OA10830A

OA10830A - Apparatus and method for transporting hydrocarbon products

Info

Publication number: OA10830A
Application number: OA9800135A
Authority: OA
Inventors: Daniel Gurtner
Original assignee: Daniel Gurtner
Priority date: 1996-02-06
Filing date: 1998-08-06
Publication date: 2003-02-05
Also published as: NZ325918A; WO1997029030A1; SG69953A1; AU1317497A; AP9801336A0; ID15882A; CN1212663A

Abstract

The present invention is a tank (20) disposed within a container (10) for storing, transporting and delivering nongaseous hydrocarbon products such as bitumen efficiently, safely and economically. At least one heater (16) is located at the bottom section of the container (10) for raising and/or maintaining the temperature within the container and around the tank (20). An inlet (22) is provided for loading liquidified hydrocarbon products into the tank (20), and an outlet (26) is provided at the bottom of the tank (20) and through the container (10) for unloading the hydrocarbon products. The present invention permits nongaseous hydrocarbon products to be transported in bulk as soon as they are loaded and without waiting for such products to solidify. The preexisting insulation of the container (10) combined with the trapped air in the container and the hull of the tank (20) provides additional insulation for the present invention. As a result, reheating of nongaseous products is obviated as heat loss is minimal. At the same time, temperature on the surface of the loaded container (10) is at ambient temperature, thus making it suitable to existing mode of transporting containers (1). It follows that the present invention is not only safe but achieves energy efficiency and cost savings not possible under prior art apparatus and methods.

Description

1 010830

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING HYDROCARBONPRODUCTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The présent invention relates to apparatus and method of storing,transporting and delivering nongaseous substances. In particular, theprésent invention pertains to apparatus and method of storing, transportingand delivering nongaseous hydrocarbon products such as bitumen orasphalt efficiently, safely, and economically.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reinforced enclosure such as a container is known to be one of the mosteffective means of transporting and delivering cargoes. Not only is iteconomical to produce as the fabrication of container is standardised, but itis also well accepted in intermodal (sea and land) transportation.Containers are also constructed to absorb accidentai impacts. Above ail,containers are stackable thus rendering it efficient and cost effective tomove large volume of cargo within the same vertical space.

With respect to nongaseous cargo such as gasoline, bitumen and others,safety and transportation régulations however prohibit the transportation ofsuch substances in parallelpipedical enclosure. The rationale is straightforward: vehicles or crafts transporting liquid substances in container and inbulk run the risk of turnover. As such, the transportation of nongaseouscargo cannot take full advantage of efficiency and space saving features ofcontainer. 2 010830

By nongaseous substances the présent invention refers to a class ofproducts or solutions which hâve melting points above ambienttempérature. In general, such nongaseous substances are prepared orproduced at températures above ambient température. Nongaseous 5 substances such as bitumen change phase from liquid to solid when theirtempérature approaches ambient température. Conversely nongaseoussubstances change phase from solid to liquid when their température israised from ambient to their melting points. Nongaseous substances areused interchangeably with nongaseous products in the présent invention. 10

Traditionally nongaseous substances such as bitumen or asphalt aretransported either in drums and/or ISO tanks. An ISO tank is a pressurevessel having a cylindrical shape and multiple heating tubes disposedwithin its interior and lengthwise for reheating the hydrocarbon products 15 stored therein. While drums are uneconomical, non-recyclable andwasteful, smelter or furnace is required on site to reheat the solidifiedbitumen therein. ISO tanks on the other hand are costly and difficult tomaintain. The cost associated with ISO tanks is directly proportionate to theperiodic inspection and testing for certification of pressure vessels. 20 Maintenance of the heating tubes within and insulation over the ISO tankare also major issues.

Recently European Patent No. 0471826 teaches the use of containerhaving a heater and a meandering tube passage underneath the floor 25 section for reheating bitumen stored within the space between the side,end, top and floor walls. The reheatable container is considered animprovement over a drum and an ISO tank because it can transport anddeliver bitumen in bulk without having to undergo periodic inspection and 3 010830 testing for certification. However, the prohibition of transporting liquidsubstance in parallelpipedical enclosure such as container applies. Itfollows that the reheatable container in European Patent No. 0471826 mustwait until the bitumen solidifies before it can be transported. It takes on the 5 average two full days before bitumen in a container changes phase fromliquid to solid. The foreseeable temporary storage requirement andexpenses render this type of reheatable container impractical anduneconomical. Furthermore, the energy consumption in reheating solidifiedbitumen in the container of European Patent No. 0471826 is higher than 10 that of the présent invention.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the présent invention to store, transport and delivernongaseous hydrocarbon products efficiently, safely and economically.

It is an object of the présent invention to transport nongaseous hydrocarbonproducts in enclosures as soon as such products are loaded and withoutwaiting for such products to solidify.

