ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR CLEANING AND RECLAIMING BALLAST MATERIAL, SPECIFICALLY CONCRETE BALLAST MATERIAL, AND A WATER INJECTOR STRUCTURED FOR CLEANING

Abstract: Arrangement and method for washing and fractionation of ballast material for reclaiming purposes, comprising the steps of spraying pressurized water and fractionation by means of one or several screens from where separated material is fed out by means of one or several conveyors. The invention foresees the provision of a high pressure section for washing the material that is transported on the screen/screens with water at a pressure in the range of about 30-60 bar; means for dewatering and feeding out finer particles from the process water; thanks for saving and agitating the process water both for a) re-circulation of process water for cleaning the rotary drum of a cement truck, and b) for recovery of process water in the cement production after analysis of the slurry or detection of the solid content.

Description: TITLE Arrangement and method for cleaning and reclaiming ballast material, specifically concrete ballast material, and a water injector structured for cleaning. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention refers to arrangements in a process system for cleaning and reclaiming ballast material, such as cement ballast, and more specifically a station that is formed as a mobile unit for cleaning and for fractionation of ballast material through re-circulation of wash water and recovery of water and slurry. The invention also relates to a water injector that is incorporated in the arrangement and operative for internal spraying of the rotator or rotary drum of a cement truck, as well as to a method for cleaning and reclaiming the ballast material, especially the cement ballast material. PRIOR ART Cleaning and fractionation/ sorting for recovery purposes is a process that is increasingly used to meet a shortage of ballast material in the cement industry, e.g., or other industries where ballast material is used. The material is brought to pass over screens while being flushed with pressurized water. One problem related to these procedures is the large volumes of water that is needed in order to achieve the necessary cleaning of the stone material. For that reason, a plant for cleaning the ballast material needs to be located with respect to the availability of sufficient water volumes. Also, the comparatively large volumes of water and slurry tend to cause a waste handling problem. In the future, legal demands on recovery rates may be expected, possibly to the extent of up to about 80% of the process water. OBJECT OF INVENTION An object for this invention is to meet these problems by providing a water saving injector that is effective for spraying/ washing the internal surfaces of the rotary drum of a cement truck, as well as arrangements and procedures for re-circulation of process water and slurry to the cleaning process, and for recovery in the further production. SUMMARY OF INVENTION The object is met according to the invention by suggesting an injector having one or more rows of nozzles that are pointed in radial direction towards the interior of the cement truck rotary drum. In one embodiment, the injector is associated with the arrangement and adjustably supported on a foot stand to be raised or lowered, and pivotable in a vertical plane. In this embodiment, the injector is supported by the stand also to be longitudinally dis- placeable for insertion in the rotary drum. Other objects are met according to the invention by suggesting a method and a mobile unit comprising screens associated with nozzle arrangements for pressurized water flushing, and means for feeding out the washed and fractionated material. The arrangements advantageously are contained in a heated and isolated container for round the year operation, and preferably communicating with tanks having agitators for collecting water and cement slurry that is re-circulated to the washing process or recovered in the further production, after weighing in the solid content. DRAWINGS The invention is more closely described below with reference made to the accompanying, diagrammatic drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the mobile unit for washing, fractionation and recovery of ballast material, and Fig. 2 is a detailed, partial view showing the injector of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to fig. 1 , a mobile arrangement 1 for washing and fractionation of cement ballast is diagrammatically shown. The mobile arrangement 1 comprises a wash- and fractionation unit 2, a water injector 3, and tanks 4, 5 for collection of water and finer particles. In the drawing, a cement truck with rotary drum 6 is also shown in position for cleaning. Internally, the rotary drum 6 conventionally has a helical vane 7 by which the cement is forced out from the drum while being rotated in one direction. By the opposite rotation, the vane causes an agitation of the cement. The arrangement 2 comprises a hopper 8 that is assigned to receive wash water, cement and ballast material from the rotary drum 6. A vibrator 9 transports water and solid particles onto a screen assembly 10, by which larger particles are separated in one or more fractions that are fed out by means of one or more conveyors 11,12. Pressurized water is sprayed over the screen assembly 10 from an array of nozzles 13, arranged in rows there above. Water and finer particles that pass through the screen 10 are collected in a worm press 14, from where heavier and settling material is fed to a belt conveyor 15 via a worm conveyor. Finer and suspended particles, cement and process water flows from the worm press to be collected in the tanks 4,5. The process water in tanks 4,5 is alternatively re-circulated to the washing process through appropriate conduits (not shown), or re-used in the further cement production after curing of cement remains. For the latter purpose, the tanks comprise agitators that secure an even distribution of particles in the water. The solid content of the process water being re-used