        |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special Features of CEG Pneumatic Transport SystemsTelescoping BoomsTo avoid the persistent problem of material clogging in suction hoses, CEG has designed and patented a unique telescoping digging boom. Employed on systems built for the Electric Power Research Institute, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, and Tyndall Air Force Base, the straight tube eliminates hose bends and, hence. the places where damp material tends to accumulate and eventually plug. This is particularly important if moving large quantities of soil or soil that contains hazardous materials where operator interaction to clear a clogged hose is not readily possible. The boom on the Soft Trencher is 7 inches in minimum diameter (almost big enough to suck up a bowling ball), extends up to 22 feet, and slews +/- 25 o in all four directions.
Telescoping booms: Soft Trencher (left) has three steel tubing sections: INEEL (center) and Tyndall AFB (right) have two sections of fiberglass epoxy tubing. Excavating HeadsConventional vacuum excavation equipment uses an opened tube for suction and a separate soil reduction tool for digging. CEG has designed, built, tested, and supplied several combined digging and suction heads, which do both operations in a synergistic manner. The hardest thing for a vacuum system to do is to initially get loose material off of the surface. (This is why vacuum cleaners have brushes.) Using supersonic air jets to loosen the soil also gets the material airborne where the vacuum can entrain it. Having both functions together also allows one man to do the work rather than two. Excavation rates from 5 to over 15 cubic feet per minute, depending on soil type, have been achieved with the Soft Trencher. This is significantly faster than the average rate of 1 to 2 cubic feet per minute for most vacuum excavation equipment.
Combined air jet / suction heads for the Soft Trencher (left and center) cut disciplined straight trenches. Patented rotary excavation head (right) can bore a 12 to 18 inch diameter hole vertically downward. Remote Control BoxControl of the boom, machine motion, and all operating functions has been incorporated into a single, portable control box. Using 4 proportional joysticks, the operator can lift, slew, and extend/retract the boom, steer and drive the whole unit quickly or slowly as needed. The digging air jets and vacuum can be turned on/off with push buttons. The box on the Soft Trencher is on a 25-foot umbilical cable allowing the operator to walk around the excavation for his best viewpoint. The box design could easily upgrade to infrared or radio remote for radioactive or hazardous waste situations.
Flow through Material HandlingConventional vacuum systems all draw the spoil into a holding tank. The size of this tank limits the throughput capacity of the system. Even though it can be substantial once it is filled, vacuuming must stop until it is taken away and dumped. CEG material handling systems use a patented, flow through approach. In a primary enclosure the material is separated from the air stream by expansion, impact, and turning. By using a discharge rotary valve, material is constantly released from the system. Just like conventional excavating, for larger jobs like trenching this allows the excavator to remain at work while dump trucks remove the spoil. Also, the physical size, weight, and cost of this primary separator is significantly less when compared to the holding tanks on large vacuum excavation trucks. The chassis to hold and transport is also correspondingly smaller. Dumping can also be a source of secondary dust emissions. In the radioactive soil vacuuming system for the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site Lift-Liner™ disposal sacks were loaded directly from the separator in a dustless manner.
Patented systems contain material separation chamber, discharge rotary valve, and filter chamber all in one unit. INEEL (left), Tyndall AFB (middle), and RFETS (right). Filtration System Conventional vacuum systems use various means to filter the discharge air including bags, cyclones, and cartridges. CEG uses a combination of compact cartridges with an automatic cleaning system. The unique Roto-Pulse™ cleaning system uses pulses of air disposed along the entire inside surface of the cartridge to temporarily create a back flow instead of the more conventional blast from a quick opening valve. If the job requires it, the cartridge material can be special such as Tetratex ® High Efficiency Expanded PTFE membrane on thermally fused polyester. This material is almost HEPA quality by itself with a manufacturer’s test of 99.978 to 99.986% efficient for a size range of 0.3 to 0.5 μm. Compact Power UnitCEG has done the engineering to integrate the three main components of an air-vacuum excavation system, prime mover, air compressor, and vacuum pump into a single compact unit. Gasoline or diesel engines or electric motor are available as prime movers. One engine adds simplicity as one maintenance/service point instead the multiple engines used by some competitors. One set of controls runs the unit. The components are mounted together on a skid base for portability. The unit can be mounted on a pick-up truck, trailer, utility type vehicle or tracked unit for unique off-road capability.
Equipment skids for SAFEX ® systems: Electric for INEEL (upper left); Diesel for Tyndall AFB (upper right): Gasoline on Mule™ (bottom left) and GATOR ® (bottom right).
SAFEX ® systems: Commercial on truck (left) and trailer (right) with extra HEPA filter for Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
