The invention relates to a rheometer for high-viscosity materials having a vessel for accommodating high-viscosity material and having a measuring device for the flow behavior of high-viscosity material in the vessel. The invention further relates to an arrangement for determining the feeding resistance of high-viscosity material in a pipeline system as well as a method of the feeding pressure to be developed for overcoming the feeding resistance of high-viscosity materials in a pipeline system.
A rheometer is a measuring apparatus for determining the flow behavior of materials. Rheometers of the above-mentioned type are known in the configuration of the rotation rheometer and, for example, are described in “Comparison of concrete rheometers: International tests at LCPC (Nantes, France) in October, 2000, NISTIR 6819”. These rheometers have a vessel fillable with high-viscosity material and a measuring device having a rotationally movable measuring geometry for measuring torque. With a rotational movement of the measuring geometry, a torque develops because of the high-viscosity material filled in the vessel, which torque is measured. From this, the flow behavior of the high viscosity material can be determined. The flow behavior of high-viscosity materials determines their processability, compressibility, and feedability.
In pipelines, for feeding high-viscosity materials such as concrete or sludge, coal slurry, or biological waste, a feeding resistance develops which is dependent upon the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material. A reason for the feed resistance is the friction of the high-viscosity material with the pipeline wall and the deforming work which occurs on the high-viscosity material during transport through a pipeline. The deforming work is caused by the inner deforming resistance of the high-viscosity material.
Due to the feeding resistance, a high-viscosity material pump for feeding the high-viscosity materials over an elevation difference Δh through a pipeline system must generate not only a pressure PΔh which corresponds to the pressure which a high-viscosity material column causes over an elevation difference Δh at the output of the high-viscosity material pump in the connecting region of the pipeline system, but also an additional pressure PFW.
For the pressure PΔh, the following applies as a rule:
P
Δh
=gρΔh, (1)
wherein g is the gravitional acceleration and ρ is the density of the high-viscosity material. The additional pressure PFW must be developed in order to overcome the above-mentioned feeding resistance in the pipeline system.
The consequence is that a high-viscosity material pump must make available at least the feeding pressure
P
F
=P
FW
=P
Δh (2)
in order to feed the high-viscosity material over the elevation difference Δh through the pipeline system.
It is known, for the feeding of pumped concrete through a pipeline system having a given pipeline diameter D and a given pipeline length L, at a desired delivery volume and a specific pumped concrete consistency classified by the slump according to DIN EN 12350-5, to estimate the necessary pressure PFW for overcoming the feeding resistance by means of a nomogram. The slump according to DIN EN 12350-5 is applied as a measure for the flow behavior of concrete. This method of estimating PFW is based on experience values or on a set of measuring data which was recorded for numerous types of pumped concrete of different pipeline systems. One such nomogram is illustrated and shown e.g. on page 53 of the Putzmeister corporate brochure “Betontechnologie für Betonpumpe”.
With a known density pPB of the pumped concrete and a given delivery head Δh of a pipeline system with pipeline length L a conclusion can be drawn as to the feeding pressure PF with this nonogram for a desired delivery volume Q of pumped concrete per time unit.
It is shown, however, that this approach is suitable only for estimating PFW for so-called simple pumped concrete, that is, when the pumped concrete is a ternary mixture comprising admixtures, water and cement as main components. If, for example, simple pumped concrete is mixed with additional substances or admixtures such as plasticizers for specific applications, the flow behavior of concrete is no longer appropriately characterized by the slump according to DIN EN 12350-5. Therefore, for pumped concrete having admixtures, the required feed pressure PF for a pipeline system can no longer be estimated well with the above nomogram.
The known rotation rheometers for high-viscosity materials are not suited either to determine the flow behavior of concrete in such a manner that required feed pressure PF can be ascertained in a reliable manner therefrom.
