Barber-greene Company

Dillman Equipment, Inc.

Ai Enterprises, Inc.

Asphalt Product Technologies

Fredric W Prill

Robert E Farnham

Bruce A Dillman

Lee V Binz

A dryer () for an asphalt plant is disclosed. In one embodiment, the dryer () includes a generally cylindrical drum (); a burner () having a burner head () at least partially disposed within the drum (); a feeder () attached to a stationary portion of the dryer () for providing a recycled asphalt pavement; and an adjustable inlet () for introducing the recycled asphalt pavement from the feeder () into the drum () at a desired position. The adjustable inlet () is adjustable laterally between at least two positions.

Adjustable inlet for recycle asphalt pavement

An apparatus and method for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream are disclosed. The apparatus and method include a reverse-flow process for cleaning filter bags with a cleaning gas stream. The process includes: flowing a particulate-laden gas stream to one side of the filter bags; stopping the particulate-laden gas stream to at least one filter bag; popping the filter bag with a reverse-flow of a cleaning gas stream to remove dust from the bag; and finally re-introducing the particulate-laden gas stream to the recently cleaned filter bag at a low velocity/flow rate to prevent small particles from blowing through the recently cleaned filter bag. The apparatus and method allow the particulate-laden gas stream and cleaning gas stream to be controlled independently.

Reverse-flow baghouse

An asphalt manufacturing assembly (10) is disclosed that includes a rotatable cylindrical dryer drum (11) having an opening (14) in the front (12) for receiving virgin asphalt aggregate and for permitting the exhaust of fumes and an opening (18) in the back (13) for discharging the heated aggregate and for permitting the introduction of air. A burner (41) adjacent the back (13) introduces a flame and heat into the dryer drum (11). A longitudinal air conduit (22) is formed by a stationary annular shroud (20) around the back portion of the dryer drum (11) that extends longitudinally beyond the dryer drum back end (13). The shroud (20) includes two controllable discharge openings (24,25). The assembly (10) further includes a separate rotatable cylindrical mixer drum (51) having a materials inlet (54) for receiving the aggregate discharged from the dryer drum (11), reclaimed asphalt pavement, liquid asphalt and fines and a discharge opening (58) for discharging asphalt. A scavenger fan ( 95) is disposed generally between the two drums (11,51). Each drum (11,51) further includes a plurality of longitudinally and radially projecting paddles (28,32) attached to each's back end (13,53).

Asphalt manufacturing assembly

A counterflow drum mixer producing less undesirable hydrocarbon gases and capable of more efficiently drying virgin aggregate. The drum mixer has a rotatable drum with first end receiving virgin aggregate and second end removing combined aggregate, reclaimed paving material, and mixed liquid asphalt. A burner projects into the drum from the outlet end and directs hot gases toward the inlet end. A reclaimed asphalt pavement inlet and a liquid asphalt inlet are located within the drum at a point isolated from the hot gases produced by the burner by a burner shield. When the drum mixer is operating, virgin aggregate moves down the drum toward the outlet counterflow to the drying hot gases projected toward the aggregate inlet by the burner. Reclaimed asphalt pavement is entered into the drum at a point behind the burner shield downstream (with respect to the flow of material) from the burner head producing the hot gases and is not exposed directly to those gases. Similarly, the liquid asphalt enters the drum in an inlet downstream of the burner shield, and fines may be mixed with the liquid asphalt at a mixing box. Less hydrocarbons are produced by this apparatus and method because the asphalt contained in the reclaimed asphalt paving material and the liquid asphalt are not directly exposed to radiation or the hot gases coming from the burner. The small amount of hydrocarbons produced are flowed into the burner to be incinerated.

Counterflow asphalt drum mixer producing less hydrocarbon emissions and

A system to detect partial or complete failure of an accurate meter measuring the flow of a liquid by using a sensor to measure the displacement of the pump as a back-up measurement. A computer is used to compare the feedback from the pump sensor with the meter reading, and if the difference between the two flow measurements is greater than a predetermined amount, an alarm will ring, the meter measurement will be ignored, the system shut down, or some other corrective action instituted by the computer. Redundancy is added to the system without the expense of obtaining an additional precision meter.

Safety back-up for metering pump control

An apparatus which monitors and controls the mass flow rates of two or more fuels and air is connected to a burner of a conventional asphalt drum mixer. Several fuels are combined and ignited to produce predictable burner temperatures. In this manner, fuels which ordinarily burn inefficiently can be used in conjunction with other more combustible fuels to produce hot mix asphalt. The regulation of the total fuel to air ratio results in controlled combustion which reduces overheating of the asphalt.

Growing community of inventors

North Aurora, IL, United States of America

Fredric W Prill