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EP-4737022-A1 - A TANK CLEANING SYSTEM

EP4737022A1EP 4737022 A1EP4737022 A1EP 4737022A1EP-4737022-A1

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a tank cleaning system (1) comprising: a tank cleaning device (2) comprising at least one controllable spraying nozzle (4) for spraying the interior of a first tank (6) with a cleaning fluid (8); an actuator (14) connected to the at least one spraying nozzle (4) for changing the position of the at least one spraying nozzle (4) in relation to the interior of the first tank (6); and a control device (200) configured to control the movement of the actuator (14), and thus the position of the at least one spraying nozzle (4), based on data (D) related to at least one interior feature of the first tank (6). The control device (200) is configured to control the movement of the actuator (14) further based on data (D) related to surrounding conditions (20, 22, CO, T1, T2) adjacent to the first tank (6). The disclosure further relates to a tank storage system (32), a ship (28), a method for cleaning a first tank (6) by a tank cleaning system (1), a computer program (P) stored on a computer-readable medium (202) and and a computer-readable medium (202) having stored thereon the computer program (P).

Inventors

  • CRONHOLM, JOACIM
  • LILJEGREN, André
  • FALKMER, Niklas

Assignees

  • Alfa Laval Corporate AB

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241030

Claims (16)

  1. A tank cleaning system (1) comprising: a tank cleaning device (2) comprising at least one controllable spraying nozzle (4) for spraying the interior of a first tank (6) with a cleaning fluid (8); an actuator (14) connected to the at least one spraying nozzle (4) for changing the position of the at least one spraying nozzle (4) in relation to the interior of the first tank (6); and a control device (200) configured to control the movement of the actuator (14), and thus the position of the at least one spraying nozzle (4), based on data (D) related to at least one interior feature of the first tank (6), wherein the control device (200) is configured to control the movement of the actuator (14) further based on data (D) related to surrounding conditions (20, 22, CO, T1, T2, T3) adjacent to the first tank (6).
  2. The tank cleaning system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding conditions (20, 22, CO, T1) comprises characteristics (20, 22, CO, T1) of at least one second tank (16) arranged adjacent to the first tank (6).
  3. The tank cleaning system (1) according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic (20, 22, CO, T1) of the at least one second tank (16) arranged adjacent to the first tank (6) comprises a temperature (T1) contained in the at least one second tank (16).
  4. The tank cleaning system (1) according to any one of the claims 2 and 3, wherein the characteristic (20, 22, CO, T1) of the at least one second tank (16) arranged adjacent to the first tank (6) comprises a type of product (20) contained in the at least one second tank (16).
  5. The tank cleaning system (1) according to any one of the claims 2 - 4, wherein the characteristic (20, 22, CO, T1) of the at least one second tank (16) arranged adjacent to the first tank (6) comprises the level (22) of a product (20) contained in the at least one second tank (16).
  6. The tank cleaning system (1) according to any one of the claims 2- 5, wherein the characteristic (20, 22, CO, T1) of the least one second tank (16) arranged adjacent to the first tank (6) is a cleaning operation (CO) of the interior of the at least one second tank (16).
  7. The tank cleaning system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surrounding conditions (20, 22, CO, T2, T3) comprises characteristics (20, 22, CO, T2, T3) of a surrounding space (S) adjacent to the first tank (6).
  8. The tank cleaning system (1) according to claim 7, wherein the characteristics (20, 22, CO, T2, T3) of the surrounding space (S) adjacent to the first tank (6) comprises a temperature (T2, T3) in air (A) and/or in water (W) adjacent to the first tank (6).
  9. The tank cleaning system (1) according to any of the claims 2-6 and 8, wherein a wall of the first tank (6) arranged adjacent to the second tank, the air (A) and/or the water (W) has an interior wall surface (18), and wherein the wall temperature (wt) of the interior wall surface (18) of the wall of the first tank (6) arranged adjacent to the second tank, the air (A) and/or the water (W) is dependent on the temperature (T1, T2, T3) in the second tank (16), the air (A) and/or in the water (W).
  10. The tank cleaning system (1) according to claim 9, wherein the control device (200) is configured to control the movement of the actuator (14), and thus the movement of the spraying nozzle (4), based on the wall temperature (wt) of the at least one interior wall surface (18) of the first tank (6).
  11. The tank cleaning system (1) according to any of the claims 2-6 and claim 8 or according to any of the claims 9-10, wherein a temperature sensor (30) is arranged in the at least one second tank (16), the air (A) and/or in the water (W), which temperature sensor (30) is connected to the control device (200).
  12. A tank storage system (32) comprising the tank cleaning system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tank storage system (32) comprising the first tank (6).
  13. The tank storage system (32) according to claim 12, wherein the tank storage system (32) further comprising at least one second tank (16) arranged adjacent to the first tank (6).
  14. A method for cleaning a first tank (6) by a tank cleaning system (1) according to any one of the claims 1-13, wherein the method comprises steps of: determining (s101) the position of the at least one spraying nozzle (4) in relation to the interior of the first tank (6); receiving (s102) the data (D) related to the surrounding conditions (20, 22, CO, T1, T2, T3) adjacent to the first tank (6); and controlling (s103) the movement of the actuator (14) based on the received data (D) for moving the at least one spraying nozzle (4) in relation to the interior of the first tank (6) during spraying the interior of the first tank (6) with the cleaning fluid (8).
  15. A computer program (P) stored on a computer-readable medium (202) and comprising instructions, which when the program (P) is executed by a data processing unit (201) of a control device (200) of a tank cleaning system (1), cause the control device (200) to carry out the method according to claim 14.
  16. A computer-readable medium (202) having stored thereon the computer program (P) of the claim 15.

