Bituminous Macadam Plant With Diverted RAP Feed Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bituminous macadam production plants are complex, expensive, and prone to clogging due to heated recycled materials, limiting the processing of large quantities of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP).
Innovation Solution
A plant design with a drier and mixer configuration that includes separate supply lines for virgin and recycled materials, allowing for adjustable diversion and gravity-fed processing, along with sieving and heating mechanisms to manage different material compositions, reducing clogging risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single drier with counter-current configuration is used to process both virgin and recycled materials, then drying efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plant is divided into two independent parallel processing lines: one line for virgin materials and another line for recycled materials. Each line has its own drier and mixer, allowing simplified individual processing while maintaining overall high productivity through parallel operation.
2Productivity
If recycled material is heated to high temperature for drying, then drying effectiveness is improved, but clogging problems increase
Solution Approach 1:
Recycled materials are processed in a separate dedicated line with their own drier and mixer, isolating the high-temperature drying process from the virgin material processing. This segmentation prevents clogging in the virgin material line while maintaining effective drying of recycled materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The plant allows flexible adjustment of processing parameters including the ability to process recycled material without heating it to high temperatures when clogging is a concern, while still achieving effective drying through the dedicated processing line configuration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the percentage of recycled material in macadams is increased, then sustainability is improved, but obstruction due to heated recycled material increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plant features separate processing lines that enable independent control of virgin and recycled material processing. This allows high percentages of recycled material to be processed in the dedicated line without causing obstructions in the virgin material line, achieving both sustainability goals and processing reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates the production of bituminous macadams with increased RAP content while minimizing blockages, enhancing efficiency and versatility in processing various material mixes.
Implementation Method 1
at least one burner for generating a drying flow in the drying drum
Implementation Method 2
the first and second supply lines can feed the by-product from the dryer to the mixer using gravity
Data Source
AI summary
Described is an industrial plant for the production of bituminous macadams including: a dryer equipped with a loading head for introducing into the drying drum a virgin inert lithic material, an unloading head, a supplying device for introducing into the drying drum a recycled bituminous material, a burner, a system for supplying the inert virgin inert lithic material and the recycled bituminous material according to a first feed direction; the industrial plant includes a mixer downstream of the dryer, a first supply line between the unloading head and the mixer, a second supply line between the unloading head and the mixer, a diverter between the unloading head and said first and second supply lines adjustable between a first operating configuration wherein the unloading head is in communication with the first supply line and a second operating configuration wherein the unloading head is in communication with the second supply line.