To determine the feeding pressure PF required in a pipeline system for pumped concrete, to which admixtures are added, or to ascertain a feeding pressure PF for other high-viscosity materials, such as sludge, coal slurry or biological waste, so far difficult pumping attempts have been carried out: The corresponding high-viscosity material is pumped through a test construction having the pipeline system provided for the specific application. On the test construction, the pressure conditions in the pipeline system are then detected for different feeding velocities of the high-viscosity material. In particular in the region connecting the high-viscosity material pump and the pipeline system the pressure occurring is measured. This measured pressure then corresponds to the feeding pressure PF.
Starting from the above, it is an object of the invention to provide a rheometer with which the flow behavior of high-viscosity material, in particular, of concrete can be determined in such a manner that the required feeding pressure in a pipeline system can be estimated in a reliable manner.
Furthermore, it is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus of a simple design and suitable for mobile employment; by means of which for a given pipeline system, for a specific high-viscosity material to be fed, and for a desired delivery volume Q of high-viscosity material per time unit, the pressure PFW can be estimated, which must be produced by a high-viscosity material pump in order to overcome the feeding resistance occurring in the pipeline system. Moreover, it is still another object of the invention to provide a method by means of which the corresponding pressure PFW can be ascertained in a fast, simple manner and at a low expense at the specific place of use of a thick-viscosity material pump.
The rheometer of the invention is for high-viscosity materials. The rheometer includes: a vessel assembly including a pipe section fillable with the high-viscosity material and a piston movable at a velocity (ν) relative to the pipe section; the piston being arranged in the pipe section so as to cause the high-viscosity material to act on the piston with a pressure (P); a measuring arrangement including a first unit for measuring the velocity (ν) and a second unit for measuring the pressure (P); and, a computer unit for carrying out a computation of the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material in the vessel assembly based on the velocity (ν) and the pressure (P).
One finding of the invention is that thus the flow behavior of high-viscosity materials in a pipeline system can be measured, for which there does not exist a linear relationship between the pressure PFW for overcoming the feeding resistance and the delivery volume Q.
With respect to some non-thixotropic high-viscosity materials such as e.g. concrete, one finding of the invention relates to the fact that in the case of laminar flow in a straight pipeline section i having the length Li and the diameter D there exists the below relationship between the pressure drop Pi, which is caused by the feeding resistance of the high-viscosity material in the pipeline section i and the delivery volume Q of high-viscosity material per time unit through the pipeline section i:
whereby, as a matter of fact, the equation parameters τDS and bDS and the power αDS depend on the type of high-viscosity material but have an invariance as compared to common pipe wall qualities and in particular are independent of the magnitude of the delivery volume Q.
Another finding consists in that when feeding non-thixotropic high-materials through a straight pipeline section or through a pipeline section j, which comprises a reduction portion for narrowing the effective diameter of the pipeline, or through a pipeline section in which a curved piece is provided, e.g. a 90° curve or a 180° curve, the following relationship exists between the pressure for overcoming the feeding resistance Pj in the pipeline section j and the delivery volume Q independent of the composition of the high-viscosity material in certain non-thixotropic high-viscosity materials, such as e.g. concrete:
P
j
=A
j
+B
j
Q, (4)
wherein, as a matter of fact, the parameters Aj and Bj depend on the type of high-viscosity material fed and on the geometry of the respective pipeline section j but are approximately independent of the delivery volume Q fed through the pipeline section.
Furthermore, the solution according to the invention is based on the finding that for feeding high-viscosity material through a pipeline system which consists of pipeline sections i of length Li and diameter Di as well as pipeline sections j, in which narrowed portions and curved pieces are designed, for the purpose of overcoming the feeding resistance the pressure
must be generated, whereby the equations (3) and (4) apply for Pi and Pj.
