Claims
- 1. A method for controlling the production rate in a drum plant for producing asphalt from recycled asphalt pavement comprising the steps of:
- sensing the tons per hour (TPHa) being produced by said plant;
- comparing said tons per hour (TPHa) with a desired tons per hour (TPHd);
- sensing drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) when (TPHd) is less than (TPHa);
- comparing said drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) to a maximum drum inlet gas temperature (TDImax);
- increasing the drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) when the drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) is less than the drum inlet gas temperature maximum (TDI max), and
- increasing the tons per hour (TPHa) when the drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) is increased.
- 2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
- sensing gas volume out of the drum (GASo);
- sensing when GASo is less than gas volume out of the drum maximum (GASomx) when TDI is not less than TDI max;
- increasing GASo when GASo is less than GASomx; and
- increasing (TPHa) when GASo is increased.
- 3. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising:
- sensing drum slope (DS);
- sensing when DS is greater than drum slope minimum (DSmn) when GASo is not less than GASomx;
- decreasing DS when DS is greater than DSmn; and
- increasing TPHa when DS is decreased.
- 4. The method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising:
- sensing drum revolutions per minute (DRPM);
- sensing when DRPM is greater than drum revolutions per minute minimum (DRPMmn) when DS is not greater than DSmn;
- decreasing DRPM when DRPM is greater than DRPMmn; and
- increasing TPHa when DRPM is decreased.
- 5. A method for controlling the emissions from a drum plant for producing asphalt from recycled asphalt pavement comprising the steps of:
- sensing hydrocarbons in drum plant exhaust (VOC);
- comparing VOC to maximum hydrocarbons allowed VOCmx;
- sensing drum slope (DS) when VOC is greater than VOCmx;
- comparing the drum slope (DS) to a drum slope minimum (DSmn); and
- decreasing DS, and increasing tons per hour (TPH) when DS is greater than DSmn.
- 6. The method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising:
- sensing drum rpm (DRPM) when DS is not greater than DSmn;
- comparing drum rpm (DRPM) to drum rpm minimum (DRPMmn); and
- decreasing DRPM and simultaneously increasing tons per hour (TPH) when DRPM is greater than DRPMmn.
- 7. The method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising decreasing the drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) and decreasing the tons per hour (TPH) when DRPM is greater than DRPMmn.
- 8. A method for controlling the gradation in the product of a drum plant for producing asphalt from recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) comprising the steps of:
- sensing the gradation of the mix (GRAD);
- comparing the gradation of the mix to a gradiation of the mix desired GRADd;
- sensing gas volume out of the drum (GASo) when GRAD is greater than GRADd;
- comparing the gas volume out of the drum (GASo) to a maximum gas volume out of the drum (GASomx); and
- increasing GASo when GASo is less than GASomx.
- 9. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising:
- sensing the amount of aggregate added to the RAP (AG) when GASo is not less than GASomx;
- comparing the amount of aggregate added (AG) to the RAP to a maximum amount of aggregate that can be added (AGmx); and
- increasing the amount of aggregate added to the (RAP) (AG) when AG is less than AGmx.
- 10. The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising:
- sensing the tons per hours produced (TPH) when AG is not less than AGmx;
- comparing the tons per hour produced (TPH) to a tons per hour minimum (TPHmn) when AG is not less than AGmx; and
- decreasing the tons per hour produced (TPH) when the TPH is greater than the TPHmn.
- 11. A method for controlling the recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) outlet temperature in a drum plant for producing asphalt from recycled asphalt pavement comprising the steps of:
- sensing the outlet temperature of the RAP (Tr);
- comparing the outlet temperature of the RAP (Tr) to the temperature of the RAP required (Trd);
- sensing the drum inlet gas temperature (TDI);
- comparing the TDI to a maximum drum inlet gas temperature (TDImx) when Tr is less than Trd;
- increasing the drum inlet gas temperature (TDI) when TDI is less than TDImx;
- sensing the gas volume out of the drum (GASo);
- comparing the gas volume out of the drum (GASo) to a maximum gas volume out of the drum (GASomx) when TDI is not less than TDImx; and
- increasing the gas volume out of the drum (GASo) when the gas volume out of the drum (GASo) is less than GASomx.
- 12. The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising:
- sensing the drum slope (DS);
- comparing the drum slope (DS) to a drum slop minimum DSmn when GASo is not less than GASomx; and
- decreasing the drum slope when DS is greater than DSmn.
- 13. The method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising:
- sensing the drum rpm (DRPM);
- comparing the drum rpm (DRPM) to the drum rpm minimum (DRPMmn) when DS is not greater than DSmn; and
- decreasing the drum rpm (DRPM) when DRPM is greater than DRPMmn.
- 14. The method in accordance with claim 13 further comprising:
- sensing the tons per hour produced (TPH);
- comparing the tons per hour produced (TPH) to a tons per hour minimum (TPHmn) when DRM is not greater than DRPMmn; and
- decreasing the tons per hour produced (TPH) when the tons per hour produced (TPH) is greater than the tons per hour minimum (TPHmn).
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/803,642, filed Nov. 27, 1991 which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/754,264 filed Aug. 29, 1991 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/387,160 filed Jul. 31, 1989, abandoned, entitled "Drum Dryer For Reprocessing Recycled Asphalt Pavement", which is owned by the same corporation, Cyclean, Inc., a Delaware Corporation.
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
803642 |
Nov 1991 |
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
754264 |
Aug 1991 |
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Parent |
387160 |
Jul 1989 |
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