KR20080046649A - Transport and drying of extra large containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of preparing a very large vessel for transportation and/or erection includes at least partially filling the vessel with a flowable filler material which is, or which can be made to be, substantially solid, in order to stiffen the vessel for purposes of transportation and/or erection.

Description

TRANSPORT AND ERECTION OF VERY LARGE VESSELS}

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the transportation and construction of extra-large containers, and more particularly, to a method for preparing an extra-large container for transport and / or drying, a method for transporting a super-large container, and a method for building a super-large vessel.

Frequently, containers required for chemical treatment facilities are large in diameter, long in length between ends, and require internals such as heat transfer tubes. Typically, such vessels are pressure vessels which operate at or below atmospheric pressure or at other severe conditions, i.e. very high pressures. When designing such a container, all processing conditions should be taken into account, along with factors such as ease of manufacture, transportation and drying and cost.

One of the design specifications that must be determined when designing a container, especially a very large container, is the wall thickness of the container. The minimum wall thickness is determined using appropriate formulas or algorithms well known to those skilled in the art, including operating pressure and temperature, constituent materials, the presence and location of nozzles and other vessel interior materials to be attached to the vessel wall, and static and dynamic loads. It can be designed in consideration of factors such as Typically, tolerances arise due to other forces which, for example, affect the container during manufacture, transportation and drying, thereby increasing the design thickness of the container wall. As is known, for containers, for example very large very long containers, the wall thickness of the container designed using the above-mentioned solution is very thick due to the tolerances generated during transportation and drying (eg Welding and heat treatment) and the manufacturing cost is high. In terms of increased container weight, increased labor and costs for manufacturing, and the complexities of transport and construction, limit wall thickness tolerances, internal braces, internal and / or external support rings, and rigid materials are used. This problem can be solved to some extent.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of preparing an extra large container for transportation and / or drying. The method is characterized in that at least partly the filling of a flowable filling material which is actually solid is made to give the container rigidity for transport and / or drying.

As used herein, the term "very large vessel" relates to a vessel having a length and a diameter of 2 m for a diameter ratio of at least 5. In addition, compared to the case where the method of the present invention is not used, the fact that the filling material is "substantially solid" means that the gel, the jelly-like material, the semi-solid material, and the container It includes solids that can be used to some extent with reduced design wall thickness given sufficient rigidity. Solid flowable materials include particulate matter and powders.

Preferably, the entire container is filled with a flowable material. Such a preferred filling of the entire container with a solid material makes the container for transport and / or drying purposes rigid.

The container may comprise an interior material. The method may comprise securing the interior material of the container with the fill material by submerging the interior material in the fill material or surrounding the interior material with the fill material.

The flowable filler material may be a fluid that can be solidified. The method may comprise solidifying or causing the flowable filling material in the container to solidify.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the flowable material is a material that is normally solid in the atmosphere, and is flowable when the temperature rises, for example, with Fischer-Tropsch extracted from wax. Is the same hydrocarbon. Thus, the method includes filling the vessel with a hydrocarbon at flowable temperature and then allowing the hydrocarbon to solidify or solidify, for example by removing heat from the hydrocarbon.

The flowable filling material, such as a hydrocarbon, may comprise a catalyst used in the vessel during the course of its use. Thus, preferably, in the manufacture and processing of the container, the container may pre-fill the filling material to be used in the manufacturing process, even including the initiator, and the pre-filling of the container may also be carried out for the purpose of transportation and / or drying. Hardening can be achieved. After drying, the solid filling material, for example wax, can be converted back into the fluid, for example by melting the wax by additional heat, to leave the container in operation.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the flowable filling material is a material that is normally fluid in the atmospheric state, and is a material that solidifies in the sub-atmosphere conditions, for example, water or cold water. Thus, the method includes cooling the flowable fill material to a solid fill material at sub-ambient temperatures and maintaining the fill material at the temperature during transportation and / or drying. Removing or adding heat to the fill material can affect the entire wall of the container. Alternatively, or in addition, they may be used if the container includes a lining such as a heat transfer tube or coil suitable for that purpose.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the flowable filling material is a particulate material. Examples of such particulates include mineral or ore particulates, sand, sawdust, and particulates of natural or synthetic plastics or polymeric materials such as rubber, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene or ABS beads.

Advantageously, when particulate material is used, there is no need to change the state of the material to stiffen the container or to remove the filler material from the container.

In another embodiment of the invention, the flowable filling material is a foam-producing fluid in which the foam can solidify. The method includes filling a foam into a container and solidifying the foam. Also in this case the method may comprise coating the inner surface of the container with a foam-release aiding synthesis. To remove the solid foam from the vessel, the foam can be chemically dissolved using appropriate solvents or reagents, or, for example, using sand blasting, shot blasting or ultrasonic waves. It can be mechanically or physically decomposed.

The method may comprise treating the inner surface of the container to protect the surface opposite the fill material, for example to protect the inner surface and outer surface of the container interior material against corrosion and / or erosion. Treating the surface can include coating the surface with a protective coating.

The method may comprise the step of treating the filler material, if present, to reduce or eliminate, as far as possible, the deleterious effects of the filler material on the material constituting the interior material. For example, the filler material may be mixed with a corrosion inhibitor.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for transporting an extra large container. The method includes the steps of providing a shipping container by at least partially filling the container with a flowable fill material that can be made substantially solid or solid; Transporting the container to the desired location in this rigid state.

The container may be provided according to the same method as described above.

The method according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include shipping the container to a vehicle for transporting the container in a rigid state. The method may also include the step of unloading the container in a rigid state to be transported once to the desired location in the vehicle.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of drying an extra-large container, which method comprises at least partially filling the container with a fluid filled material that can be substantially solid or solid to stiffen the container. Providing a drying container; Drying the container in such a rigid state.

