US 5,634,712 A · Asphalt plant with gas containment system

Abstract

An asphalt plant is provided with a system for containing noxious and nuisance gases and fumes generated therein. The system includes a substantially air tight casing encircling an slat conveyor of the plant, a substantially air tight elevator chute having a substantially air tight connection to each of a drum dryer/mixer and the casing, a batcher chute having a substantially air tight connection to each of the casing and a batcher of the plant, a substantially air tight seal between the batcher and a silo of the plant, and a bypass duct bypassing the seal between the batcher and the silo such that a negative pressure created in the drum dryer/mixer by a power exhaust of the plant is distributed substantially throughout various components of the plant as the batcher and the silo contain sufficient asphalt material being processed by the plant such that air and other gases and fumes contained within the plant are prevented from escaping directly into the ambient atmosphere.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An asphalt plant for processing asphalt material from various ingredients, said plant comprising:

(a) a rotating drum configured to receive and process the various ingredients such that the asphalt material is discharged therefrom;
(b) an elevator configured to receive the asphalt material discharged by said rotating drum and to discharge the asphalt material therefrom;
(c) a batcher configured to receive the asphalt material discharged by said elevator and to discharge the asphalt material therefrom;
(d) a silo configured to receive the asphalt material discharged by said batcher and to discharge the asphalt material therefrom;
(e) a power exhaust configured to exhaust air and other gases and vapors from said rotating drum and to create a negative pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure within said rotating drum;
and
(f) gas containment means for operably preventing leakage of air and other gases and vapors contained within said plant with ambient atmosphere surrounding said plant and for operably distributing said negative pressure throughout said plant.

4 more elements

In an asphalt plant for processing asphalt material wherein the asphalt plant includes a drum dryer/mixer, a slat conveyor, a batcher, a silo and a power exhaust connected to said drum dryer/mixer for creating a negative pressure in the drum mixer/dryer relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, wherein the improvement comprises a gas containment system comprising:

(a) a casing encircling the slat conveyor and providing a substantially air tight enclosure thereabout;
(b) a substantially air tight elevator chute configured to receive the asphalt material therethrough and to provide a substantially air tight connection with each of the drum dryer/mixer and said casing;
(c) a substantially air tight batcher chute configured to receive the asphalt material therethrough and to provide a substantially air tight connection with teach of the batcher and said casing;
and
(d) a bypass duct between said batcher and silo for distributing air and other gases and vapors being displaced by an asphalt material being conveyed from the batcher into the silo to a void in said batcher created by asphalt material as it is conveyed from said batcher to said silo.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Asphalt plant with gas containment system

Life of this patent

Asphalt plant with gas containment system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21