The application concerns a system for measuring the rotational speed of a drum rotatably mounted to a mixer truck, rotating relatively to the mixer truck and having a main axis inclined relative to the mixer truck, even in case that the drum is empty. A sensor is mounted to the empty drum and generates a sinusoidal signal as the drum rotates; the sensor could be a load sensor experiencing forces due to the changing influence of gravity during rotation, or a light intensity sensor responsive e.g. to variations of ambient light during rotation. The sensor signal is transmitted over a wireless connection to a receiver. The frequency of the sinusoidal signal is measured and output as the rotational speed of the rotating drum. The application also concerns the determination of a direction of rotation, based on a phase shift between two periodic signals. One signal could be the periodic intensity variation on a first wireless transmission path during a full rotation. The other could be a periodic intensity variation on a second wireless transmission path, or a periodic variation of a sensed value such as the output of a load sensor or light intensity sensor.

A volumetric mixer control system for a mobile volumetric mixer for controlling a mix recipe produced by the mobile volumetric mixer. The control system on the mobile volumetric mixer has a programmable logic controller, electronic control units for controlling flow control devices, and a controller area network for controlling the mixer control system. A mobile electronic device connects the controller area network on the mobile volumetric mixer to a remote terminal for providing a control signal to the mobile electronic device to control the mix produced by the volumetric mixer.

A quality assurance system for mixing a slurry comprising at least water or other liquid and at least one flowable wet or dry mass, such as cement, sand or other suitable component, has computerized control over the loading of ingredients and has an accurate and broadly variable speed control of the loading of the ingredients. The mixing chamber has scales that provide a signal indicating the current weight of an ingredient in the mixing chamber. As the desired weight of an ingredient is added to the mixing chamber, the computer slows and then stops the inflow of the current ingredient being loaded via broadly variable control of the loading of the ingredients. The broadly variable control of the loading rate of the ingredients allows more accurate control of the final weight of each ingredient added. Further, a damping period allows system vibrations to dissipate, allowing highly accurate weights to be measured. Accurate records of the addition of each ingredient are maintained using the internal computer that controls the invention. The combination of highly accurate control over the input of materials added to the mixing chamber as well as the maintenance of permanent records concerning each batch of cementitious slum made allows the production of precision batches of final products to meet exacting specifications needed in both ordinary projects and highly specialized projects requiring cementitious products. Data recorded during production operations further allow accurate identification of manpower needs of projects and allow owners/operators at job sites to record, control, predict and manage production costs and manpower needs. All recorded data is transmitted to an offsite location for management to use as needed for quality and management control and can be transmitted at any time or hatch interval desired by management.

A quality assurance system for mixing a slurry comprising at least water or other liquid and at least one flowable wet or dry mass, such as cement, sand or other suitable component, has computerized control over the loading of ingredients and has an accurate and broadly variable speed control of the loading of the ingredients. The mixing chamber has scales that provide a signal indicating the current weight of an ingredient in the mixing chamber. As the desired weight of an ingredient is added to the mixing chamber, the computer slows and then stops the inflow of the current ingredient being loaded via broadly variable control of the loading of the ingredients. The broadly variable control of the loading rate of the ingredients allows more accurate control of the final weight of each ingredient added. Further, a damping period allows system vibrations to dissipate, allowing highly accurate weights to be measured. Accurate records of the addition of each ingredient are maintained using the internal computer that controls the invention. The combination of highly accurate control over the input of materials added to the mixing chamber as well as the maintenance of permanent records concerning each batch of cementitious slum made allows the production of precision batches of final products to meet exacting specifications needed in both ordinary projects and highly specialized projects requiring cementitious products. Data recorded during production operations further allow accurate identification of manpower needs of projects and allow owners/operators at job sites to record, control, predict and manage production costs and manpower needs. All recorded data is transmitted to an offsite location for management to use as needed for quality and management control and can be transmitted at any time or hatch interval desired by management.

A method of preparing a concrete composition for downhole injection includes utilizing a controller to control a process including circulating process water in a process water supply loop for a predetermined period while monitoring and controlling the temperature and flow rate of the process water, circulating aqueous-based air entrainment solution in an aqueous-based air entrainment solution supply loop for the predetermined period and controlling the flow rate of the aqueous-based air entrainment solution and after the predetermined period of time in which the flow of process water and aqueous-based air entrainment solution have stabilized, simultaneously actuating valves to divert and mix the process water, the aqueous-based air entrainment solution and compressed air to produce an air-entrained foam and mixing the foam with a concrete composition to be deployed downhole.

A method of preparing a concrete composition for downhole injection includes utilizing a controller to control a process including circulating process water in a process water supply loop for a predetermined period while monitoring and controlling the temperature and flow rate of the process water, circulating aqueous-based air entrainment solution in an aqueous-based air entrainment solution supply loop for the predetermined period and controlling the flow rate of the aqueous-based air entrainment solution and after the predetermined period of time in which the flow of process water and aqueous-based air entrainment solution have stabilized, simultaneously actuating valves to divert and mix the process water, the aqueous-based air entrainment solution and compressed air to produce an air-entrained foam and mixing the foam with a concrete composition to be deployed downhole.

An apparatus (1) for producing fluid concrete comprising: a first mixer (100) configured to mix at least water (A1) and cement (C) so as to make a low fluidity concrete (2), having consistency class S2, a truck mixer configured to mix the low fluidity concrete (2) with further water (A2) so as to make a fluid concrete (3) having consistency class S2, a water supply means and at least a cement supply means configured so that said apparatus (1) can produce fluid concrete (3), a control and adjustment unit (4), connected to the water supply means and at least to the cement supply means, configured to selectively control and adjust the introduction of water (A1) and cement (C) into the first mixer (100) and the introduction of further water (A2) into the cement mixer.

A system features a combination of an acoustic sensor and a communication transmitter. The acoustic sensor is arranged on a rotating container or drum having a slurry contained therein, including concrete, and configured to provide an acoustic signal to sense an acoustic signal containing information about a characteristic of the slurry, and provide acoustic sensor signaling containing information about the acoustic signal sensed. The communication transmitter is arranged on the rotating container or drum, and configured to receive the acoustic signal, and provide the acoustic signal received from the rotating container or drum for further processing.

The invention provides compositions and methods directed to carbonation of a cement mix during mixing. The carbonation may be controlled by one or more feedback mechanisms to adjust carbon dioxide delivery based on one or more characteristics of the mix or other aspects of the mixing operation.

A system and process for detecting dynamic segregation in concrete rotated within a mixer drum, such as mounted on a delivery truck. A system processor is programmed to monitor an instantaneous and averaged rheology parameter and to deploy protocols for detecting segregation. A first protocol comprises monitoring the averaged slump during and immediately after a jump in drum speed of at least plus or minus four rotations per minute and detecting when a change in the averaged slump value meets or exceeds a threshold; and a second protocol comprises monitoring the instantaneous slump when the mixer drum is rotating at a constant speed for at least three successive rotations and detecting when the instantaneous slump value meets or exceeds a threshold limit. Once segregation is detected, one or more operations can be initiated, such as initiating an alarm or adjusting the mix.