Drying the container may include rotating the container in the operating direction via an angle in the vertical plane in the manufacturing or transport direction. Typically, the vessel is rotated until it is 90 ° about an axis across the vessel.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, once the container is dried, it may include removing the filling material from the container. Removing the filler material from the container may include treating the filler material to allow the filler material to flow back if necessary. Processing the filler material may include heating the filler material, for example to melt the filler material.

In addition, the method according to the third embodiment of the present invention may include treating the filling material and / or the container to easily remove the filling material from the container. Treatment of the filler material and / or the container to facilitate removal of the filler material may include applying vibration to the filler material and / or the container, and / or for example chains, pokers, stirrers, Mechanically actuating the filling material with a shaver, an excavation auger, or the like.

Once the container is dried, instead of removing the packing material from the container, the method according to the third embodiment of the present invention may include treating the packing material so that the packing material is properly used in the course of using the container. Can be. Accordingly, the filler material may contain inert components that are present in a normal state within the vessel during the vessel's use, such as reagents, products, catalysts, or Fischer-Tropsch synthesis processes. It is used.

The container may be provided according to the method as described above.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following examples.

The ultra-cylindrical container having a diameter of about 10 m and a length of about 60 m includes internals such as a steam coil designed to be transported as one complete manufacturing facility. As is known, this means that the pressure vessel has all the contact loads present during transport and drying.

In order to design the temperature and pressure of the super-large vessel using conventional pressure vessel design codes, the wall thickness of the pressure vessel was between 66 mm and 76 mm. It is preferable to select a thickness of 66 mm or less for assembly, transportation, mass and cost. For thinner wall thicknesses, a special constituent material was chosen that was approximately 20% stronger per weight unit than the carbon steels typically used in the manufacturing conditions in which extra-large containers are used. One of the conditions for selecting a thinner wall thickness and specific construction material is that the shape of the container should be as close as possible to the original design shape, ie the container should be cylindrical.

Factors that combine the length ratio to diameter of the vessel, the selected wall thickness, the contact load, the installed interior of the pressure vessel, and what is required to transport and dry the pressure vessel without torsion or deformation of the shell, Special measures are required to ensure that no damage or shape change occurs. A conventional engineering solution to this problem is to design a standard carbon steel to select a sheath thickness that is approximately 25% thicker than the wall thickness. This makes assembly, especially welding and heat treatment, and handling of pressure vessels very difficult.

According to the present invention, the stiffness of the vessel is increased so that no distortion or deformation occurs during handling, transportation and drying of the pressure vessel, and the wall thickness of the pressure vessel is only 66 mm. For the special manufacture of the container of the embodiment, it is envisioned to fill the container with a fluid wax that allows the container to solidify before it is transported and dried.

As is known, by using a fixable fluid such as wax, the interior of the pressure vessel is completely fixed. Advantageously, the wax, which is believed to be a Fischer-drops extracted from the wax, may comprise a Fischer-drops initiator if the container is used in a Fischer-drops process. Once drying of the vessel is complete, the Fischer-Drops wax can be melted by applying heat, for example by allowing the steam to circulate throughout the installed steam coil, and then the pressure vessel is removed from the wax by Fischer-Tropsch. ) And fischer-drops initiators already in the container.

Claims (18)

In the method of providing a super-large container for transportation and / or drying, At least partially filling a fluid filled material that is actually made solid to give the container rigidity for transportation and / or drying purposes. . The method of claim 1, wherein the entire portion of the container is filled with a flowable material. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the container comprises an interior material, and the interior material of the container is secured with the filler material by submerging the interior material in the filler material or surrounding the interior material with the filler material. A method of providing an extra large container for transportation and / or drying, comprising. The transport and / or drying according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flowable filler material is a fluid that can be solidified, thereby solidifying or allowing the flowable filler material in the vessel to solidify. How to arrange a super large container for. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flowable filling material is a solid which is normally solid at atmospheric conditions and which flows when the temperature rises. The method of any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filler material is a hydrocarbon, comprising filling the vessel with a hydrocarbon at a temperature condition causing the hydrocarbon to flow, and causing the hydrocarbon to solidify or solidify. Method for providing a super-large container for transport and / or drying. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flowable filling material comprises a catalyst used in the container during manufacture. 5. The flowable material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flowable filling material is a material which is normally fluid in the atmospheric state, is a material which solidifies below the ambient temperature, and the filling material in the container is filled below the ambient temperature. Cooling to solidify and maintaining the filling material at said temperature during transport and / or drying. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flowable filling material is a particulate material. The method of claim 1, wherein the flowable filling material is a foam-producing fluid in which the foam can be solidified, and the container is filled with foam and the foam is solidified. Method for providing a super-large container for transport and / or drying characterized in that it comprises a step of. Providing a shipping container by at least partially filling the container with a flowable fill material that may be substantially solid or solidly prepared to stiffen the container; Transporting said container to a desired position in a rigid state. The method of claim 11, wherein the container is prepared according to the method as claimed in claim 1. 13. The method of claim 11 or 12, comprising shipping the container to a vehicle for transporting the container in a rigid state, or unloading the container in the rigid state to be transported once to a desired location in the vehicle. Characterized in that for transporting extra-large containers. A method of drying an extra large container, the method comprising: providing a drying container by at least partially filling the container with a fluid filled material that can be substantially solid or solid to stiffen the container How to dry a very large container. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein drying the container in a rigid state comprises rotating the container in an operating direction over an angle in a vertical plane from the manufacturing or transportation direction. 16. The method of claim 14 or 15, comprising removing the filler material from the container when the container is dry. 16. The method of claim 14 or 15, comprising the step of treating the fill material such that the fill material can be used properly in the course of using the container. 18. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the container is prepared according to the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.