Road paver with asphalt fume risk reduction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030339-B2
Application number	US-201715660223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A road paver comprises a screed assembly for laying a mat of paving material, and a tank for storing a coolant. The road paver further comprises a nebulizer device configured to receive the coolant from the tank and to nebulize the coolant into a coolant fog in an environment of the road paver. By cooling the environment of the road paver, the amount of harmful fumes emitted by hot paving material can be substantially reduced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A road paver comprising:
a screed assembly configured to lay a mat of paving material;
a tank configured to store a coolant, and
a nebulizer device configured to receive the coolant from the tank and to nebulize the coolant into a coolant fog in proximity of the screed assembly of the road paver.

2. The road paver of claim wherein the nebulizer device is configured to nebulize the coolant into a coolant fog having a droplet size smaller than about 100 μm.

3. The road paver of claim 1 , wherein the road paver further comprises an auger for distributing the paving material, and the nebulizer device is configured to nebulize the coolant into a coolant fog in a region above the auger.

4. The road paver of claim 1 , wherein the nebulizer device is further configured to be movable or extendable.

5. The road paver of claim 1 , wherein the coolant is water, and the nebulizer device configured to nebulize the water into a water fog.

6. The road paver of claim 1 , wherein the nebulizer device further comprises:
a pump fluidly connected to the tank; and
a spray bar fluidly connected to the pump to receive the coolant from the tank via the pump, the spray bar including a plurality of atomizer nozzles.

7. The road paver of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the atomizer nozzles is directed to a region above an auger of the road paver.

8. The road paver of claim 6 , wherein the atomizer nozzles are directed into a plurality of differing radial directions with respect to the spray bar.

9. The road paver of claim 6 , wherein the nebulizer device comprises an extendable and movable spray bar.

10. A method for operating a road paver including a screed assembly, the method comprising:
operating the screed assembly to lay a mat of paving material;
nebulizing a coolant into a coolant fog in proximity of the screed assembly of the road paver; and
cooling air in an environment of the road paver by evaporative cooling affected by the coolant fog.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method step of cooling air in the environment of the road paver by evaporative cooling affected by the coolant fog includes cooling the air to:
condense gaseous components originating from the paving material, particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and
reduce evaporation of components of the paving material, particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of nebulizing a coolant into a coolant fog comprises producing the coolant fog to substantially extend until a height of about 1.50 m, the height being measured in a vertical direction from a top surface of the laid mat of paving material.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
adjusting a position and extension of the produced coolant fog based on an actual paving width of the road paver.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of nebulizing a coolant into a coolant fog comprises producing the coolant fog to form a barrier for gaseous components rising from the paving material.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Products Inc

Inventors

• Martin Guido

Classifications

• E01C19/002

  Apparatus for preparing and placing the materials and for consolidating or finishing the paving · CPC title

• E01C19/48 Primary

  for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface {, e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ (E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004)} · CPC title

• E01C19/17 Primary

  Application by spraying {or throwing} · CPC title

• B08B15/00

  Preventing escape of dirt or fumes from the area where they are produced; Collecting or removing dirt or fumes from that area · CPC title