In particular, the solution of the invention is based on the finding that by adjusting a movement of a high-viscosity material column, which is accommodated in a standard pipeline section, relative to the standard pipeline section by moving the standard pipeline section relative to the high-viscosity material column and thereby the high-viscosity material column remains stationary, the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material in a pipeline system can be simulated appropriately: By means of a simple pressure measurement, at different relative velocity courses a correct conclusion can be made as to the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material in the pipeline system. One finding of the invention also lies in the fact that the standard pipeline section can be comparatively short: A standard pipeline section of e.g. 1 m in length, which is suited for accommodating a 50 cm high high-velocity material column, is sufficient to correctly estimate the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material in a pipeline system that may be several hundred meters long.
Accordingly, the invention proposes, for one thing, a rheometer which is particularly suited for the use in laboratories and on construction sites, with which for a given high-viscosity material the feeding pressure PFW for a given delivery volume Q, which pressure is necessary to overcome the feeding resistance in a standard pipeline section can be directly measured, and the invention specifies an easy-to-use apparatus and an easy-to-use method by means of which the feeding pressure PFW to be applied can be reliably estimated in order to feed a certain high-viscosity material with the feeding quantity Q through a pipeline system.
A peculiarity of the invention consists in that as a means for generating a relative movement of standard pipeline section and high-viscosity material there is provided a piston acting upon the high-viscosity material in the standard pipeline section, whereby the standard pipeline section is movably arranged relative to the piston. This makes possible a simple and sturdy construction of the rheometer.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the standard pipeline section is forcibly guided for a straight-linear movement from a first to at least another position. Advantageously, the rheometer has a latching mechanism in order to fix the standard pipeline section in a first and/or second position. Advantageously, a carrier unit is provided for accommodating the standard pipeline section and the piston. It is advantageous to arrange the piston of the apparatus on the carrier unit in a unmovable, that is stationary manner.
A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in that for the determination of the pressure acting on the high-viscosity material due to the relative movement of the high-viscosity material and the standard pipeline section a pressure sensor attached on the piston or a force sensor integrated in the piston is provided.
By providing a means for generating a drive force for causing a relative movement of standard pipeline section and piston, also high-viscosity materials having a large inner deforming resistance can be examined. Here, it is advantageous to adapt the means for generating a drive force for the generation of drive forces of different quantity. In particular, said means can also comprise a drive cylinder, for instance, a hydraulically actuated drive cylinder. A particularly simple means for generating a corresponding drive force consists in a load weight. When the load weight is designed in a variable manner, different relative movement courses of standard pipeline section and high-viscosity material can be adjusted by means of varying the load weight.
A special embodiment of the invention provides to adapt a reduction of the inner diameter on the standard pipeline section or to provide a curved piece. Thus, for a certain high-viscosity material the feeding resistance of reducing portions and curved pieces in a standard pipeline section can be ascertained.
For an operator to be able to control the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material in the measuring device it is advantageous to design the standard pipeline section at least partially of transparent plastic.
It is advantageous to provide for the standard pipeline section a first and a second standard pipeline section as well as possibly any other standard pipeline sections which can be connected to or separated from one another. This allows simple filling and emptying of the rheometer.
Attaching at least one handle to the standard pipeline section guarantees a comfortable manual operability of the rheometer. In particular, the manual generation of a drive force is made possible in order to move the standard pipeline section relative to the piston.
By providing a means for charging high-viscosity material accommodated in the standard pipeline section with a static pressure, the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material under pressure load can be determined.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
a and 1b are a first and second perspective view of a first rheometer shown in a first set position;
a to 3f are schematic views of the first rheometer for illustrating a measuring operation;
The rheometer 100 shown in
The piston 108 is fixed to be stationary on an adjustable carrier unit 110. The carrier unit 110 includes a carrier plate 112 on which three support feet (114, 116, 118) are formed which function to support the apparatus on the base 119, if needed, also in the earth region at a building site.
