Insulated Concrete Curing Container With Water Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional concrete curing methods expose concrete to ambient temperature fluctuations, leading to slow hydration, reduced strength, and increased risk of cracking, as they lack effective temperature control, especially in cold weather, making it difficult to achieve optimal curing conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an insulated container with a temperature control system that submerges concrete cylinders in water and uses heating and cooling elements to maintain a predetermined temperature profile over time, ensuring consistent and controlled temperature conditions for concrete curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional forms or molds are used for concrete curing, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the heat produced during hydration is lost quickly and temperature control is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary medium between the heating/cooling elements and the concrete. The water circulates around the concrete container, acting as a heat transfer medium that efficiently transfers thermal energy to or from the concrete while maintaining stable temperature conditions during curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a hydraulic circulation system with pumps and piping to circulate water through channels surrounding the concrete container. This hydraulic approach enables precise control over heat transfer rates and allows the system to maintain predetermined temperature profiles during the curing process.
2Productivity
If concrete is exposed to ambient temperature fluctuations, then no additional equipment is needed, but the curing process is slow and strength development is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the heating and cooling rates based on the concrete's age, temperature, and desired curing profile. The controller continuously monitors conditions and modulates the thermal input accordingly, enabling accelerated early-age curing when the concrete can tolerate higher temperatures while reducing energy input during later stages when less thermal stimulation is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters including water flow rate, heating power, cooling power, and target temperature setpoints as functions of time and concrete condition. These parameter changes enable the system to optimize curing speed at different stages while managing energy consumption, particularly by using higher energy input during critical early hydration periods and reducing it later.
3Reliability
If heating and cooling elements are added to control temperature, then temperature control improves, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The water circulation system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a heat transfer medium, a temperature distribution mechanism, a cooling fluid, and a part of the control system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining reliable temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature sensors that continuously monitor the concrete temperature and feed this information back to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to adjust heating and cooling element operation in real-time, ensuring consistent curing conditions while avoiding over-complexity through straightforward closed-loop control logic.
4Manufacturing precision
If rapid cooling is applied after initial heating, then temperature drop is controlled to prevent cracking, but the system requires precise control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-cools the water circulating in the channels before it contacts the hot concrete during the cooling phase. This preliminary action allows the system to achieve controlled rapid cooling without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms, as the cooling effectiveness is predetermined by the pre-cooled water temperature and flow rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The water circulation operates continuously throughout both heating and cooling phases, providing uninterrupted thermal control. This continuous action eliminates the need for complex switching mechanisms or intermittent operation, simplifying control while maintaining precise temperature profile management during the transition from heating to cooling.
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
This approach accelerates concrete strength development, reduces cracking, and allows for consistent curing conditions, mimicking ideal temperature and moisture conditions, thereby improving the durability and strength of concrete.
Implementation Method 1
uses heating and cooling elements to maintain a predetermined temperature profile over time
Implementation Method 2
uses heating and cooling elements to maintain a predetermined temperature profile over time
Implementation Method 3
an insulated container with a temperature control system that submerges concrete cylinders in water
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprises a method of curing concrete. The method comprises placing a concrete cylinder in an insulated container having a sufficient quantity of water therein so that the concrete cylinder is submerged in and surrounded by the water and selectively adding heat to the quantity of water in an insulated container, so that the temperature of the quantity of water follows a predetermined temperature profile.