CA2762244A1 - Mobile storage tank with fluid containment - Google Patents
Mobile storage tank with fluid containment Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2762244A1 CA2762244A1 CA 2762244 CA2762244A CA2762244A1 CA 2762244 A1 CA2762244 A1 CA 2762244A1 CA 2762244 CA2762244 CA 2762244 CA 2762244 A CA2762244 A CA 2762244A CA 2762244 A1 CA2762244 A1 CA 2762244A1
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- storage tank
- wall
- tank
- mobile storage
- assembly
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
- B60P3/00—Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects
- B60P3/22—Tank vehicles
- B60P3/224—Tank vehicles comprising auxiliary devices, e.g. for unloading or level indicating
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
- B60P3/00—Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects
- B60P3/22—Tank vehicles
- B60P3/2205—Constructional features
- B60P3/221—Assembling, e.g. layout of steel plates or reinforcing arrangements
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a portable storage and supply tank of industrial size for the storage and dispensing of various fluids including those containing potentially environmentally and/or health hazardous components wherein the fluid storage tank is permanently mounted to its own trailer on its bottom surface to eliminate the need for the laborious, time consuming and potentially dangerous processes required to mount and dismount the prior art tanks onto the flatbed haulers. The use of these wheeled storage tanks therefore eliminates the need to mount and dismount the tanks onto and off wheeled flatbeds by chains or other laborious and potentially dangerous fastening means and vastly reduces the manpower and man hours associated with these processes and the need for additional specialized machinery to aid in the mounting and dismounting process.
The ease of installation and removal associated with the wheeled, fluid storage tanks also helps to dramatically reduce the trucking and transport costs;
dramatically reduce driver exposure time on highway and location, reduced trip and slip hazards and reduce or eliminate environmental spill hazards.
The ease of installation and removal associated with the wheeled, fluid storage tanks also helps to dramatically reduce the trucking and transport costs;
dramatically reduce driver exposure time on highway and location, reduced trip and slip hazards and reduce or eliminate environmental spill hazards.
Description
MOBILE STORAGE TANK WITH FLUID CONTAINMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile storage apparatus including a double-walled tank for the storage and supply of large volumes of liquid at a worksite and which is also adapted for on-road transport by a suitable towing vehicle and which, by its construction, facilitates installation of the storage tank and wherein the storage tank also has superior primary and secondary safety features associated with the filling, storing and emptying of potentially hazardous liquids including those particularly associated with mining and industrial processes including the in situ production and/or processing of oil and gas including, but not restricted to oil recovery and processing from tar sands development. The use of such mobile storage tanks for other industrial applications including the storage of hazardous wastes derived from mining operations and the like and/or the storage of industrial chemicals for use at such worksites is also contemplated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In past practices, in order to transport and store liquid chemicals at a worksite, it has been necessary to transport such chemicals in massive tank trucks or railroad cars to a worksite where the chemicals are needed. Thereafter, at the worksite, the chemicals are then pumped from the tank truck or railroad care into permanent storage tanks maintained on site. This necessitates numerous handlings of the chemicals exposing the handlers to increased health risks associated with the handling of potentially hazardous fluids, increases in injury associated with the use of heavy machinery and increased environmental hazard associated with a chemical spill. The requirement for permanently built storage tanks at the worksite such as a oil or gas drilling site or an oil productions site from tar sands development, etc., represents significant capital expenditure due costs associated with construction and ultimately removal.
Furthermore, due to the usually corrosive nature of most of the fluids to be stored at such worksites, the permanent storage tanks are often constructed of steel or other suitable material and are conventionally located outdoors and therefore exposed to an often, harsh environment. This corrosion and exposure combine to mechanical failure including breaching of these permanent storage tanks as well as chemical stress on the valves and pumps, etc. associated with the tanks thus requiring continuous maintenance by workers at the site.
To overcome the use of permanent storage tanks and the drawbacks associated therewith, large mobile tanks are now currently provided for the on-site storing and supply or dispensing of potentially hazardous fluids associated with industrial and mining operations including, particularly, oil and gas drilling and oil sands production and processing. The hazardous fluids associated with these industrial and mining operations include, for example, drilling fluids containing salt, water, acid and pebbled mud; fracturing fluids which may contain a variety of potentially hazardous chemical; and oil or tar sands slurries containing bitumen, water, clays, sand, etc. and fluids such as diesel fuel, etc. and most particularly drilling fluids often required in large quantities in such working environments. When no longer of use, the tanks are emptied and flushed and the empty tanks may then be removed and relocated over distances for use at another worksite. Alternatively, the fluid storage tanks can be removed from the worksite with their tanks empty and flushed at a hazardous waste disposal site remote from the worksite. The use of such mobile tanks overcomes many of the drawbacks associated with the use of permanent, on-site storage tanks and the related costs associated with the maintenance of such stationary tanks Portable fluid storage tanks are used to provide storage of industrial fluids at temporary or on-site locations such as a drilling site for oil and gas wells or for tar sands mining. Upon installation, the empty storage tank may be filled with fluid to be stored and/or dispensed. More particularly, the industrial fluids which may be stored in the present storage tanks include drilling mud, fracturing liquids, fluids for use in the production and processing of tar sands, process slurries associated with environmental clean-up, recovered water particularly useful in the production of steam generation useful in oil or tar sands production including steam-assisted, gravity drainage (SAGD) processes, etc., brine and any other potentially useful and/or hazardous process fluid. It is further understood that in the case of large oil, gas or tar sands production facilities, a large number of these fluid storage tanks may be installed on-site and, if desired, may be linked in fluid communication from one to the other.
