Instrotek, Inc.

General Electric Company

Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc.

Peter Donald Muse

Ali Regimand

Lawrence H James

Tianqing He

Gilbert Anthony Soares

Johnny Gordon Williams, Jr

Robert Bruce Wallace

Adam C O'Neill

Terry Michael Bowman

Keith Landreth

Edgar Yee

Richard E Bernier

James H Cook

William F Walker

Jerry Lee Goode

Tianging He

Adrian Jerome Stevenson

Norman Keith Smith

Subrahmanyam Thota

A portable moisture trap for use with a vacuum pump includes: a housing; a cooling chamber positioned at least partially within the housing including a first inlet port and a second outlet port; a lid that sealably attaches to a top portion of the cooling chamber to seal the cooling chamber; a heat sink residing under the cooling chamber; a thermoelectric device having an upper cooling side and a lower heat generating side residing between the cooling chamber and the heat sink; a fan oriented to blow air upwardly toward the heat sink; and a baffle extending downwardly in the cooling chamber from a location proximate the lid to a location proximate an inner bottom surface of the cooling chamber, with the baffle configured to define a physical barrier to urge air received through the first port to flow down toward the inner bottom surface of the cooling chamber before exiting through the second port, to thereby remove moisture from air traveling through the cooling chamber in response to a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the second port.

Lightweight portable moisture traps for use with vacuum pumps

An apparatus and method for quickly drying porous materials. A sealable chamber is connected to a cold trap which is connected to a vacuum pump. A sample is placed inside the sealable chamber. The vacuum pump is turned on and air is evacuated through the cold trap to the vacuum pump. An infrared lamp may be used to heat the chamber and sample therein directly or heated air may be allowed to enter the sealable chamber. Air may be drawn directly from the sealable chamber to the vacuum pump bypassing the cold trap. Various parameters may be used to determine if the drying process is complete, including the degree of vacuum achieved in the chamber.

Device and methods for rapid drying of porous materials

Moisture and density nuclear gauge calibration device

Nuclear gauge calibration device

An apparatus and method for determination of susceptibility of asphalt concrete materials to moisture damage. An asphalt sample of known bulk specific gravity (density) is placed inside a chamber filled with water, which is capable of heating the sample to a predetermined temperature. The chamber is pressurized by introduction of air pressure to a flexible membrane that decreases the volume within a chamber containing the sample and water, increasing the pore pressure in the sample. The pressure is then released and allowed to come to ambient pressure. This process is repeated a predetermined number of times (cycles). When a selected number of cycles are complete, the asphalt sample is removed from the chamber and its bulk specific gravity (density) measured again. The difference between the density before and after conditioning is an excellent method of rating the degree at which moisture would deteriorate asphalt samples due to introduction of moisture. The cyclic nature of the increased/decreased pore pressure is observed to significantly decrease bulk specific gravity (density) for poor quality asphalt designs. Furthermore, the sample conditioned by this method can be used for other conventional mechanical test methods, such as tensile strength and modulus determination. Computerized controls are used to automate the procedure and to record and display data from sensors.

System and method for conditioning and detection of susceptibility to moisture damage in asphalt mixes

An apparatus and method for quickly drying porous materials. A sealable chamber is connected to a cold trap which is connected to a vacuum pump. A sample is placed inside the sealable chamber. The vacuum pump is turned on and air is evacuated through the cold trap to the vacuum pump. Because evaporation may lower the temperature inside the sealable chamber, an infrared lamp may be used to heat the chamber and sample therein directly or heated air may be allowed to enter the sealable chamber in response to the vacuum created by the vacuum pump. Air may be drawn directly from the sealable chamber to the vacuum pump bypassing the cold trap. A load cell may be placed in the bottom of the sealable chamber to monitor the weight of a sample to determine if the drying process is complete. Other parameters could be used, including the degree of vacuum achieved in the chamber. The cold trap extracts moisture from the system, which eliminates the possibility of damage to the vacuum and creates an added pressure gradient for removal of air from the sealable chamber. Heating the chamber either by introducing heated air or by direct use of infrared heat facilitates drying of the sample and shortens the drying process.