The carrier unit 110 facilitates a vertical, that is a perpendicular alignment of the axis 120 of the standard pipe section 102 and piston 108. For this purpose, the three support feet (114, 116, 118) are held by means of wing screws (122, 124, 126) in bores on the carrier plate 112, which screws are inclined at an angle toward the base 119 with reference to the axis 120 of the standard pipe section 102 and piston 108. Adjustable wing screws (128, 130, 132) are provided at the ends of the support feet. The axis 120 of the standard pipe section 102 and the piston 108 can be vertically aligned by means of the wing screws (128, 130, 132).
The standard pipe section 102 is configured as two parts. It includes a unit 134 and a pipe segment unit 136. The pipe segment unit 136 and the unit 134 are connected by means of a connecting mechanism 140. The connecting mechanism 140 permits a rapid opening and closing. This makes it possible to remove the pipe segment unit 136 from the unit 134 of the standard pipe section 102 or to attach it to the unit 134. With the pipe segment unit 136 removed, the standard pipe section 102 can be easily and comfortably filled with high-viscosity material by a service person.
A releasable latching mechanism 137 is formed on the unit 134 of the standard pipe section 102. The latching mechanism 137 serves to secure the standard pipe section 102 on the piston 108 in the position A shown in
In order to make a good estimate of the feeding pressure for a pipeline system, the pipe segment unit 136 and the unit 134 preferably have a pipe diameter corresponding to the pipe diameter of the pipeline system for which the estimate of the feeding pressure is of interest.
Here, the pipe segment unit 136 and the unit 134 have a pipe diameter of 12.5 cm. The length of the unit 134 is designed such that a 50 cm high column of high-viscosity material is disposed above the piston 108 when the unit 134 is completely filled with high-viscosity material. The dead weight of the standard pipe section is approximately 2.5 kg.
When the latching mechanism 137 is released, the weight force acting on the standard pipe section 102 acts as a drive force and moves the standard pipe section downwardly in the direction of the carrier plate 112 of the carrier unit 120 in accordance with the arrow 138. A slot 139 is formed in the carrier plate 112 as an end stop for the standard pipe section 102, which slot 139 is designed with an element for damping an impact of the standard pipe section 102.
A first handle 142 and a second handle 144 are provided on the unit 134. The standard pipe section 102 can be moved by muscle power by means of handles (142, 144) on the piston 108 by a service person when the latching mechanism 137 is open.
The standard pipe section 102 has a receiving section 143 for an ancillary weight 145 configured as a pipe clamp. The weight force F, which acts on the standard pipe section 102, is increased in correspondence to the dead weight of the pipe clamp in that the pipe clamp 145 is attached to the standard pipe section 102.
The rheometer 100 has a measuring device having a unit for the determination of the relative movement of the high-viscosity material and the standard pipe section 102 in the form of a laser displacement transducer 146. Allocated to the laser displacement transducer 146 is a plate 148 at least partially reflecting a laser beam 147, which plate 148 is attached to the standard pipe section 102. By means of the laser displacement transducer 146, it is possible to measure the distance of the plate 148 from the front face 150 of the laser displacement transducer 146 as a function of time. In this way, the laser displacement transducer can detect an instantaneous movement velocity of the standard pipe section 102 at the piston 108. The laser displacement transducer 146 is connected to a computer unit (not shown in
It is noted that also a displacement transducer of another configuration or even a velocity or acceleration measuring device can be used in lieu of the laser displacement transducer for the determination of a relative movement of the high-viscosity material and the standard pipe section.
A pressure sensor 160 configured as a concrete pressure sensor is provided in the rheometer 100 as a measuring device, by means of which a pressure acting on the high-viscosity material due to the relative movement of high-viscosity material and standard pipe section 102, by means of detecting a pressure force can be determined. The pressure sensor 160 is accommodated centrally on the front face 162 of the piston 108. It is likewise connected to the above-mentioned computer unit for the purpose of control and signal evaluation.
