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EP-3799969-B1 - ZERO ENTRY SEDIMENT REMOVAL FROM STORAGE TANKS

EP3799969B1EP 3799969 B1EP3799969 B1EP 3799969B1EP-3799969-B1

Inventors

  • DOHERTY, JOSEPH
  • DOHERTY, AIDAN
  • DUFFY, Fintan
  • DOHERTY, Colin

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200923

Claims (15)

  1. A mobile tank cleaning apparatus (10) for sediment removal from a hazardous-storage tank, comprising: a road vehicle (15) having an integrated lifting means (20), a multiple-section vacuum tanker (35), and a unit (25), the unit (25) comprising a controlled environment operator workstation (40), a robotic cleaner (30), at least one umbilical hose (50), wherein the unit (25) is movable on and off the road vehicle (15); wherein the multiple-section vacuum tanker (35) comprises at least a cleaning fluid reservoir section and a sediment-storage section, wherein in use the robotic cleaner (30) is attached to the umbilical hose (50) extending back into the container (25) and connected to the operator workstation (40), such that cleaning fluid is pumped from the multiple-section vacuum tanker (35) to the robotic cleaner (30) via a high pressure pump, and sediment is removed from the hazardous-storage tank and transferred to the multiple-section vacuum tanker (35) via the at least one umbilical hose (85) during use, and wherein the multiple-section vacuum tanker (35) comprises at least a volume-variable cleaning fluid reservoir section (103) and a volume-variable sediment-storage section (104), and a moveable piston (102), wherein the volume of the cleaning fluid reservoir section (103) and the volume of the sediment-storage section (104) can be altered by moving the piston (102), wherein the unit comprises a control centre, the umbilical (50) further comprises hydraulic lines for controlling the robotic cleaner, which are operable by the operator via the control centre, and wherein the control centre provides a sealed controlled environment for the remote operator during cleaning and sediment removal.
  2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum tanker (35) comprises one or more additional tanks for housing cleaning fluid.
  3. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising an integral high-pressure pump on the road vehicle (15) to pump the cleaning fluid from the vacuum tanker (35) to the robotic cleaner (30).
  4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the moveable piston (102) is lockable.
  5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the moveable piston is moveable from at least a first position wherein the volume of the cleaning fluid reservoir section is maximised, to a second position wherein the volume of the sediment-storage section is maximised, during use of the apparatus.
  6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the moveable piston (102) includes one or more seals to prevent cross-contamination of the cleaning fluid reservoir section and the sediment-storage section.
  7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the apparatus further comprises an integral compressed air pump to operate the moving piston.
  8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the unit (25) is a container comprising a housing for the robotic cleaner (30), a housing for the controlled environment operator workstation (40), and one or more umbilicals (50), wherein the controlled environment operator workstation (40) is an atmospheric sealed operation workstation.
  9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the robotic cleaner (30) comprises one or more of the group comprising: one or more high pressure water jet heads; one or more vacuum heads; one or more cameras, one or more lights; and rubber tracks optionally comprising integrated magnets, and optionally wherein the robotic cleaner (30) is attached to an umbilical cord (50) extendable in use between the robotic cleaner (30) and the vacuum tanker (35), optionally wherein the robotic cleaner (30) is a remote operated vehicle.
  10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim comprising a tractor carrying the vacuum tanker (35), and a trailer carrying the unit (25), optionally wherein the trailer also carries the integrated lifting means (20).
  11. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the hazardous-storage tank is in a Zone 0 Hazardous Area and the unit is operable in a Zone 1 Hazardous Area, and wherein the robotic cleaner (30) is moveable in and out of the Zone 0 hazardous area using the integrated lifting means.
  12. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the robotic cleaner (30) has a contracted configuration for storage or entering a hazardous-storage tank, and an extendible configuration for use.
  13. An apparatus according to any preceding claims wherein the hazardous-storage tank is an oil or gas or chemical storage tank, optionally a bunded hazardous-storage tank.
  14. A method of sediment removal from a hazardous-storage tank comprising the steps of: providing a mobile tank cleaning apparatus (10) as defined in any one of claims 1-13; offloading the unit (25) using the integrated lifting means (20); providing cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid reservoir section of the vacuum tanker (35) to the robotic cleaner (30) and operating the robotic cleaner (30) from the control centre in the controlled environment operator workstation (40) to clean the hazardous-storage tank; moving the movable piston in the multiple-section vacuum tanker to reduce the volume of the cleaning fluid reservoir section and to increase the volume of the sediment-storage section; and removing sediment from the hazardous-storage tank to the sediment-storage section of the vacuum tanker (35) via an umbilical (50).
  15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising lifting the robotic cleaner (30) towards the hazardous-storage tank with the integrated lifting means (20).

