Methods and apparatus for mobile additive manufacturing of advanced roadway systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12036726-B2
Application number	US-202318209907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2023
Priority date	Jun 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides various aspects for mobile and automated processing utilizing additive manufacturing. The present disclosure includes methods for adding strengthening features to a roadway surface. In some examples, the strengthening features may include fibers, nanofibers and nanotubes as examples.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for depositing strengthening materials upon a surface, the method comprising:
transmitting a control signal to an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is a mobile additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a controller capable of executing algorithms and providing control signals,
an additive manufacturing system to deposit a line feature material at prescribed locations across a surface of a roadway according to a first digital model processed by the controller,
a drive system operative to transport the additive manufacturing system along the surface,
a navigation system to determine a location of the mobile additive manufacturing system and guide the drive system, and
a power system capable of providing power to operate at least the drive system, navigation system, controller and additive manufacturing system;

adding a first material to the surface with the mobile additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first material comprises strengthening components and wherein the first material is added to the surface in a first pattern;
moving the mobile additive manufacturing apparatus with the drive system to a new location;
confirming the location of the mobile additive manufacturing system with the navigation system;
adding the first material to the surface in the first pattern when the mobile additive manufacturing system is at the new location; and
adding roadway building material upon the first material and the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile additive manufacturing apparatus operates autonomously.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first pattern is a cross hatch pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first pattern is a repeating cell pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the added first material on the surface and the pattern of the added first material strengthens the roadway for stresses based on a design of the roadway and a traffic load.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is a composite of molten material with embedded fibers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the embedded fibers are nanofibers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is a composite of molten material with embedded nanotubes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is added with a heated extrusion head.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is added with a parallel plate based extrusion head.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein roadway is formed with multiple layer depositions including multiple printing of strengthening patterns.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least a second layer is formed with a strengthening layer of the first material.

13. A method for depositing a strengthening feature upon a surface, the method comprising:
transmitting a control signal to an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is a mobile additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a controller capable of executing algorithms and providing control signals,
an additive manufacturing system to deposit a line feature material at prescribed locations across a surface of a roadway according to a first digital model processed by the controller,
a drive system operative to transport the additive manufacturing system along the surface,
a navigation system to determine a location of the mobile additive manufacturing system and guide the drive system, and
a power system capable of providing power to operate at least the drive system, navigation system, controller and additive manufacturing system;

adding a first material to the surface with the mobile additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first material comprises a strengthening component, and wherein the first material is sprayed upon the surface;
moving the mobile additive manufacturing apparatus with the drive system to a new location;
confirming the location of the mobile additive manufacturing system with the navigation system; and
adding the first material to the surface when the mobile additive manufacturing system is at the new location, wherein the first material comprises the strengthening component, and wherein the first material is sprayed upon the surface.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile additive manufacturing apparatus operates autonomously.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the spraying results in a first pattern which is a cross hatch pattern.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the spraying results in a first pattern which is a repeating cell pattern.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the location of the sprayed first material on the surface and the pattern of the added first material strengthens the roadway for stresses based on a design of the roadway and a traffic load.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the strengthening material comprises fibers.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein at least a portion of the fibers are nanofibers.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the strengthening material comprises embedded nanotubes.

Assignees

• Flitsch Robert A
• Flitsch Frederick A

Inventors

• Flitsch Robert A
• Flitsch Frederick A

Classifications

• E01C23/0966

  for filling or priming, with or without working the surface of the filling or applying particulate material thereto, e.g. for filling the joints of stone-sett paving (E01C23/096, E01C23/0993 take precedence) · CPC title

• E01C23/07

  Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities (measuring means only E01C23/01 {G01B}) · CPC title

• E01C23/065

  Recycling in place or on the road, i.e. hot or cold reprocessing of paving in situ or on the traffic surface, with or without adding virgin material or lifting of salvaged material; Repairs or resurfacing involving at least partial reprocessing of the existing paving (in situ mixing of hydraulic cement concrete E01C19/025; apparatus for in-plant recycling E01C19/1004, E01C19/1036) · CPC title

• E01C23/06

  Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface (working freshly laid paving E01C19/42 - E01C19/44, E01C23/02; mining picks E21C35/18); Devices for repairing {or reconditioning} the surface of damaged paving; {Recycling in place or on the road} · CPC title

• E01C23/01

  Devices or auxiliary means for setting-out or checking the configuration of new surfacing, e.g. templates, screed {or reference line} supports (form rails E01C19/50); Applications of apparatus for measuring, indicating, or recording the surface configuration of existing surfacing, e.g. profilographs (E01C23/07 takes precedence; measuring roughness or irregularity in general G01B) · CPC title