The operation of the rheometer 100 described with respect to
a shows the computer unit 302 for the control and signal evaluation, to which the laser displacement transducer 146 and the pressure sensor 160 are connected via data transmission elements (304, 306). To prepare the rheometer 100 for a measuring operation, first, unit 134 of the standard pipe section 102 is latched in the position A shown in
Thereafter, and as shown in
In a next step according to
First, for a latched rheometer, the pressure PM loading the piston due to the high-viscosity material 300 is first determined by means of the pressure sensor 160 mounted on the piston 108.
Neglecting the friction of the high-viscosity material on the inner wall of the standard pipe section 102, the mass M of the high-viscosity material accommodated in the standard pipe section 102 results as follows:
wherein g is the gravitational acceleration and D is the inner diameter of the standard pipe section 102. In this way, a determination of the density ρB of the high-viscosity material, which is filled in the standard pipe section 102, is possible with the rheometer 100. Accordingly, the following applies:
wherein V is the volume of the high-viscosity material filled in the standard pipe section 102.
Thereafter, the latching mechanism 137 is released. The consequence is that the standard pipe section 102 is moved toward the carrier plate 112 due to the gravitational force F which acts in the direction of the arrow 308. The standard pipe section 102 is accelerated by the gravitational force F to a friction-condition limit velocity νG1. It then sinks at said velocity νG1 toward the carrier plate 112. Then by means of the pressure sensor 160 the pressure P(t) caused by the high-viscosity material 300 on the front face 162 of the piston 108, and the movement velocity ν(t) of the standard pipe section 102 via the laser displacement transducer 146 on the piston 108 as a function of time t are measured.
d shows the standard pipe section which is filled with high-viscosity material 300 at the position B on the carrier plate 112.
This measurement of pressure P(t) and the movement velocity ν(t) is, as shown in
If required, the ancillary weight 145 is changed once again in order to then record corresponding pressure and velocity courses (Pn, νGn).
Thereafter, the computer unit 302 ascertains, from the detected time courses for pressure P(t) and the velocity ν(t), the pressure P1 to Pn resulting at the limit velocity νG1 to νGn and/or the delivery volumes Q1 to Qn in order to display with the aid of the values a diagram of the dependence of P and Q on the display 310.
For this purpose, in the computer unit 310, for the equation system
the parameters αDS and bDS are determined and displayed on the display unit 310 of the computer unit 302.
To remove the high-viscosity material 300 from the standard pipe section, as shown in
The rheometer 600 is operated as follows:
With the release of the latching mechanism 637, the standard pipe section filled with the high-viscosity material 300 slides down onto the piston 608. Then, the pressure P, which loads the piston 608, is measured by means of pressure sensor 660 over the time t, and the time duration Δt for this movement is determined with the time measuring device 646. The standard pipe section 608 is accelerated by the weight force to a limit velocity νG.
By realizing the above finding that for conveying the delivery volume Q of some non-thixotropic high-viscosity materials having laminar flow through a pipeline section j, the feeding pressure PFW, which is to be developed for overcoming the feeding resistance is sufficient independent of the composition of the high-viscosity material in accordance with the following relationship:
P
FW(j)=Aj+BjQ, (9)
for the pressure P recorded by the pressure sensor 660 as a function of time t the following will apply:
wherein ν(t) is the instantaneous velocity of the standard pipe section 602 with which the latter glides along the piston 608. In this way, the measured total duration Δt of the movement can be converted into this corresponding limit velocity νG.
By measuring the pressure P(t) resulting for two different limit velocities while using an ancillary load weight the parameters (Aj, Bj) depending on the high-viscosity material can be concluded from the equation (10).
It is noted that in the rheometers described with respect to
wherein g is the gravitational acceleration and D the diameter of the standard pipe section.
The mass M of the standard pipe section and the load weight can, for example, be determined with scales independently of the rheometric measurement process.
The friction force FRK can be measured with the standard pipe section being empty in that the mass of the standard pipe section required for a free descending movement or the weight force connected therewith is determined. Alternatively to this, it is also possible to determine the friction force via a pressure sensor arranged on the piston, namely in that the measured dynamic pressure is compared to a theoretically expected pressure which would farm on the surface of the piston while neglecting the friction force.
