual contaminants.
In a materials handling plant having a rotatable drum, a burner for flowing hot gases of combustion through the drum for drying material in the drum, a separator for separating out particulate material in gases exhausted from the drum, a thermal oxidizer for oxidizing residual contaminants in the gases exhausted from said separator, means for mixing material dried in the drum with asphalt to form an asphalt mix and a means for combining particles separated from said exhaust gases and material from said drum, a method of operating said plant for alternately producing an asphalt mix and remediating contaminated soil, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.