Description

Technical field The present disclosure relates to a tank cleaning system. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a tank cleaning system, a tank storage system, a ship, a method for cleaning a first tank by a tank cleaning system, a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon the computer program as defined in the introductory parts of the independent claims. Background art A tank cleaning system may be used for cleaning the interior of tanks. Tanks may for example be used in industrial processes such as food, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and processing. In order to achieve a proper handling in such processes the interior of the tank should be free of unwanted debris and contaminants. The walls and equipment within such tanks may trap debris via a coating or other deposit. Tanks may also be arranged in ships for storing and transportation of goods, such as oil, chemicals and other fluids. A number of tanks may be arranged adjacent to each other. Further, the tanks may be arranged with inner walls for separating different volumes in the tank. There are known tank cleaning systems comprising tank cleaning devices provided with controllable spraying nozzles for spraying the interior of the tank with cleaning fluids. An actuator, such as a drive unit is connected to the spraying nozzle, so that the position of the spraying nozzle can be changed in relation to the interior of the tank. The controllable spraying nozzle of the known tank cleaning systems rotates with a constant rotation speed within the tank, which results in that the velocity of the cleaning fluid travelling over the internal surface to be cleaned is varying depending on the distance of the spraying nozzle to the internal surface. The rotation speed is set to be optimized for the longest distance of the spraying nozzle to the internal surface, which results in that the speed of the cleaning fluid travelling over the internal surface is slower than necessary over surfaces closer to the position of the tank cleaning device and the spraying nozzle. Further, the pressure of the cleaning fluid, which affects the jet length of the cleaning fluid from the nozzle is not optimized for the cleaning process. It is also known that the status of the surrounding tanks in a multi tank system with tanks arranged adjacent to each other or provided with inner walls, has high impact on how hard it is to clean an internal surface in a specific tank. If there is an adjacent tank or a volume which is empty or contains a fluid of a low temperature, like a ballast tank, next to the tank or volume to be cleaned, the surface towards that tank is harder to clean. Vice versa, it may be easier to clean a surface if there is an adjacent tank or a volume which contains a fluid at high temperature next to the tank being cleaned. Document US9302301 B2 discloses a tank cleaning system comprising a tank cleaning device. Summary A problem with known tank cleaning systems is that they are not optimized for cleaning the interior of the tank efficiently. A further problem with the known tank cleaning systems is that the rotation speed of the cleaning nozzle and the jet length of the cleaning fluid is set to properly clean the surface coated and contaminated with deposits hardest to clean. This means that the rest of the surfaces in the tank are not cleaned in an optimal way. There is thus a need for an improved tank cleaning system and a tank storage system comprising such a tank cleaning system. It is an objective of the present disclosure to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies and disadvantages in the prior art and solve at least the above-mentioned problem. This objective is achieved by an improved tank cleaning system and a tank storage system comprising such a tank cleaning system according to the appended claims. These objectives are also achieved by a ship according to the appended claims. Further, these objectives are also achieved by a method, a computer program and a computer-readable medium according to the appended claims. According to a first aspect there is provided a tank cleaning system comprising: a tank cleaning device comprising at least one controllable spraying nozzle for spraying the interior of a first tank with a cleaning fluid; an actuator connected to the at least one spraying nozzle for changing the position of the at least one spraying nozzle in relation to the interior of the first tank; and a control device configured to control the movement of the actuator, and thus the position of the at least one spraying nozzle, based on data related to at least one interior feature of the first tank. The control device is configured to control the movement of the actuator further based on data related to surrounding conditions adjacent to the first tank. The tank cleaning system may comprise components arranged inside and outside of the first