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US 7,950,841 B2Granted
Concrete cooling injection unit and method of injecting a coolant into a concrete mixture
AssigneeAir Liquide Industrial U.S. LP
InventorsEric P. Klein, Dino K. Teas, Andrew M. Garnett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for cooling a mixture with an injection system. The injection system is adjustable to accommodate the relative position and particular specifications of a given container (e.g., concrete mixer). In one embodiment, the injection system is operable to inject a coolant directly into the mixture while in the mixing process.
Claims14
A method for cooling a concrete mixture, said method comprising:
- a) providing a concrete mixer having disposed therein a concrete mixture that is to be mixed and poured, said concrete mixer being in the form of a concrete truck;
- b) providing an automated injection system that is independent of the concrete truck, comprising:
- i) a support structure that comprises a leg assembly having at least two legs and a lance support assembly pivotally suspended between the two legs to define an opening sufficient to allow for the concrete truck to drive beneath the lance support assembly and between the at least two legs of the leg assembly;
- ii) a lance comprising a fluid path and an injection nozzle fluidly coupled to the fluid path;
- the lance being movably disposed on the lance support assembly of the support structure and the lance support assembly being capable of movement relative to the leg assembly of the support structure in at least one direction;
- and
- iii) a fluid source fluidly coupled to the fluid path of the lance;
- c) moving the concrete truck comprising the cement mixer between the at least two legs and beneath the lance support assembly,
- d) adjusting a height of the lance relative to the concrete mixer by issuing a command signal from a controller;
- e) adjusting an alignment of the injection nozzle relative to an opening of the concrete mixer by issuing a command signal from a controller, said adjusting comprising pivoting the lance support assembly to achieve a desired angular orientation of the lance relative to the opening of the concrete mixer;
- f) extending the lance to insert at least the injection nozzle into the concrete mixer;
- and
- g) flowing a cooling fluid from the fluid source through the fluid path and out of the injection nozzle, whereby the cooling fluid is injected into the concrete mixer and allowed to mix with the concrete mixture.
10 more elements
A method for cooling a concrete mixture, said method comprising:
- a) providing a concrete mixer having disposed therein a concrete mixture that is to be mixed and poured;
- b) providing an automated injection system that is independent of the concrete mixer, comprising:
- i) a support structure that comprises a leg assembly having at least two legs and a lance support assembly pivotally suspended between the two legs;
- ii) a lance comprising a fluid path and an injection nozzle fluidly coupled to the fluid path;
- the lance being movably disposed on the lance support assembly of the support structure and the lance support assembly being capable of movement relative to leg assembly of the support structure in at least one direction;
- and
- iii) a fluid source fluidly coupled to the fluid path of the lance;
- c) moving the concrete truck comprising the cement mixer between the at least two legs and beneath the lance support assembly,
- d) adjusting an orientation of the lance relative to the concrete mixer by issuing one or more command signals from a controller;
- e) extending the lance to insert at least the injection nozzle into the concrete mixer;
- f) initiating a concrete cooling process comprising flowing a cooling fluid from the fluid source through the fluid path and out of the injection nozzle, whereby the cooling fluid is injected into the concrete mixer and allowed to mix with the concrete mixture;
- g) monitoring at least one characteristic of the concrete cooling process to detect an endpoint of the concrete cooling process;
- and
- h) retracting the lance from the concrete mixer upon detecting the endpoint.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.