in production is weighed and calculated for an accurate composition of the new cement batch. Advantageously, the weighing is performed by means of an ultrasonic device and relating the solid content to the ratio of sound dampening in the process water. The process water that is re-circulated in the wash process is fed to the injector 3 for internally flushing the rotary drum 6. The injector 3 is more fully described below, reference being made to fig. 2. The injector 3 comprises a tubular beam with an open, back or upper end having coupling means 16 (see fig. 1) for communicating process water form the tanks 4,5. The lower or front end 17 of the tube is closed, and one or more rows of nozzles 18 are arranged and pointing in radial directions from the periphery of the tube. Preferably, two diametrically opposite rows of noz- zles are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tube, in a common and generally horizontal plane. The nozzle openings are preferably shaped to eject process water in relatively flat spray cones, in a plane that is parallel with the axial direction of the injector, and the openings are dimensioned to avoid clogging from particles and slurry contained in the process water. The injector 3 is supported from a foot stand 19 and displaceable in longitudinal direction. In the embodiment shown, a gear rack 20 is attached to the lower side of the injector and engaging a gear wheel 21. The gear rack is supported on a rail 22 that can slide in guides 23,24 arranged on an arm 25, the arm being pivotable in a vertical plane. The vertical angle of arm 25 and injector 3 is controlled by means of a threaded rod 26 that is operable between the arm/injector and a plate 27, arranged on the foot stand 19. Also, the arm/injector is rotatably supported on the plate by means of a pivot 28. A piston/ cylinder unit 29 is arranged on the foot stand 19 for raising and lowering, respectively, of the plate 27. The foot stand supporting the injector may be pivotably associated with the wash- and fractionation unit 2. The gear wheel 21 may be arrested in any desired position and is manually rotated or driven by a motor for extension and retraction of the injector 3. Likewise, the threaded rod 26 may be manually operated or driven by a motor, and may alternatively be exchanged for a piston/ cylinder unit. By forming the injector 3 as suggested there is achieved an efficient flushing of the rotary drum, whereby the water jets acting radially on the internal surface of the rotating drum are effective for cleaning both sides of the helical vane. This is specifically relevant for the back side of the vane, which is non-accessible by conventional hose flushing. The ability of vertical adjustment of the injector makes it universally operable for cleaning the rotary drums of differently sized cement trucks, and the adjustable insert length makes it adaptable for rotary drums of different depths /lengths. Alternatively, the injector and a rotary drum may be structured for temporarily or permanently attaching the injector to the rotary drum. In this alternative embodiment (not shown in the drawings), the injector is rotatably supported in the center of the rotator bottom. A support structure is arranged in the output end of the rotator and pivo tally supporting the injector. In such arrangement, the injector may temporarily be fitted into the rotary drum for cleaning purposes or may permanently be supported in bearing and support means permanently arranged on the rotary drum for an effi- cient flushing of the inside of the drum and its helical vane after connecting the coupling means in the back or outer end of the injector to pressurized water. The outer end of the injector with coupling means may be associated with a radially enclosing cover that provides protection against wear caused from filling and emptying of the rotary drum. Said cover may be structured as a surrounding shield having a diameter that allows the injector with nozzles to be inserted there through. A divisible pivot bearing may then be mounted in a fixed support on the rotary drum for rotatably supporting the injector. The arrangement according to the invention operates at a pressure over the nozzles 13 in the range of about 30-60 bar, preferably in the range of approximately 40-50 bar. In order to fully take advantage of this comparatively high pressure in the wash- and fractionation unit 2, said unit is structured for defining a high pressure section incorporating the nozzles 13, the screen unit 10 and the worm press 14, at least. The separated section may comprise an enclosure made of rubber cloth shields that prevent water and particles from spreading outside the high pressure section, and having open- ings for feeding out separated particles from the screen/ screens to the conveyors 11, 12 and from the worm press 14 to the conveyor 15. Preferably, the high pressure applied to the nozzles 13 is generated in pumps with rubber membranes. By applying a comparatively high pressure for washing the material on the screens there is achieved a substantial reduction in water consumption. Accordingly, the volumes involved are manageable for re-circulation and flushing of the rotary drum, and for recovery in the cement production, e.g. Another advantage that is gained through the inventive arrangement is a reduction of the time needed for cleaning the rotary drum. By directing the highly pressurized water radially for substantially the whole length of the inside of the rotary drum it is no longer required to rotate the drum for a mixing operation, such that flushing and emptying of the drum may rather be performed in one single operation. The high process pressure makes possible a continuous dewatering throughout the process, due to the resulting, reduced liquid volume. Particles passing the screen unit, but heavy enough for settling in a basin, are continuously separated from the process water by means of the worm press. The resulting slurry will merely contain finer particles having dimensions that permit re-circulation through the nozzles of the injector. The process water that is fed out