Modular tank unit for ship, barge and rail transportation

Abstract

A modular tank unit for utilizing vessels of opportunity to serve as carriers for transportation and handling of specialty liquids or flowable particulate products or to serve as a terminal ashore receiving and dispensing to truck, rail, barge or other receiving facilities. The modular tank unit has a rectangular intermodal framework of predetermined dimension and tare weight permitting its transportation by cargo vessel, hopper barge and by rail for positioning inland or at shore facilities. A tank may be adapted for other modes of transportation and may be removably secured within the rectangular framework. The modular tank unit in its smaller dimension can be transported empty by rail and can be positioned in the field by portable crane. The modular tank unit defines a pump compartment having a pumping and draining manifold and portable pump and valve assembly for fluid handling, enabling the modular tank unit to be “active” for power energized pumping or “passive” for gravity discharge.

Description

RELATED INVENTIONS[0001]Portable liquid cargo tanks or containers capable of being employed for instant terminaling and ship conversion have been developed as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,365,980 and 5,460,208, both issued to Nicholas W. deBerardinis, the inventor of the subject matter presented herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to containers or tanks within which liquid or fluidized solid particulate cargo can be stored and can be transported by differing types of cargo carriers including ship, open inland hopper barge and rail transportation systems. The containers or tanks are designed to be releasably retained by the cargo carrier systems and are transferable from one container adapted cargo carrier system to another. More particularly, the present invention concerns a self-contained liquid cargo container having integrated therewith a replaceable pumping and valve controlled manifold system for load...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030]It is a further object of this invention to provide a multiple-container liquid products terminal facility at a remote location without undue expense or unnecessary duplication of equipment by using a single active container in association with one or more passive containers, or by using one or more passive containers in association with some other external pump source or in a location and manner permitting gravity discharge of the containers' contents.

[0052]The sloping bottom wall of the tank, within the tank framework, defines a fluid handling compartment within which is located a pump and fluid handling unit having connection hoses and conduit that are connected with a tank discharge located at the bottom center of the tank. The pump and fluid handling unit is provided with suitable control valves to permit filling and discharge of one or more tanks that may be connected in series or parallel via the use of suitable connection hoses. The pump and fluid handling unit is in the form of a portable unit that can be easily and simply installed or removed via the use of a fork-lift truck.

Problems solved by technology

Many locations have the ability to make liquid products from local raw materials, but currently lack a terminal facility or tank farm to store the manufactured liquid products pending the arrival of an appropriate carrier.

Therefore, these locations export raw solid materials instead of manufactured liquid products, to their economic detriment.

Further, this inventor is not aware of the existence of portable products containers that are of specific dimensional and volumetric ranges to permit their transportation by cargo vessels, hopper barges and railway hopper cars.

The above containers are not specifically designed to serve as a dual purpose transportation container and terminal for storing and dispensing bulk liquid products, including flammable or other hazardous liquid products.

None provide access for a person to enter the container, none has an active means of pumping the stored liquid out of the container, none has an active fire protection or control means attached, nor does any have a means for providing and maintaining an inert gas cover when necessary or required, or for venting the container other than directly into the atmosphere at the tank top.

None of these prior art references discloses the degree of transportability and features necessary to allow a container for flammable, explosive, hazardous, or non-hazardous liquid products both to be carried aboard a dry cargo vessel thereby permitting its use as a liquid products carrier), and to be used as a prefabricated, transportable liquid products terminal facility for use in areas lacking needed terminal facilities.

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