Method and apparatus for continuous mixing and injection of foamed cement grout
OwnerPatrick J. Stephensinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for the continuous generation and placement of a foamed cement grout. The assembly is mounted on a fixed or mobile frame. There is a continuous foam generator, and this supplies finished foam to an intake port of a screw-type, positive-displacement pump. Cement slurry is also supplied to the intake portion of the pump, and this is mixed with the foam in the body of the pump and discharged from this through a conduit to the injection site on a continuous basis. The ratios of foam and slurry can be adjusted on a continuous basis to compensate for variations in grout quality which are observed at the injection site. The assembly is also provided with an onboard power generator and a water pump for flushing the grout out of the injection lines.
Claims21
An apparatus for the high capacity continuous generation and placement of a foamed cement grout, said apparatus comprising:
- means for providing a supply of cement slurry on a continuous basis;
- means for generating a supply of finished foam on a continuous basis;
- positive displacement pump means having (a) an intake side, (b) a discharge side, and (c) a body portion which is configured to mix said slurry and said foam therein as said foam and said slurry flow from said intake side to said discharge side of said pump means;
- means for feeding said cement slurry and said finished foam substantially separately to said intake side of said pump means on a continuous basis, so that said slurry and said foam are mixed within said body portion of said pump means so as to form said foamed cement grout on a continuous basis;
- and
- conduit means for conveying said foamed cement grout from said discharge side of said pump means to a selected injection site on a continuous basis.
A method for the high capacity continuous generation and placement of a foamed cement grout, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a supply of cement slurry on a continuous basis;
- generating a supply of finished foam on a continuous basis;
- feeding said cement slurry and said finished foam substantially separately and on a continuous basis to an intake side of positive displacement pump means having (a) said intake side, (b) a discharge side, and (c) a body portion which is configured to mix said slurry and said foam therein as said foam and said slurry flow from said intake side to said discharge side thereof, so that said slurry and said foam are mixed within said body portion of said pump means so as to form said foamed cement grout on a continuous basis;
- and
- conveying said foamed cement grout through conduit means from said discharge side of said pump means to a selected injection site on a continuous basis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.