An apparatus and method for determination of susceptibility of asphalt concrete materials to moisture damage. An asphalt sample of known bulk specific gravity (density) is placed inside a chamber filled with water, which is capable of heating the sample to a pre-determined temperature. The chamber is pressurized by introduction of air pressure to a flexible membrane that decreases the volume within a chamber containing the sample and water, increasing the pore pressure in the sample. The pressure is then released and allowed to come to ambient pressure. This process is repeated a predetermined number of times (cycles). When a selected number of cycles are complete, the asphalt sample is removed from the chamber and its bulk specific gravity (density) measured again. The difference between the density before and after conditioning is an excellent method of rating the degree at which moisture would deteriorate asphalt samples due to introduction of moisture. The cyclic nature of the increased/decreased pore pressure is observed to significantly decrease bulk specific gravity (density) for poor quality asphalt designs. Furthermore, the sample conditioned by this method can be used for other conventional mechanical test methods, such as tensile strength and modulus determination. Computerized controls are used to automate the procedure and to record and display data from sensors.

System and method for conditioning and detection of moisture damage in asphalt mixes

Methods, systems, and computer program products analyze asphalt samples for anti-stripping agents by: obtaining a sample comprising asphalt binder material; sensing a selected parameter associated with the sample (such as the acidity and/or alkalinity of the sample); and analyzing the sensed parameter to assess at least one of: (a) the presence of at least one anti-stripping agent in the sample; and (b) the level of at least one anti-stripping agent in the sample. The sample can be heated so that it emits exhaust gas and the exhaust gas (directly or indirectly) interrogated to determine its pH, or other constituents or properties, such as ammonia. Pre-defined mathematical relationships can be used to correlate the measured sensed data to the concentrations of the anti-stripping agent(s) in the sample undergoing analysis. The evaluation can be carried out in a generally automated rapid manner so that the test can be completed in about 10 minutes or less. Related devices and kits are also described.

Systems and methods for assessing the presence of and/or the level of anti-stripping constituents in asphalt binders or asphalt mixtures

Methods, systems, and computer program products configured to track the geographic location of hazmat substances or devices including same, such as nuclear gauges with a radioactive component, include mounting a tracking device in proximity to the substance, the tracking device configured to provide at least one tracking signal that is detectable from a remote location to thereby allow its geographic location to be determined remotely.

Systems, methods, and computer program products for automatic tracking and/or remote monitoring of nuclear gauges and/or data communication therewith

Apparatus and methods for detection of susceptibility to moisture damage for asphalt mixes. A sample of asphalt mix is placed inside a chamber, which is partially filled with water. An increased air pressure is applied to the chamber. A controlled evacuation of the water from the chamber takes place while the increased pressure is maintained in the chamber. Pressure is released from the chamber and water is returned to the chamber. The cycle is repeated a predetermined number of times. Changes in conductivity and turbidity of the water may be monitored to indicate mixture stripping. When a chosen number of cycles of a pressurized emptying and filling of the chamber is complete, the asphalt sample is removed from the chamber and tested against a controlled sample. The test procedure adapts itself readily to a dual chamber design so that two samples may be tested simultaneously. A vacuum may also be applied to the chamber in addition to pressurizing the chamber. The action of forcing water into a sample and allowing it to bleed out of a sample creates pore pressure and stresses the sample in a way that closely simulates the action of a tire passing over wet pavement. Computerized controls may be used to automate the procedure and to record and display data from sensors.

A hinge for mounting a door to an enclosure includes a first leaf, a second leaf, and a pin. The first leaf includes a first tongue attached to a surface formed on one of the door or the enclosure, and a first knuckle depending from the first tongue. The first knuckle includes a tab depending therefrom, and the tab extends through an aperture in a flange depending from the surface. The second leaf includes a second tongue coupled to another of the door or the enclosure, and a second knuckle coupled to the second tongue. The pin extends through the first and second knuckles. A method of assembling a hinge to a door includes: extending a portion of the hinge within an aperture in the door; applying a magnetic force to the portion of the hinge to secure the portion of the hinge within the aperture; and securing the hinge to the door with a fastener while applying the magnetic force.

Door hinge with positioning feature and method

An access panel located in a motor control center for inspecting and accessing various bus connections, for example, a particular phase vertical to horizontal bus connection or a horizontal bus bar splice connection. The surface of the panel includes one or more apertures positioned to align with one or more bus bar connections. Covers are pivotally mounted along the surface of the panel adjacent to the apertures in order to access and isolate the bus connections within the motor control center. The cover is mounted to the surface of the panel such that it can be moveable between open and closed positions.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Peter Donald Muse