Hydro excavation vacuum apparatus

• Main Authors: Hofland, Daniel, Meyer, Nathan J, Strobel, Andy, Skinner, James W, Bates, Adam, Askelsen, Tayte, Lanoue, Corey, Gift, David
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.04.2022
• Subjects: APPARATUS USING FREE VORTEX FLOW, e.g. CYCLONES; CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL ORCHEMICAL PROCESSES; CHEMISTRY; COFFEE MILLS; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; DREDGING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FOUNDATIONS; FURNITURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; SOIL SHIFTING; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

A hydro excavation vacuum apparatus for excavating earthen material comprising: a wand for directing pressurized water toward earthen material to cut the earthen material at an excavation site; a vacuum system for removing cut earthen material and water from the excavation site in an airstream; a separation vessel for removing cut earthen material and water from the airstream; an airlock that receives material from the separation vessel and discharges the material through an airlock outlet; and a dewatering system for separating water from cut earthen material discharged from the airlock outlet, the dewatering system comprising: a pre screen that receives material from the outlet of the airlock, the pre-screen having openings for separating material from the separation vessel by size; and a vibratory screen for separating material that passes through the pre-screen by size, the vibratory screen having openings sized smaller than the openings of the pre-screen. lomoOQQ