Measuring and testing – Moisture content or absorption characteristic of material – By heat conductivity
Patent
1986-11-04
1988-10-04
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
Measuring and testing
Moisture content or absorption characteristic of material
By heat conductivity
73 73, 374 45, G01N 2500
Patent
active
047748311
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
THE TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method and a device for determining the moisture content in a moist material in the form of particles or pieces more clearly expressed a material, the particles of which have a moist surface, i.e. consists of a mixture consisting of the particles and a liquid on the surface of the particles and/or between the particles, and which, during the measurement, are moving in relation to the measuring device. Such materials are e.g. flowing sand and gravel, particularly sand and gravel, which may be included as aggregates in concrete or dry mortar, i.e. mixtures of binders, e.g. lime and/or cement an.d aggregates. Other possible materials are solid fuels of various types. The invention can also be applied to determine the surface moisture content of crop materials of various types, such as chopped whole grains, cereals etc.
THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many situations there is a need for determining, quickly and reliably, the moisture content of a material in the form of particles. Such a material can be a component in a mixture having particular mixing proportions, which is to be dried to attain a certain maximum moisture content, etc. A few examples will be stated below in order to illustrate the range of application of the invention.
When road surfacings are produced, the main ingredient being asphalt, stones and gravel are used as aggragates, which are added to the asphalt according to various formulae. Before the aggregate material is added to the asphalt material, it is dried and heated to a selected temperature, which is quite important for the quality and the hardness of the end product. The furnace is heated with oil burners, which are adjusted depending on the temperature variations, which are measured along the furnace. This control technique means that the temperature of materials, which have already left the furnace, is gauged. However, it is desirable to be able instead to gauge the moisture content in and the temperature of the fed material in order to adjust the burner in view of this and be able to reduce the oil consumption.
When dry mortar is produced, the conditions are similar to the conditions, when road surfacing is produced, but there is a difference, that the temperature after the drying of the aggregate material must be as low as possible. The object is to consume energy to dry the aggregate material but not more than that. At temperatures above what is needed energy is lost to the environment. Also, an elevated posttemperature causes problems for the transport equipment after the drying process.
When concrete is produced, it is important that the amount of water in the aggregate material is determined quickly and carefully, since this water greatly influences the amount of water to be added afterwards. The water in the aggregate material may vary from a few per cent, when using a dried aggregate material, to as high as 30-40% of the total amount of water in the completed concrete mixture. The ratio between cement and water in the completed concrete must be kept within selected limits in order to attain the desired quality. In case there is uncertainty as to the amount of water, often too much cement is added. Consequently, a careful determination of the amount of water is of great economic importance when producing concrete. Also, a wrong amount of water impairs the concrete and sometimes it may render it useless, resulting in rejections.
In the stone-working industry it has been found that the moisture content influences the milling process, when stone powder of various types is produced. Consequently, the artisan wants to be able to vary the mutual adjustment of the grinding bodies as the moisture content varies, partly to obtain a uniform quality and partly to reduce the consumption of wear metals.
In the cellulose industry quick lime is used in some processes and it is recycled by burning it in lime sludge furnaces. The lime is charged into the furnaces in the form of dehydrated sludge, the moisture content of which var
REFERENCES:
patent: 1508516 (1927-04-01), Harvey
patent: 1623675 (1924-09-01), Harvey
patent: 2362344 (1944-11-01), Baver et al.
patent: 2611974 (1952-09-01), Stratveit et al.
patent: 2718141 (1955-09-01), Richards
patent: 2874482 (1959-02-01), Haltmeier
patent: 3517549 (1970-06-01), Teich
patent: 3813927 (1974-06-01), Furgason
patent: 4408482 (1983-10-01), Zhuravlev et al.
patent: 4532797 (1985-08-01), Yang
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Will Thomas B.
LandOfFree
Method and a device for determining moisture content does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and a device for determining moisture content, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and a device for determining moisture content will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2150026