This means that a conclusion can be drawn as to the pressure P, which acts on the high-viscosity material in the standard pipe section, when the standard pipe section descends at the limit velocity νG with a stationary movement downwards on the piston.
Whether the standard pipe section can be moved with the limit velocity νG can be determined, for example, via a velocity or time measurement.
Furthermore, it is possible for rheometers described with respect to
The pressure P increases first in region 801 up to limit pressure PG until the standard pipe section has reached the limit velocity νG. In region 803, the pressure P is about constant. P drops abruptly in region 805. The velocity ν correspondingly increases to a limit velocity νG and is constant there until the standard pipe section is abruptly decelerated.
Accordingly, in an idealized manner, the following linear relationship exists between the change of pressure ΔP and ν:
ν=kΔP (12)
is an apparatus constant which is dependent only on the configuration of the rheometer. This makes it possible to draw a conclusion as to the velocity ν from a pressure P, which is detected at the piston of the rheometer, with which the standard pipe section glides along the piston.
By means of the piston 970, it is possible to adjust a drive force F for causing a relative movement of high-viscosity material and standard pipe section 902 which can be measured by a suitable velocity detector 946. A force sensor 960 is provided on the piston 970 for measuring the pressure bearing thereon. The velocity sensor 946 and the force sensor 960 are connected to the computer unit 990 for the purpose of control and signal evaluation.
The piston 980 functions to charge the high-viscosity material in the standard pipe section 902 with an additional load pressure. In this way, by determining the relative velocity of the high-viscosity material, which is accommodated in the standard pipe section, with reference to the piston 970 with a simultaneous measurement of the pressure bearing on the piston 970, in turn the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material at a corresponding adjustable base pressure can be determined.
The arrangement 1000 includes a rheometer 1002 having a configuration which corresponds to that of the rheometer described with respect to
The arrangement 1000 includes a computer unit 1004 which is connected to the rheometer 1002. The computer unit 1004 has a data input unit 1006 and a monitor unit 1008. The data input unit 1006 functions for inputting the diameter D and the length L of a pipeline, for which a feeding pressure PFW intended for overcoming the feed resistance is to be estimated, as well as the desired delivery volume Q of high-viscosity material. The computer unit 1004 includes a program to compute the required pressure PFW e.g. on the basis of the equations (3) to (5) in accordance with the following relationship:
to then display on the monitor unit 1008 the parameter τB for which a physical significance of the flow limit is applicable, and the parameter bB which relates to the viscosity of the high-viscosity material.
In summary, it can be concluded: the invention relates to a rheometer 100 for high-viscosity materials as well as to an arrangement and a method for estimating the feeding pressure to be developed for overcoming the feed resistance of the high-viscosity material in a pipeline with such a rheometer 100. The rheometer 100 has a vessel for accommodating the high-viscosity material and a measuring device for the flow behavior of the high-viscosity material in the vessel. The vessel is configured as a standard pipe section 102 fillable with the high-viscosity material 300. In the rheometer 100, a linear relative movement of the standard pipe section 102 and high-viscosity material 300, which is filled into the standard pipe section 102, can be effected at a first velocity and at least with another velocity different from the first velocity. As a measuring device, a unit (146, 147, 148) is provided for the determination of a velocity ν of the relative movement of the high-viscosity material 300 and the standard pipe section 102, and a unit 160 is provided for the determination of a pressure P acting via the relative movement of the high-viscosity material 300 and the high-viscosity material 300 acting on the standard pipe section 102.
It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2008 059 534.9 | Nov 2008 | DE | national |
This application is a continuation application of international patent application PCT/EP 2009/063956, filed Oct. 23, 2009, designating the United States and claiming priority from German application 10 2008 059 534.9, filed Nov. 28, 2008, and the entire content of both applications is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | PCT/EP2009/063956 | Oct 2009 | US |
Child | 13118758 | US |