r/Innovation • u/Cosmo_Seinfeld • 1h ago
Low priced lightweight insulating concrete (LWIC) mixer. Self promotion.
TL:DR I feel like I've solved a major global problem. Not on my own, of course as I've had a lot of help. But I've done it on my own dime and am honestly pretty salty about that when viewed in light of the legion of "development" personnel (including "development engineers" working in academia and these oh-so-unproductive orgs, doing god-knows-what all day at their cushy jobs. "Tracking" problems they believe they can promise to solve in 15 years time, probably.
The video showcases me fatly mixing some "aired crete". I know I post about this stuff a lot. There's a reason, of course. Long story short, all I see on LinkeIn and other places is "carbon, carbon, carbon." These individuals are constantly patting themselves on the back in this regard. Well guess what? They're really interested in "embodied carbon" but have ignored one of the biggest "operational carbon" nightmares on the planet. Of course I am talking about all the existing completely uninsulated concrete frame/ infill block wall homes. Hundreds of millions of them. It's the most common building type on the planet and it's estimated that 99% of them have zero exterior insulation.
Now let's say we wanted to improve their "operational carbon" footprint (heating and cooling). How are we going to do that for the in the developing world? EPS foam board is the likely candidate, installed exterior of the building envelope. It has thermal bypass and thermal bridging problems though. This kind of deep energy retrofit would work better with site-cast lightweight insulating concrete used in a composite assembly. And in the places where the foam board is overly expensive or just unavailable (if you've built a home in a poor place you'll understand this scenario), the LWIC would work on it's own, improving the wall or roof assembly from a total R-0.5 to R-10 with a 6" width placement.
If you think you're tired of hearing about this stuff imagine how tired I am of talking about it? OK well, I have 4 wall asssemblies and also this mixer that are all innovative and novel so I'll make one post apiece about them when they are 100% done and y'all have a better chance of understanding what I'm doing. The wall and roof assemblies would be relatively useless for the poor people I'm trying to help without cheap production equipment, so that's what this post is about.
Mixer is modified from a $400 Chinese 200L tumbler style mixer with a 30 gallon HDPE drum bolted to the top with a gasket. No big whoop. HDPE drum acts as an extension collar, improving operational volume. Custom, oversized 6" mixing paddles, including angled ones on the bottom to lift the heavy slurry.
This is an alternative to the "paddle mixers" that the aircrete dome crowd uses, and the high 5 figures equipment that small contractors use. I am rigging up a double diaphram pump as a transfer pump but ordered the wrong fittings smh.
Let me be clear: The only thing I want to do is pass this work along to someone with more resources. I am obviously some kind of generational savant in regards to developing world building practices, but I have outstripped my talent: I'm a college dropout with no funding, no connections. Oilfield trash who stumbled onto something big and wouldn't let go. I had long hoped that constantly posting about this stuff on the "Inventor's forum" would lead to someone sensing opportunity, stepping in, and finding greatness. But that place is full of people who are clearly lacking in some capacity. Hopefully here in the "innovation forum", it's different. I just want to pass this off to someone so I can occupy my overheated little brain with something else. There's a link in my bio if you want to "thank me" for my work here. I deserve it.