Abstract: A highly portable asphalt plant of substantial size and product manufacturing capacity carries the system components on the confines of two transportable vehicles. The two vehicles are arranged in a fashion whereby vehicle one is connected to vehicle two in an inline continuous fashion. Vehicle two contains an integrated inertial dust separator baghouse design and provides for the receiving of the rotary dryer drum mixer directly and without the use, of interconnecting ductwork.

Abstract: A low emissions burner includes a diffusion burner surrounded by an annular array of premix burners. The diffusion burner operates at maximum swirl air flow and at a low constant fuel rate to reduce NOx emissions. The diffusion burner provides a stable swirling diffusion flame. An annular array of premix burners surrounds the diffusion burner and provides a non-swirling premix flame about the diffusion flame to advantageously provide a higher heat content about the periphery of the burner flame to facilitate industrial drying processes using the burner. The diffusion burner flame maintains the premixed flame stabilized. Water injection nozzles are provided each of the premix and diffusion burners.

Abstract: The silo includes at least three hoppers terminating in rectilinear discharge openings extending lengthwise transversely of a loading area below the discharge openings. Clam gates are movable between open and closed positions to discharge material. The discharge area at the bottom of the silo is increased, facilitating faster loading of trucks with the particulate material.

Abstract: The underwater electrical generator includes a stator core and counter-rotating turbine blades with permanent magnets in the hubs and windings in the core housing. When tethered by the nose of the housing, the water current rotates the turbine blades generating electrical current which is supplied for commercial use via the tether to a land-based utility. Ballast tanks are provided to maintain the generator at a predetermined depth. Small stator windings and permanent magnets are provided in the rotating hubs and core housing respectively to charge batteries in the hubs for altering the pitch of the blades such that the blades can be feathered for maintenance outages.

Abstract: A bag house is mounted on a portable trailer and has a tube sheet with depending filter bags in part defining a first plenum for receiving a gas stream with fines and a second plenum for receiving clean gas from the filter bags. The fines are collected in one or more hoppers below the filter bags. A screw conveyor in each hopper has reverse flighting adjacent opposite ends for conveying separated fines longitudinally along and from adjacent opposite ends toward a central location intermediate the length of the housing. An elevation conveyor having an inlet located in the central location conveys the collected separated fines out of the housing to an external outlet for discharge into a surge operator.

Abstract: A low emissions burner includes a diffusion burner surrounded by an annular array of premix burners. The diffusion burner operates at maximum swirl air flow and at a low constant fuel rate to reduce NOx emissions. The diffusion burner provides a stable swirling diffusion flame. An annular array of premix burners surrounds the diffusion burner and provides a non-swirling premix flame about the diffusion flame to advantageously provide a higher heat content about the periphery of the burner flame to facilitate industrial drying processes using the burner. The diffusion burner flame maintains the premixed flame stabilized. Water injection nozzles are provided each of the premix and diffusion burners.

Abstract: A inclined rotary drum mixer has flights for forming a veiling pattern of particles across the width of the drum for a substantial axial extent. The drum has a burner for flowing hot gases of combustion in heat transfer contact with the particle or aggregate veil. A diverter or interceptor is disposed in the drum for interrupting the cascading or veiling pattern to define a channel for flow of hot combustion gases free of heat transfer contact with the particles of the veiling pattern. By controlling the magnitude of the channel formed by the interceptor or diverter, the average exhaust gas temperature of the exhaust gases may be controlled.

Abstract: The counterflow drum mixer includes an elevated virgin aggregate inlet end and an opposite asphaltic product discharge end. A burner lies intermediate the ends and defines a combustion volume. Shield flights surround the combustion volume defining an annular chamber with the drum wall. Recycle material is supplied to the annular chamber at the upstream end of the combustion volume for heating by convection and conduction in the annular chamber. The virgin aggregate material flows through a drying zone, into the combustion volume and between the shield flights into the annular chamber for contact with and conductive heating of the recycle material. Radiant heat transfer from the combustion volume along radii of the drum to the annular chamber is prevented.

Abstract: An inclined counterflow rotating drum mixer has a burner head intermediate an aggregate inlet at one end of the drum and an asphaltic concrete discharge at the opposite end of the drum. A fan supplies secondary air to the burner through a motive tube having an opening in communication with a mixing chamber between the burner head and the discharge end of the drum to aspirate gases from the mixing chamber for flow through the burner flame. The aspiration creates a negative pressure in the mixing chamber, causing a reverse flow of a portion of the combustion gases from the dryer chamber into the mixing chamber for preheating RAP input to the mixing chamber. RAP is also preheated by providing a preheat chamber adjacent the flame zone but segregated from direct contact with the flame to preheat the RAP. Hot and dried virgin aggregate is mixed with the RAP in the preheat chamber and valves are provided to prevent gases evolved from the RAP in the preheat chamber from flowing into the drying chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for operating a rotatable drying drum are disclosed herein. The drying drum has a burner for generating hot gases of combustion for flow through the drum to dry aggregate. The drum includes identical drying flights each having a generally U-shaped body having side walls extending from opposite edges of a base and terminating in first and second edges having different configurations and consequent different veiling effects in the dryer by securing the flights in one of a plurality of orientations within the drum. By reorienting the identical flights within the drying zone of the rotary drum dryer, the veiling patterns of the aggregate across the drum may be altered, hence adjusting the exhaust temperature.

Abstract: The storage silo has a frustoconical discharge chute terminating in an annular outlet member having an inflatable bladder about its margin. A gate is movable horizontally and, when in the vicinity of the opening near its closing position, movable both horizontally and vertically into engagement with the margin of the cylindrical wall member. The bladder is then inflated to engage the gate sealing between the outlet and the gate. To open the outlet, the bladder is deflated to a location above the margins of the opening whereby the gate may be moved vertically downwardly and horizontally away from the opening to discharge material from the silo.

Abstract: The portable soil remediation unit includes, on a wheeled flatbed truck, a rotary drum having a burner at one end and an inlet at its opposite end for flowing contaminated soil in counterflow relation to the hot gases of combustion for volatilizing the contaminants. Also mounted on the vehicle is a baghouse. The hot remediated soil is discharged into the baghouse for screw conveyance along the bottom of the baghouse to a baghouse discharge. The particulate-laden gases from the drum enter the baghouse at the opposite end and are separated into particles and clean exhaust gas. The hot remediated soil is in heat transfer contact with the particles and the particles release residual contaminants. The particles flow to the bottom of the baghouse for combination with the remediated soil in the screw conveyor. The hot remediated soil is additionally screened in the baghouse for large and small gradations, the large gradations being discharged from the baghouse for reprocessing.

Abstract: The tool includes a tool head having a tapered portion at one end for receipt within the flexible snap ring of a filter bag for expanding the snap ring into seating and sealing engagement about the margins of the opening in the tube sheet to secure the filter bag in depending relation from the tube sheet. The tool also includes a slidable member or weight along its handle whereby, in the event the tool becomes stuck in the opening, the weight can be displaced upwardly to impact against a tool surface and thus jar the tool loose from its engagement with the snap ring.

Abstract: The rotary drum dryer includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced flights in each of a plurality of axially spaced flight sections. A radially inwardly directed dam is interposed between each flight section and serves as a pivotal mount for the flights of each section. The dams are provided with arcuate slots having a plurality of detent positions arranged about mounting holes for pins secured to the flights and forming the pivot axis therefor. The angular position of the flights is adjustable by locating bolts on the flights in selected detented positions in the arcuate tracks. The combination of pivotally mounted flights and dams affords more uniform veiling across the drum interior and provides efficient heat transfer to the aggregate from the hot gases of combustion.