from the dewatering section and the worm press is received for this purpose in two or more tanks 4,5, dimensioned relative to the production capacity. For example, the tank volumes may be in the range of approximately 25 m 3 each and alternately used for re-circulation of process water through the injector, or for recovery in the further cement production. Agitators are operative in the tanks for securing an even distribution of par- tides in the liquid, and the solid content is controlled for weighing in the process water when producing new cement. Thus, the invention provides a substantially closed system for reclaiming ballast material, wherein process water is both re-circulated for cleaning the rotary drum of a cement truck, and for recovery in the cement production. Further there is suggested an injector that is efficient for internally cleaning the rotary drum of the cement truck, specifically for an efficient cleaning of the helical vane that is arranged in the rotary drum. The invention is here disclosed with reference to an exemplifying embodiment, from which detailed modifications are possible without departing from the inventive teachings as such.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Cleaning and fractionation unit for recovery of ballast material, specifically cement ballast, comprising screens (10) onto which the ballast material is forwarded under nozzles (13) for spraying pressurized water, and feeder means (11, 12) for feeding out separated particle fractions, characterized by -a separated high pressure section (10, 13, 14) in which the material that is forwarded on the screens is washed by water forced through the nozzles at a pressure in the range of 30-60 bar; -a dewatering unit (14) comprising a worm press (14) for feeding out settling particle fractions from the high pressure section; -at least two bulk tanks (4,5) for receiving water and suspended particle fractions from the worm press, the tanks having agitators for maintaining an even distribution of particles in the water, and from which tanks the process water is alternately provided -for re -circulation to an injector (3) arranged for cleaning the rotary drum of a cement truck, and -for recovery of process water in the cement production after detecting the solid content. 2. The arrangement of claim 1, characterized in that the high pressure section and dewatering unit are accommodated in an isolated container. 3. The arrangement of claim 1, characterized by an injector for internally washing the rotary drum of a cement truck, the injector comprising an elongate tubular beam (3) having one end closed and one end opened, the opened end carrying a coupling means (16) for connection to pressurized water, and the tube having a plurality of nozzles (18) disposed from the closed end and extended a considerable part length of the tube for directing jets of pressurized water in radial directions towards the inside of the rotary drum and substantially for the whole internal length of the rotary drum, the injector and rotary drum being arranged for relative rotation and for concurrently flushing and emptying the rotary drum. 4. The arrangement of claim 3, characterized in that the injector (3) is permanently supported in the rotary drum (6) and journalled for relative rotation thereto. 5. The arrangement of claim 3, characterized in that the injector (3) is support on a stand (19) with adjustable height, the injector being journalled so as to be pivotable in a vertical plane and axially displaceable for insertion into the rotary drum. 6. The arrangement of claim 3, characterized in that at least two diametrically opposite rows of nozzles are formed on the injector in a common plane through the longitudinal axis of the injector. 7. The arrangement of claim 6, characterized in that said nozzles are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the injector. 8. The arrangement of claim 3, characterized in that the nozzle openings are formed for directing generally flat spray cones towards the inside of the ro- tary drum in a plane that is substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the injector. 9. The arrangement of any previous claim, characterized by a gear rack (20) attached to the injector and running longitudinally on the outside thereof, said gear rack being received in a guide means (23,24) arranged on the stand for sliding displacement of the injector in the longitudinal direction, the gear rack engaging a gear wheel (21) of an extension mechanism with interlocking means. 10. A method for washing and fractionation of ballast material, specifically for recovery of cement ballast material, comprising the steps of spraying pressurized water and fractionation by means of one or several screens from where separated material is fed out by means of one or several conveyors, characterized by -feeding the material through a high pressure section and washing the material that is transported on the screen/ screens with water at a pres- sure in the range of about 30-60 bar, preferably about 40-50 bar; -feeding out the washed material that is separated on the screens; -dewatering and feeding out finer particles from the process water; -saving and agitating the process water containing the finest particles remaining in the process water, both for -re-circulating the process water for cleaning the rotary drum of a cement truck, and for -recovery of process water in the cement production after analysis of the slurry or detection of the solid content. 11. The method of claim 10, characterized in that the solid content is measured by ultra sonic sounding and relating the solid content to the ratio of sound dampening in the process water. 12. The method of claim 10, characterized in that the process water is re- circulated for cleaning the rotary drum by spraying the inside of the drum with water jets radially directed through nozzles arranged on a tube shaped injector beam.

Inventors: SVEDBERG ERIK, SVEDBERG, ERIK
Applicants: FALU PROCESS SYSTEMS AB, SVEDBERG ERIK, SVEDBERG, ERIK
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B03B9
IPC codes: B03B9, B08B9