It is a further object of the présent invention to incorporate the advantages ofreinforced enclosures without the disadvantages of prior art means ofstoring, transporting and delivering nongaseous hydrocarbon productsefficiently, safely and economically.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The présent invention is a tank disposed within a container for storing,transporting and delivering nongaseous hydrocarbon products such asbitumen efficiently, safely and economically. At least one heater is locatedat the bottom section of the container for raising and/or maintaining thetempérature within the container and around the tank. An inlet is providedfor loading liquidified hydrocarbon products into the tank, and an outlet isprovided at the bottom of the tank and through the container for unloadingthe hydrocarbon products. The présent invention permits nongaseoushydrocarbon products to be transported in bulk as soon as they are loadedand without waiting for such products to solidify. The preexisting insulationof the container combined with the trapped air in the container and the hullof the tank provides additional insulation for the présent invention. As a 5 010830 resuit, reheating of nongaseous products is obviated as heat loss isminimal. At the same time, température on the surface of the loadedcontainer is at ambient température, thus making it suitable for existingmode of transporting containers. It follows that the présent invention is not 5 only safe but achieves energy efficiency and cost savings not possibleunder prior art apparatus and methods. 010830

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a right side, elevational, perspective view of the preferredembodiment of the présent invention.

Fig. 2 is a right side, elevational, partial cutaway, perspective view of thepreferred embodiment of the présent invention where the tank for storingfluids is shown partially.

Fig. 3 is a front, elevational, cross sectional view of the preferredembodiment of the présent invention according to Fig. 1 and where themouth of the fluid outlet and support of the tank for storing fluids arehighlighted.

Fig. 4 is a side, elevational perspective view of the preferred embodiment ofthe présent invention according to A-A in Fig. 3 where the duct forconnecting to the heater is shown.

Fig. 5 is a side, elevational perspective view of the preferred embodiment ofthe présent invention according to B-B in Fig. 4 where the températuresensors and the fluid outlet are shown.

Fig. 6 is a rear, elevational perspective view of the preferred embodiment ofthe présent invention showing the chimney. 7 010830

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 is a right side, elevational, perspective view of the preferredembodiment of the présent invention 1. The enclosure 5 has an outward 5 appearance and dimensions substantially similar to one of a spécificationcontainer. It comprises side walls 10, end walls 12, top wall 14 and baseframe 15. Essentially, the walls constitute a parallelpipedical enclosuresuitable for transporting cargo in an intermodal (land and sea) manner.With the exception of a pair of doors, heaters 16, inlet 22, inlet cover 24, 10 and outlet 26, the enclosure is identical to that of a spécification container.The rationale is straight forward: the présent invention incorporâtes theadvantages of the container in storing, transporting and deliveringnongaseous cargo. 15 However, the similarity with prior art container ends with the outwardappearance in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a right side, elevational, partial cutaway,perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the présent inventionwhere the tank for storing fluids is shown partially. A tank 20 is disposedwithin the interior of the enclosure 5 for receiving, storing and transporting 20 nongaseous hydrocarbon cargo such as liquidified bitumen as soon as thecontents are loaded. The tank 20 is supported within the container with aplurality of tank supports 21 and further having the inlet 21, inlet cover 24and outlet 26. As mentioned briefly in above, safety and transportationprohibits the transportation of any liquid with parallelpipedical enclosure 25 such as a container unless the cargo is solidified. The enclosure 5incorporating the tank 20 of the présent invention addresses the safetyissue raised by the prohibition against transporting fluids or liquids in aparallelpipedical enclosure. The tank 20 comprises a cylindrical huit which 8 010830 is substantially similar to tanks used in transporting liquids such asgasoline. By incorporating the tank 20 into the enclosure, the présentinvention does not run the risk of turnover even if the contents within thetanks does not solidify. It follows, for instance, one may move the enclosure 5 1 loaded with bitumen from the refinery without waiting for the contents to solidify. This obviâtes any storage requirement and expenses on thepremises of the refinery or any other intermediate location.

Some of the other advantages of the présent invention are illustrated in Fig.10 3 where a front, elevational, cross sectional view of the enclosure of the présent invention is shown. Here, side walls 10, top wall 14 and baseframe 15 are shown enclosing the tank 20. Together with end walls 12 (notshown in Fig. 3) and the insulation 28 between the outer and inner métalsheets, a first layer of thermal insulation is provided for the contents of the 15 tank 20. As the tank is also fully enclosed within the interior of theenclosure 5, the air between the walls and the hull of the tank provides asecond layer of thermal insulation. Finally, the hull of the tank 20 providesyet another layer of thermal insulation. It follows from the construction of thetank 20 within the enclosure 5, température of the contents within the tank 20 can be maintained for a significant length of time. For instance, a tank fullyloaded with liquidified bitumen (température 160 °C initially) from therefinery using the enclosure of the présent invention loses only about 30 °Cin two full days. At the same time, the température of the outer surfaces ofthe enclosure 5 remains at ambient température. It is clear that the présent 25 invention enables one to deliver nongaseous hydrocarbon products suchas bitumen to destinations within short radius from production facility suchas a refinery without reheating the cargo. Furthermore, the nongaseouscargo such as bitumen can be used as soon as it arrives on the work site 9 010830 even without reheating. This is an improvement over prior art bitumencontainers which are required to sit idle for at least two days so that thebitumen can solidify before containers can be transported. Moreimportantly, the présent invention provides a very cost effective and safe 5 means of storing, transporting and delivering nongaseous hydrocarbonProducts.

