Precast Concrete Curing via Segmented Mold and CO2 Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional carbonation curing of precast concrete requires transporting concrete products out of molds, leading to potential damage and high carbon dioxide emissions, and faces spatial and cost constraints.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for steam curing and carbonation curing precast concrete in place, using a steam curing tank, carbonation curing tank, and demolding device that allows carbon dioxide to flow into the concrete shaping space without moving the concrete, with a power generation unit using steam pressure and a carbon dioxide injection unit to recover and reuse CO2 from boiler exhaust.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If concrete products are removed from the mold and transferred to a carbonation curing chamber, then carbonation curing can be performed, but transportation time and cost increase and potential damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mold structure with the carbonation curing chamber by providing movable mold walls that can be separated to allow CO2 injection directly into the concrete shaping space. This integration eliminates the need to transport concrete products to a separate carbonation curing chamber, thereby preventing potential damage during transportation and reducing transportation time and costs.
2Reliability
If concrete products are removed from the mold for carbonation curing, then carbonation can be performed, but spatial constraints and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the carbonation curing chamber functionality directly into the mold structure by providing movable mold walls that can be separated to enable CO2 injection. This eliminates the need for separate carbonation curing chambers and reduces spatial constraints and manufacturing costs associated with maintaining separate curing facilities.
3Productivity
If boiler steam is used for high-temperature steam curing, then curing efficiency is improved, but carbon dioxide emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful carbon dioxide emissions from the boiler into a beneficial resource by capturing and reusing the CO2 for carbonation curing of the concrete products. This approach maintains the high curing efficiency provided by boiler steam while eliminating the environmental harm of CO2 emissions by putting the waste gas to productive use.
4Ease of operation
If the mold structure is made of multiple segments for demolding, then concrete can be released from the mold, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mold into multiple separable segments or walls that can be moved independently. This segmentation enables easy demolding of the concrete product while maintaining operational simplicity, as each segment can be individually adjusted or removed without requiring complex mechanisms.
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
Enables efficient curing without transportation, reduces carbon dioxide emissions, and enhances the strength and durability of precast concrete by simultaneous steam and carbonation curing.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element arranged on the collision plate... configured to generate power using the pressure of steam injected into the steam curing space
Implementation Method 2
a first magnet being coupled, respectively, to the plurality of segments; and a first shuttering magnet being coupled to the carbonation curing tank and generating a magnetic force of opposite polarity to the first magnet
Implementation Method 3
a second magnet being coupled, respectively, to the plurality of segments and a second shuttering magnet being coupled to the carbonation curing tank and generating a magnetic force of the same polarity as the second magnet
Implementation Method 4
a plurality of segments forming a gap through which carbon dioxide injected into the carbonation curing space may flow into the concrete shaping space
Implementation Method 5
steam injected into the steam curing space... high-temperature steam curing of precast concrete
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for steam curing and carbonation curing precast concrete, including: a steam curing tank forming a steam curing space; a carbonation curing tank disposed within the steam curing space and forming a carbonation curing space; a mold disposed within the carbonation curing space and forming a concrete shaping space by a plurality of segments; and a demolding device configured to separate the plurality of segments from one another to open the concrete shaping space.