Disk Stack Foam Mixing for Uniform Cementitious Foam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for producing cementitious foam result in inefficient use of compressed air, leading to non-uniform foam quality and reduced pail life due to the presence of free compressed air and disordered air streams, which cause wasteful variances in working energy and affect the stability of the foam.
Innovation Solution
A disk stack foamer apparatus utilizing multi-ported globes and grooved disks to segment compressed air and bubble fluid, ensuring metered streams and regulated air input, which are then mixed with cement to produce high-quality cementitious foam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional glass bead chambers are used to foam cementitious mixture, then the foam production process is simple, but the compressed air coalesces unnecessarily and creates disordered mass streams, reducing foam uniformity and pail life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compressed air stream by introducing it through multiple small orifices distributed across the disk stack surface, rather than through a single large opening. This segmentation prevents coalescing of air bubbles and creates uniform, controlled streams that mix evenly with the cementitious mixture, directly resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and foam uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The disk stack introduces different properties of air flow at different locations - multiple small orifices create localized, controlled air injection points throughout the chamber. This local quality approach ensures uniform distribution of air streams across the entire mixing area, preventing disordered mass streams while maintaining process simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If free compressed air is used in traditional methods, then the foaming process is straightforward, but the working energy varies wastefully and pail life is not maximized
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air is pre-segmented into multiple small streams before entering the mixing chamber through the disk stack orifices. This preliminary action of dividing the air stream ensures controlled, uniform energy distribution throughout the mixing process, eliminating wasteful energy variances while keeping the operation straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical glass bead agitation system with a pneumatic system that uses segmented compressed air streams to create and mix foam. This substitution provides more precise control over energy input and distribution, reducing wasteful energy variances while maintaining ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If multi-ported globes and disk stacks are used to segment compressed air, then foam uniformity and pail life improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disk stack serves multiple functions simultaneously: it segments compressed air, distributes it uniformly across the chamber, and provides structural support for the mixing process. This multi-functionality achieves improved foam uniformity without proportionally increasing device complexity, as a single component performs several critical roles.
Solution Approach 2:
The disk stack functions as a porous structure with multiple distributed orifices, enabling uniform air segmentation and distribution. This porous approach achieves high foam quality through simple geometric design rather than complex mechanical systems, balancing manufacturing precision with device simplicity.
4Device complexity
If traditional bead chambers allow disordered air streams, then the mixing chamber is simple in design, but the foam stability and cracking resistance decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air is segmented into multiple small, controlled streams through the disk stack orifices, replacing the disordered single-stream approach of traditional chambers. This segmentation creates uniform bubble distribution and consistent foam structure, improving stability and cracking resistance while maintaining relatively simple chamber design.
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
The disk stack foamer system produces more stable cementitious foam with longer pail life and improved uniformity by regulating air streams, reducing slumping and cracking, and efficiently breaking up agglomerates, while allowing for easy maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The presently disclosed invention utilizes multi-ported, or holed, globes to segment compressed air and bubble fluid. A first multi-orificed inlet bulb is placed centrally to the inside diameter of the first disk stack with little chamber gap between them.
Implementation Method 2
Grooves in paired disks are able to route free compressed air in a manner integral to bubble fluid surface encapsulated air forms and foams. This reduces the ability for compressed air to migrate en masse through the series of disk stacks.
Implementation Method 3
A second outlet bulb, through larger multi-ports typically 2 mm in diameter and placed intimately to a cement orifice within a cement and foam mixing wye, provides forceful, metered streams of compressed air that temporarily part the mutually injected and accumulated foam in an efficient manner for cement coating.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a disk stack foamer system for controlling compressed air (60) while making foam (90). From a bubble fluid and compressed air orifice (1), a first multi-orifice bulb (4) discharges bubble fluid (50) and compressed air while restricting air from expanding or amassing before entering a first disk stack (7). There are four chambers each containing two partitioned filter disk stacks. Disk stacks function progressively to each other in series. Downstream, discharged foam and compressed air run through a commercially available wye bubble reformer (30). In a cement and foam mixing wye (32), compressed air from the resistance of disk stacks is used by a second multi-hole bulb (31) to temporarily separate foam in a comb-like fashion. A cement orifice slurry (33) is able to wet against a majority of exposed foam, and thus make superior, homogeneous cementitious foam (100) as discharged out of an application hose.