Hot (or warm) mix asphalt plants capability of producing up to 100 percent RAP (or ARS) recycled asphalt mixes

摘要

A hot mix asphalt (HMA) or warm mix asphalt (WMA) plant features material transfer by shear action of segmented screws and directional flights standing on an inner drum. Indirect convective material heating is initiated by a heating source located inside of the inner drum. Material mixing, heating, melting, and uniform coating, all take place as a single simultaneous process. As the result of processing, regular HMA (or WMA) or up to 100% RAP (or ARS) recycled HMA (or WMA) can be produced. Many heat sources, such as a conventional oil burner and the surface combustion burner, may also be utilized in the plant. The plant may be combined with paving units for an integrated, mobile paving system.

主权项

1. An HMA producer comprising:
a. an outer housing having a material inlet on a top of one side and a material exit at a bottom of a side opposite and having an outer housing length; b. an inner drum having cylindrical shape with a diameter and capable of rotation within the outer housing, an end of the inner drum proximate the side of the outer housing by the material exit having an opening and the inner drum having an inner drum length; c. the inner drum and the outer housing having space there between, said space from proximate the material inlet to proximate the material outlet defining a material transfer chamber; d. at least one idler structure about a circumference of the inner drum, the at least one idler structure supporting the inner drum and further comprising:
i. an idler tire about a circumference of the inner drum and having a width less than the half length of the inner drum;ii. at least two trunnion rollers contacting the idler tire underneath the inner drum;iii. a thrust roller contacting the top of the idler tire; andiv. a thrust roller support structure holding the thrust roller in contact with the top of the idler tire to stay in position d. a pipe with a smaller diameter than the inner drum, coaxially extending oppositely from the inner drum end proximate the material inlet, connected to said inner drum end by a conical connector whose one end connected to the end rim of the inner drum proximate the material inlet and the other end connected to the pipe body; and e. at least one stationary heating unit located inside the inner drum;wherein materials enter into the chamber through the material inlet and move through the chamber toward the material exit and the stationary heating unit indirectly heats the material through the inner drum while the material traverses the chamber and the thrust roller arrests vertical moments of the inner drum caused by an accumulation of material in a lower portion of the material transfer chamber.