System for controlling dust generated by vehicular traffic

Abstract

The invention relates to a water application system for controlling suspended dust caused by vehicle traffic, installed in the travelling vehicles, which is applied immediately after the wheel or tyre passes and immediately behind and to the side of the area of contact between the wheel or tyre and the ground, wetting only the suspended dust and not the ground.

Description

[0001] VEHICLE TRAFFIC DUST CONTROL SYSTEM

[0002] DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY

[0003] Description of what is known in the field:

[0004] On roads without a solid surface, the dust released by vehicular traffic affects the environment in multiple ways. For this reason, when these conditions arise, it is often decided to apply water to the roads to temporarily form aggregates of water and dust, thereby increasing the density of the dust and limiting its suspension in the air during vehicular traffic. Once the water evaporates, the described effect is lost, and wetting is required again to avoid the aforementioned problem. Water application methods are mostly used with water tank trucks, commonly called tanker trucks or water trucks, which are equipped with nozzles or sprinklers that distribute the water over the roads.For this effect to be achieved, it is first necessary to wet the entire profile affected by the wheel or tire. This means, regardless of size, wetting all particles in that profile, that is, both particles susceptible to suspension and those that are not. Second, sufficient time must elapse for the applied water to infiltrate and reach the full depth of the profile. Otherwise, traffic will be carried out in puddles and mud, which will erode the roadway. From this information, it can be concluded that it is not difficult to violate the efficient use of water, either through runoff losses and deep infiltration, because the road surface dries out before all the expected traffic can begin, or due to insufficient infiltration before traffic begins.The latter is accentuated when traffic occurs immediately after water is applied to the road. i.

[0005] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) Some systems aimed at dust control are part of inventions such as Method of controlling road dust in strip mines US20120196034A1; Dust suppression apparatus US8657941B2; Dynamic autonomous soil moisture control EP3722511B1.

[0006] Brief description of figures:

[0007] Figure 1: Side view of the Water Application System for suspended dust control, installed on a dump truck.

[0008] Figure 2: Side view of the water application system for suspended dust control, installed in a pick-up truck.

[0009] Detailed description of the invention:

[0010] Unlike what has been used until now, that is, the application of water to a road before the wheel or tire passes, by means of specific equipment for that purpose or by means of application equipment attached to the same vehicles that circulate, the present invention, implementable in all types of vehicles, corresponds to a system that is installed in the same vehicle that circulates and whose purpose is to apply water at low volume and high pressure immediately behind and to the side of the contact zone between the wheel or tire and the ground to form aggregates of water with dust immediately after the suspension of the dust occurs, that is, immediately after the wheel or tire passes. To better understand the operating principle of this invention, it must be remembered that one particle of dust is joined to another by a bridge. In this case, that bridge is precisely a water bridge.The further apart two dust particles are, the longer the bridge required between them, and therefore a larger water bridge will be required. For this reason, the objective is to apply the necessary water immediately after the dust suspension is generated, since at that moment the dust particles are closer together, so the water bridges required are much shorter. Furthermore, the particles that need to be treated with water bridges will be only those that have actually entered suspension, unlike alternative systems that wet all types of particles in a soil profile. All this results in a much smaller amount of water required to control suspended dust, thus achieving much greater system autonomy and much greater efficiency and effectiveness in water use.Furthermore, since no infiltration time is required, there's no need to wait before driving or operating at reduced vehicle speeds. This is true for vehicles with attached soil wetting units that operate simultaneously with the vehicle's travel.

[0011] The present invention consists of a water tank (1), which has an inlet for filling, an inlet for recirculation, an outlet for cleaning and an outlet that is connected to a water pump (2) for propulsion. This water pump (2) is activated from the cabin or from outside the vehicle. In both cases, the activation will be limited by a sensor (8) that, in case the vehicle is stopped, will prevent the exit of water through the system. Between both elements (1) and (2), a water filter (3) is installed that retains the largest particles, allowing the system to have a longer useful life. From the water pump (2), a water conduit (4) comes out that feeds other secondary conduits (5) that are the ones that finally supply water to the application nozzles (6).In the water conduit (4) there is installed a recirculation conduit (7) towards the water tank (1) with a valve to regulate flow, being able to help the water pump (2) to work in the area of ​​the working curve in its most efficient range. All these elements are fixed to the structure of the vehicle, in areas protected from the impact of elements that are detached from the ground. The application nozzles (6) are located at a distance that, given their propulsion angle, mainly cover the width of the wheel, immediately behind and on the side of the contact area between the wheel or tire and the ground. It is at this point where the suspended dust is at its least expanded. As we move away from this point, the dust particles move further away from each other, so more water is required between one and the other to form a bridge, increasing the volume of water required.It's important to note that the goal is not to wet the soil, but rather to moisten the suspended dust, thus avoiding the formation of large water droplets through high pressure. Since the water doesn't make contact with the dust, some of it evaporates, reducing the efficiency of the resource's use. Therefore, it is imperative to apply it to the appropriate area, where the volume of suspended dust is still small.

Claims

CLAIMS 1) Low flow and high pressure water application system against suspended dust generated by motor vehicles, such as those installed in the same vehicle that is moving and that include a water tank (1), a water pump (2), a sensor (8), a water filter (3), a water conduit (4), a recirculation conduit (7), secondary conduits (5) and application nozzles (6), CHARACTERIZED in that the water is applied immediately behind and on the side of the contact area between the wheel or tire and the ground.

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