Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B67D7/00—Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes
  • B67D7/06—Details or accessories
  • B67D7/78—Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61D—BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES
  • B61D5/00—Tank wagons for carrying fluent materials
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/4673—Plural tanks or compartments with parallel flow
  • Y10T137/469—Sequentially filled and emptied [e.g., holding type]

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method and apparatus for collec- tively filling and emptying fluid in a plurality of tanks, particularly in a railway train.
• the apparatus enables filling and emptying by means of a simple hook-up at the filling terminal or discharge terminal.
• TankTrain a large-scale American system
• tankTrain which, by interconnection of a plurality of tank cars, pumps the fluid from car to car through a central overlying pipeline. This involves pressurization of the cars, which requires the use of specially constructed tanks. Also, the system is such that the train may be filled and emptied from one end only.
• the main filling can be done by filling up all the connected tanks in parallel as communicating vessels. For topping off the tanks, the overflow pipe is used.
• the method according to the invention for collectively filling a plurality of tanks in, e.g. a railway train or a group of these tanks, where fluid under pressure is supplied to the common, permanently mounted filling and discharge line, where all the valves into the tanks are open, and likewise all safety valves are also open, and where the pumping continues until all the tanks are filled up to nearly full level, e.g., 80-9556, is characterized in that all valves between the pipeline and the tanks are closed with the exception of the valve to the car situated furthest away in relation to the supply end, that the pump pressure in the line is reduced and liquid is pumped into the car situated furthest away relative to the supply end until the remaining volume thereof is filled and fluid is conducted over the pipeline to the tank situated closest thereto, etc., until the entire row of tanks is topped off, whereafter all the valves are closed.
• the method according to the invention in an alternative embodiment form for collectively filling a plurality of tanks in, e.g., a railway train or a group of these tanks, where fluid under pressure is supplied to the common, permanently mounted filling and discharge line, where all the valves into the tanks are open, and likewise all safety valves are also open, and where the pumping continues until all the tanks are filled up to full level, is characterized in that the first tank closest to the supply end is filled up first, due to lowest pressure drop in the filling and discharge line between the supply end and the first valve, then the next tanks are filled in sequence both via the valves and via the overflow pipes until all the tanks have been filled up and fluid enters the overflow pipe in the tank situated furthest away from the supply end, whereafter all the valves are closed.
• the apparatus according to the present invention for collectively filling and emptying a plurality of tanks in a tank car train, particularly a railway train, comprising a common, continuous filling and discharge line permanently mounted along the row of cars, positioned under the tanks and connected to each individual tank by respective valves, is characterized in that all the tanks in the train or in a group of cars are connected to the ad acent tanks by a pipeline at the top of the tank, adapted for ventilating and topping off the tanks, and that the pipelines may be shut off for transport with valves placed on each tank.
• the apparatus is further characterized by an alternative design where the permanently mounted filling and discharge line is placed inside the tanks for maximal protection in case of accidents, whereby the line is provided with branch pipes to the lowest level , and the branch pipes are each provided with respective shut-off valves.
• fluid is meant to include liquid and gas, and other fluid states such as, e.g., silts/slurries.
• the invention is explained in terms of emptying and filling with a fluid, it is not limited to this, but may also be used for, e.g., gases and slurries.
• Fig. 1 shows the filling of a tank car in the first phase, i.e., until the car is about 80-9596 full.
• Fig. 2 shows the filling in the second phase (topping off).
• Fig. 3 shows an embodiment with an alternative placement of the filling/discharge line inside the tanks.
• FIG. 1 and Fig. 2 The system is illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, showing filling of tank cars in two phases.
• A indicates the placement of the bottom pipeline (about 8" steel pipe) with a low break below the center of each car.
• B may be, e.g., a reinforced flexible rubber tube of the same dimension as A. This is laid on a transition bridge or suspended from the top C by guy wires.
• C is the valve connection between bottom line A and the tank. This has the same dimension as the return pipe D (about 4"), which is placed on the top between the cars.
• the valve at C and the valve at E may be closed prior to transport and thereby safeguard the car in case of over ⁇ turning or collision.
• F is the filling and discharge connection for the entire length of the train, optionally placed at one of the ends of the train.
• the fluid is supplied to the permanently mounted filling and discharge line A. All valves C from line A and into the tanks are open. Similarly, all the safety valves E on the top of the tanks are open. The pumping through line A continues until all the cars in the row of tanks are filled up to almost full level, e.g., 80-9556. Then all the valves C are closed between line A and the tanks, with the exception of the valve C that is situated furthest away from the supply end F. Thereafter, the pump pressure in line A is lowered, and fluid is pumped into the most remotely situated car in relation to supply end F.
• Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment where the main filling line A is built into the tanks as an extra safety precaution for transport. From main line A a vertical pipe runs down to the bottom of each tank, and this pipe is terminated with a valve C. After all the tanks are full, main line A is emptied for safety reasons, and valves E on return pipe D are then closed. By this means each individual car is closed off and may be transported in accordance with the RID regulations (International convention on transport of dangerous goods by railway). These regulations require that the transport takes place without there being any fluid in the pipeline connec ⁇ tions between the tank cars.
• RID regulations International convention on transport of dangerous goods by railway
• a discharge pump (not shown) is connected to main line A and all cocks C and E on main line A and return pipe D are opened.
• the bottom cock C is closed either manually or with a float valve. This makes It impossible for air to be sucked from this tank, and fluid must be drawn from some of the other tanks that have not been emptied. The shut-off procedure is repeated until all the tanks are empty.
• Main line A may consist, e.g., of an approx. 8" steel pipe.
• the transition between the cars B may be made, e.g., with a flexible 8" reinforced rubber tube B suspended or laid on a transition bridge between the cars.
• the main line is connected to the tanks by a thinner pipe of about 4" which may be shut off by a valve C.
• Return pipe D is laid between the cars above the maximum fluid level in the uppermost part of the tanks.
• flexible tubes of about 4", which during transport may be shut off at the tanks by means of cocks E.
• an external return pipe which conducts the evaporation gases to a condenser.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19895084

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1992
  • 1992-04-21 NO NO921527A patent/NO175932C/no unknown
• 1993
  • 1993-04-21 AU AU42731/93A patent/AU4273193A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1993-04-21 US US08/325,213 patent/US5636665A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-04-21 WO PCT/NO1993/000064 patent/WO1993021051A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1993-04-21 DE DE69316202T patent/DE69316202T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1993-04-21 DK DK93912006T patent/DK0636079T3/da active
  • 1993-04-21 AT AT93912006T patent/ATE161783T1/de active
  • 1993-04-21 EP EP93912006A patent/EP0636079B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-04-21 CA CA002134126A patent/CA2134126C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (5)

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