Material mixing system
The invention relates generally to a mixing system for mixing a dry material with a liquid. The mixing system includes a supply of dry material and a supply of liquid. An infinitely variable metering device meters the dry material into the liquid. A sensor senses the ratio of dry material to liquid. The sensor is operatively connected to the metering device to control the metering device to obtain a desired ratio of dry material to liquid. The dry material is dispensed volumetrically by volume of liquid to form the desired ratio of dry material to liquid.
1. A liquid de-icer producing system comprising:
a hopper adapted to contain a quantity of bulk de-icing material, said hopper having a first opening for receiving bulk de-icing material and a second opening for discharging bulk de-icing material;
a metering device positioned adjacent said second opening, said metering device being adapted to meter bulk de-icing material from said hopper to a bulk de-icing material conditioner;
a bulk de-icing material conditioner adapted to receive bulk de-icing material from said metering device, said bulk de-icing material conditioner conditioning the bulk de-icing material to form conditioned bulk de-icing material;
said metering device includes a shaft and a plurality of fingers extending radially outwardly from said shaft, said fingers sweeping bulk de-icing material from within said hopper to said bulk de-icing material conditioner as said shaft rotates; said fingers are positioned along said shaft in longitudinally extending rows, each finger having a space between it and the next adjacent finger and each finger of each row being positioned adjacent a space of the next circumferentially spaced row;
a mixing bowl having at least one water inlet for supplying water to said mixing bowl, said conditioned bulk de-icing material being fed into said mixing bowl to mix with said water to form liquid de-icer, said mixing bowl having an outlet adapted to discharge the liquid de-icer;
whereby liquid de-icer can be produced at pre-determined discharge rates.
2. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , further including at least three circumferentially spaced rows of fingers.
3. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , wherein said metering device includes an auger positioned within said hopper, said auger having a first end operatively connected to a motor for rotating said auger and a second end, said second end being positioned adjacent said second opening of said hopper, said auger receiving bulk de-icing material from said hopper and moving said bulk de-icing material to said second opening as said auger rotates.
4. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 3 , further including a bulk de-icing material shield at least partially covering said second end of said auger.
5. A liquid de-icer producing system of claim 3 , further including a tube, said auger extending within said tube, said tube having a discharge opening to discharge bulk de-icing material to said conditioner.
6. A liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , further including a motor operatively connected to said metering device and a controller operatively connected to said motor, said controller controlling said motor to meter bulk de-icing material from within said hopper to said bulk de-icing material conditioner as required for maintaining a pre-determined mixture of the liquid de-icer.
7. A liquid de-icer producing system of claim 6 , further including a salinity sensor mounted within said mixing bowl, said salinity sensor communicating with said controller to control the mixture of the liquid de-icer.
8. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , wherein said bulk de-icing material conditioner is a hammer mill.
9. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , further including a vibrator mounted within said hopper to facilitate the flow of bulk de-icing material to said metering device.
10. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 9 , wherein said vibrator includes a plate mounted adjacent to said metering device.
11. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , wherein said mixing bowl includes a plurality of nozzles positioned about said mixing bowl to circulate the water to facilitate mixing of the bulk de-icing material and water.
12. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , wherein said mixing bowl has a concave bottom section.
13. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , further including a pump connected to said water inlet to circulate water within said mixing bowl.
14. The liquid de-icer producing system of claim 1 , further including a storage tank operatively coupled to said mixing bowl, said mixing bowl discharging liquid de-icer to said storage tank.