Patent ID: 8826564

Claim:
A system for drying an asphalt sample, comprising: a sealable chamber including an interior sized and configured to enclose an asphalt sample, the chamber having first and second spaced-apart ports; a first valve in communication with the first port of the chamber; a second valve in communication with the second port of the chamber; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the second port of the chamber to evacuate air from the interior of the chamber through the second port of the chamber; a cold trap in fluid communication with the second port of the chamber and residing between the vacuum pump and the chamber; a cold trap evacuation flow path line, the cold trap evacuation flow path line connecting the second port of the chamber to the cold trap and the vacuum pump, wherein the second valve resides in the cold trap evacuation flow path line; a bypass evacuation flow path line to bypass the cold trap, the bypass evacuation flow path line connecting the second port of the chamber and the vacuum pump; a third valve residing between the second port of the chamber and the vacuum pump in the bypass evacuation flow path line; and a controller configured to: operate the vacuum pump; open and close the third valve; open and close the first and second valves to cycle the chamber between a first sealed state and a second unsealed state multiple times while drying the asphalt sample, wherein: during the first sealed state the first valve is closed, the second valve is open, and the vacuum pump is operated such that air is evacuated from the interior of the chamber, through the second port of the chamber, through the cold trap, then to the vacuum pump; and during the second unsealed state the second valve is closed, the first valve is open and air is supplied through the first port of the chamber to the interior of the chamber, and the third valve is opened such that the vacuum pump evacuates air from the interior of the chamber, through the second port of the chamber, and through the bypass evacuation flow path line; and monitor vacuum pressure in the interior of the chamber.