Heated liquid nozzles incorporated into a moldboard
View Patent ↗A motorized vehicle comprises a vehicle frame with a forward and rearward end. A rotary degradation drum is connected to an underside of the frame. A moldboard is disposed rearward to the rotary degradation drum and forms part of a milling chamber. The moldboard comprises an end disposed opposite the underside. A plurality of nozzles are disposed proximate the end of the moldboard and are configured to direct a fluid into the milling chamber. A heating mechanism is configured to heat the fluid.
1. A motorized vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle frame comprising a forward end and rearward end;
a rotary degradation drum connected to an underside of the frame;
a moldboard disposed rearward to the rotary degradation drum and forming part of a milling chamber;
the moldboard comprising an end disposed opposite the underside;
a conveyor belt to remove aggregate from the milling chamber;
a plurality of nozzles disposed proximate the end of the moldboard and configured to direct a fluid into the milling chamber; and
a heating mechanism is configured to heat the fluid.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the fluid exchanges heat with an engine of the machine.
3. The vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising a heat exchanger comprising a pathway that is configured to pass fluid through the engine.
4. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a compression mechanism configured to increase the temperature of the fluid.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the compression mechanism is configured to pressurize the fluid to allow increased liquid temperatures thereby allowing the liquid flashing to a gas as it exists the nozzles.
6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the heating mechanism comprises a boiler configured to heat the fluid.
7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a pathway is heated by an engine of the machine and an additional heating element.
8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises additives.
9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the additives comprise oil, clay, surfactants, or combinations thereof.
10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises water.
11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is configured to heat the fluid above the fluid's boiling point.
12. A method for paving a road, comprising the steps of:
providing a road milling machine with a rotary degradation drum and a moldboard forming part of a milling chamber, the moldboard comprising a plurality of nozzles configured to direct a fluid into the milling chamber;
heating the fluid directed into the milling chamber;
passing the milling machine over a pavement structure;
removing aggregate from the milling chamber by a conveyor belt;
heating the pavement structure with the fluid as the milling machine passes over the pavement structure; and
paving a new layer of pavement over the pavement structure while the pavement structure is still warm.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fluid may comprise steam, polymers, surfactants, binding agents, or combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of heating the fluid comprises a heating mechanism in fluid communication with a reservoir and the plurality of nozzles.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reservoir is disposed on the milling machine.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the heating mechanism comprises a heat exchanger.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the heat exchanger may exchange heat with at least one engine.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the heat exchanger may exchange heat with an exhaust manifold.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method comprises an additional step of degrading the pavement structure during the step of heating the pavement structure with the fluid.