Description

Background of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus and method for the removal of sediment from tanks used for storing hazardous chemicals, typically in large distribution centres. More particularly, the invention relates to removal of sediment via a remotely controlled robotic cleaner. The robotic cleaner is operated by an operator situated in a sealed controlled environment inside an associated control cabin. In the petroleum refining, petrochemical and chemical industries large storage tanks are commonly used. Such tanks are often surrounded by a bund wall. Various processes result in the creation of waste materials, both solid and liquid, alongside the desired products. These waste materials accumulate over time in the bottom of the storage tank and become more concentrated as the level of material stored in the tank decreases. The accumulation of such waste materials can pose a danger to the quality of the materials being stored, or to processes that these chemicals are destined for, by their accidental inclusion in any such deliveries that are dispatched from the storage tank. Current systems of cleaning involve the deployment of personnel into the tank in suitable personal protective equipment with appropriate tools to remove the waste materials and sediment. This process generally uses some form of high-pressure water treatment and a vacuum system to remove the materials to an appropriate storage vessel where they are held until they can be correctly treated, recycled and/or disposed of. The inclusion of human persons inside of the tank leads to an extremely dangerous situation with workers being exposed to dangerous chemicals and working in a confined, potentially explosive environment. It is an object of the present invention to remove such dangerous exposure to workers, by providing a mobile unit capable of performing all the relevant tasks required to facilitate the removal of all waste materials in a safe manner without the operator entering the tank. The operator is situated in a control cabin which can provide a sealed controlled environment, to remove the exposure of the operator to the hazardous zone inside the storage tank or surrounding it. GB2565953A provides a mobile oilfield tool service centre which includes an intermodal container such as an ISO container compliant with a global containerized intermodal freight transport system. Oilfield tool service components are housed within the intermodal container for subjecting an oilfield tool to at least one process that repairs or rehabilitates the oilfield tool. US2009/145853 shows a unit containing a control centre providing some enhanced safety features, for example, a static discharge reel, first aid kit or fire extinguishers. The following document shows some aspects of a mobile tank cleaning apparatus for the removal of sediment from tanks used for storing hazardous chemicals: video from Rex Media: "RE-GEN ROBOTICS", 14 June 2019, Internet URL https://vimeo.com/342377672/6635b2c787, The document St- Cleaning GmbH: "ATEX Zone 0 Robot Animation 3D ST Cleaning GmbH", dated 27 November 2017, internet URL: https://www.voutube.com/watch?v=dhCQRvdZdHs discloses another mobile tank cleaning apparatus from less hazardous tanks. Summary of the Invention The invention is directed to a mobile tank-cleaning apparatus for sediment removal from a hazardous-storage tank as described in appended claim 1 The invention is also directed to a method of sediment removal from a hazardous-storage tank comprising the steps described in appended claim 14. The invention aims to overcome the problem of sediment removal from hazardous storage tanks whilst exposing human persons to hazardous operating conditions either inside or nearby the storage tank, particularly but not exclusively oil or gas of chemical storage tanks, including those designated as 'Zone 0' storage tanks, and optionally a bunded hazardous-storage tank. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a representative view of an arrival on site and next to a storage tank of a mobile tank cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;Fig. 2 is a representative view of a container being deployed from a road vehicle of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 via the integrated lifting means;Fig. 3 is a representative view of the Hazardous Area Zones and the areas of operation for the apparatus shown in Figure 1;Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the container of Figures 1-3;Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the storage tank and robotic cleaner of Figures 1-3; andFig 6. is a diagrammatic view of the robotic cleaner of Figure 5 in operation inside the storage tank.Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the container in its deployed state within a Zone 1 Hazardous Area;Fig. 8 is an isometric view of the container in its deployed state within a Zone 1 Hazardous