For work site further away from the production facility, the présent inventionalso provides at least one heater 16 in or near the bottom section of the 10 enclosure for reheating the cargo within the tank 20 as shown in Figs. 1, 4and 5 respectively. Referring again to Fig. 1, a pair of heater 16 aredisposed at the bottom section of the end wall 12 for raising the températurewithin the enclosure 5. Optionally, a plurality of température probes 30 arealso disposed on any of the walls for verifying the température within the 15 tank 20. See Fig. 5. The heater 16 communicates with a heating tube orduct 23 which directs the flame and heated exhaust towards the bottom ofthe tank 20. Although the heating tube 23 is shown in Fig. 4 as having ashort section, it can run the entire length of the enclosure 5. To facilitate thereheating of the contents in tank 20, the supports 21 as shown in Figs 2 and 20 3 hve preferably openings 25 for improving the circulation of air therethrough. As the heater 16 is activated, the air between the base frame15 and the bottom of the tank 20 is initially heated. The hot air then risesalong the hulk of the tank before it reaches the top. Thereafter, the colderair at the top is mingled with the hotter air from the bottom. A chimney 18 is 25 also provided in the end wall 13 for discharging air from within theenclosure 5. Eventually, the température within the tank is raised above themelting point of the nongaseous cargo. It has been shown that the présent 10 01 0830 invention consumes only 6 - 8 litres of diesel fuie to reheat one metric ton ofsolidied bitumen in the tank.

While the présent invention has been described particularly with referenceto FIGS. 1 to 6 with emphasis on an apparatus and method for transporting 5 downstream hydrocarbon products, it should be understood that the figuresare for illustration only and should not be taken a limitation on the invention.

In addition, it is clear that the method and apparatus of the présent inventionhas utility in many applications where transportation and delivery of bulkhydrocarbon products is required. It is contemplated that many changes 10 and modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as described.

Claims

11 010830 CLAIMS

1. An apparatus for storing, transporting and deliveringnongaseous substances , said apparatus comprising: a parallelpipedic enclosure; and a tank disposed within the interior space of said enclosure for storingnongaseous substances, said tank having at least one inlet for receivingnongaseous substances therein, said tank further having at least one outletfor discharging nongaseous substances therefrom, whereby nongaseous substances stored within said apparatus areadapted for transportation as soon as said substances are loaded therein.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said parallelpipedicenclosure is insulated.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said tank has a spacebetween the exterior surfaces of hull and the interior surfaces of saidenclosure so as to provide additional insulation for said apparatus.

4. An apparatus for storing, transporting and deliveringnongaseous substances , said apparatus comprising: a parallelpipedic enclosure; a tank disposed within the interior space of said enclosure for storingnongaseous substances, said tank having at least one inlet for receivingnongaseous substances therein, said tank further having at least one outletfor discharging nongaseous substances therefrom; and at least one heater disposed at the bottom section of said enclosurefor raising the température of the air within the space between the interiorsurface of said enclosure and the exterior surface of the hull of said tank; whereby nongaseous substances stored within said apparatus areadapted for transportation as soon as said substances are loaded therein. 12 01 0830

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said parallelpipedicenclosure is insulated.

6. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said parallelpipedicenclosure has at least one chimney for discharging air from within saidenclosure.

7. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said tank has a spacebetween the exterior surfaces of hull and the interior surfaces of saidenclosure so as to provide additional insulation for said apparatus.

8. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said tank is supportedwithin said enclosure with a plurality of supports, said supporting having aplurality of opening for enhancing the circulation of air within saidenclosure.

9. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said heater communicateswith at least one duct in the bottom section of said enclosure for enhancingthe heat transfer of heated air within said enclosure.

10. A method for storing, transporting and delivering nongaseoussubstances, said method comprising the steps of: insulating a parallelpipedic enclosure; and disposing a tank within the interior space of said enclosure for storingnongaseous substances, said tank having at least one inlet for receivingnongaseous substances therein, said tank further having at least one outletfor discharging nongaseous substances therefrom, whereby nongaseous substances stored within said apparatus areadapted for transportation as soon as said substances are loaded therein.