Method and system for in-situ cross linking of polymers, bitumen and similar materials to increase strength, toughness and durability via irradiation with electron beams from mobile accelerators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340931-B2
Application number	US-201514942606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Sep 10, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A method and system for treating and strengthening material filling a pothole. One or more electron accelerators can be integrated with a mobile unit. The electron accelerators are positioned on the mobile unit to heat, irradiate and treat in-situ, both the base material and a material filling a pothole located proximate to the mobile unit, wherein irradiation of the material by the electron accelerators results in in-situ cross-linking or polymerization of the material and therefore a strengthening and increased durability of the material filling the pothole. Deep heating of the substrate allows pothole repair even under extreme low temperature winter conditions. The in-situ treatment of the material filling the pothole in a road surface to toughens and strengthens the road surface and the filled pothole which results in improved material properties of the surface, enhanced durability, and improved lifetime of the pothole fill.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for treating and strengthening a material filling a pothole, said system comprising:
a mobile unit;
at least one electron gun that emits a beam of electrons;
at least one electron accelerator integrated with the mobile unit and positioned to accelerate the beam of electrons; and
at least one beam extraction device comprising a scan coil that emits the accelerated beam of electrons, the at least one beam extraction device positioned on the mobile unit to irradiate the surface of and treat in-situ, the material filling the pothole, wherein irradiation of the material filling the pothole by the beam of electrons results in in-situ cross-linking of the material filling the pothole and therefore a strengthening and increased durability of the material filling the pothole.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile unit comprises a vehicle-mounted unit that moves above and with respect to the road surface with the pothole.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the irradiation of the material filling the pothole induces the in-situ cross-linking, curing, or a material properties modification of the material filling the pothole.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the accelerated beam of electrons heats the base material to a normal working temperature thereby promoting workability and a good patch bond.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile unit comprises a unit that moves with respect to the material filling the pothole that is being treated.

6. A system for filling a pothole, the system comprising:
a mobile unit comprising a vehicle-mounted unit that moves above and with respect to a pothole filled with a material in a road surface;
at least one electron gun that emits a beam of electrons;
at least one electron accelerator integrated with the mobile unit and positioned to accelerate the beam of electrons; and
at least one beam extraction device comprising a scan coil that emits the accelerated beam of electrons, the at least one beam extraction device positioned on the mobile unit to irradiate and treat in-situ, the material filling the pothole in the road surface, the material comprising at least one of: asphalt, modified asphalt, or a cross-link capable binder-stone mixture, wherein irradiation of the material filling the pothole in the road surface by the beam of electrons results in in-situ cross-linking of the material filling the pothole and therefore a strengthening and increased durability of the material filling the pothole in the road surface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the irradiation of the material filling the pothole induces the in-situ cross-linking or curing of the material filling the pothole.

8. A method for treating and strengthening material comprising fill material for a pothole, the method comprising:
integrating a plurality of electron accelerators with a mobile unit; and
positioning the plurality of electron accelerators on the mobile unit to irradiate the surface of and treat in-situ, the material filling the pothole, wherein the pothole is located proximate to the mobile unit, wherein the material filling the pothole is cross-linkable, wherein irradiation of the material filling the pothole by the plurality of electron accelerators results in in-situ cross-linking of the material filling the pothole and therefore a strengthening and increased durability of the material filling the pothole.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the mobile unit comprises a vehicle-mounted unit that moves above and with respect to the road surface with the pothole.

Assignees

• Fermi Res Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Kephart Robert D

Classifications

• E01C23/14

  for heating or drying foundation, paving, or materials thereon, e.g. paint (E01C23/03 takes precedence; heating or drying devices incorporated in the paving E01C11/26; surface {soil} stabilisation by fusing, calcining or burning soil in situ E01C21/02; for street cleaning E01H1/08; melting snow or ice on surfacing E01H5/10) · CPC title

• E01C9/001

  Paving elements formed in situ; Permanent shutterings therefor (removable shutterings E01C19/502; moulding machines therefor E01C19/508); Inlays or reinforcements which divide the cast material in a great number of individual units (reinforcement girders which do not break the cohesion of the covering material E01C11/16, E01C11/185) · CPC title

• H01J37/06

  Electron sources; Electron guns · CPC title

• E01C11/005 Primary

  Methods or materials for repairing pavings (E01C7/35 takes precedence; for concrete coverings E01C7/147; for bituminous coverings E01C7/187; devices for repair works E01C23/06; repairing bridge floorings E01D22/00) · CPC title

• E01C7/356

  with exclusively synthetic resin as a binder; Aggregate, fillers or other additives for application on or in the surface of toppings having exclusively synthetic resin as binder · CPC title