As used herein, the term "fluid" is intended to generally include any material that can flow into and out of a fluid storage tank if maintained in a desired condition and thus "fluid" is intended to include any flowing mixture, suspension, slurry, or combination of materials in different phases. One preferred example is tar sands process slurries or tailings slurries that are essentially comprised of bitumen, water, mud and sand. Drilling fluids that are a primary stored fluid may also be in the form of a slurry.
Prior art portable fluid storage tanks such as described in Canadian Laid Open Application 2,633,332 to Jansen disclose a portable storage tank for use particularly for storing and dispensing fluids associated with oil and gas drilling and oil sands production which must be winched using skids or picked using a picker onto the flatbed of a semi-truck capable of carrying such a large container and then secured to the flatbed by chains or other fastening means for transport to the drilling site.
Once at the site, the container must be unfastened from the flatbed and placed or installed onto the ground or other preferred surface again by winching or by picker.
This process is time consuming, exposes the driver to increased hazards associated with these complex installation processes and also requires the need for and the use of additional heavy equipment such as a picker to dismount the tank during installation at the drilling site and re-mount the tank prior to hauling to another site.
Therefore, there is a need to provide storage tanks that may be installed quickly and easily at the worksite and which also eliminate or reduce many of the drawbacks associated with the prior art, mobile storage tanks and the current means of transport and installation of these prior art, mobile storage tanks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a portable storage and supply tank of industrial size for the storage and dispensing of various fluids including those containing potentially environmentally and/or health hazardous components wherein the fluid storage tank is permanently mounted to its own trailer on its bottom surface to eliminate the need for the laborious, time consuming and potentially dangerous processes required to mount and dismount the prior art tanks onto the flatbed haulers. The use of these wheeled storage tanks therefore eliminates the need to mount and dismount the tanks onto and off wheeled flatbeds by chains or other laborious and potentially dangerous fastening means and vastly reduces the manpower and man hours associated with these processes and the need for additional specialized machinery to aid in the mounting and dismounting process.
The ease of installation and removal associated with the wheeled, fluid storage tanks also helps to dramatically reduce the trucking and transport costs;
dramatically reduce driver exposure time on highway and location, reduced trip and slip hazards and reduce or eliminate environmental spill hazards.
In use, an empty storage tank is towed to a temporary location, such as oil drilling site or tar sands mining or production and processing site by a towing vehicle such as a semi-tractor. At the worksite, the fluid storage tank and associated trailer is unhooked from the tow vehicle and is allowed to come to rest on level ground or other suitable surface including a prepared concrete slab or similar surface.
The storage tank and associated trailer is allowed to rest directly on the bottom surface of the trailer through hydraulic retraction of the wheels of the trailer thus providing an even distribution of weight directly on the ground for increased stability and for the elimination of static weight bearing on the wheels of the trailer during installation at the worksite.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the hydraulic lifting and lowering of the tank may be used to help move the fluid including slurries and solids associated with such slurries to the front of the tank to facilitate emptying thereof.
This eliminates the need to provide specialized features within the tank such as a sloped bottom as seen in the prior art storage tank of Janzen or the need for a troughed bottom or similar to aid in the emptying of the inner tank. The elimination of such features may also help maximize the storage capacity of tank.
A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a fluid storage tank that, in addition to being transportable by having a permanently mounted trailer to facilitate transport to the worksite, relates to the inclusion of an outer tank and an inner tank to form a double-walled storage tank. The inclusion of an inner tank such that the inner tank and outer tank forms the desired, double walled arrangement thereby providing means for preventing the leakage of potentially hazardous fluids stored inside should the inner tank begin leaking do to wall failure such as would be associated with rusting and the like or do to some other accidental breach.
The space between the inner and outer tanks provides a means for containing any leakage of the fluid and is of a size, at least 10 % of the inner tank capacity to offer true 110% dual containment. Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, the space between the inner and outer tanks may include means for monitoring the inside thereof to identify potentially leaks and wherein interstitial space is examined by visual means in the form of a sight glass or the like.
In still a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid storage tank of the present invention may include means for separating the inner tank into more than one compartment. In a preferred embodiment, the inner tank is divided into a larger, primary compartment and a smaller, secondary compartment such that the primary and secondary compartments may be used to store different fluids. For example, the secondary compartment that is smaller than the primary compartment, may hold a first fluid such as, for example, diesel fuel that his commonly used on mining or other industrial worksites, while the primary compartment may be used to store invert, fracture ("frac") or drilling fluid, or other fluids, which are produced and reused by oil, gas and tar sands processes and which most often includes components that are hazardous to the environment and to human health.
In still a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid storage tank of the present invention is provided with means to fill and empty the inner storage tank thereof by suction, fill and flush lines which enter the inner storage tank from above and through the top wall and therefore does not breach the doubled containment wall and internal space located between the internal and external tanks. This top entry arrangement of the suction, fill and flush lines, therefore, does not cause points of weakness in the double-wall of the storage tank and thus vastly reduces the potential for accidental breach of the fluid storage and containment tank.
Similarly, other access points such as entry hatches are not through the double-walled, but only through the top wall of the fluid storage tank.
In yet a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid storage tank apparatus is provided with a trailer, which is permanently attached or mounted to the bottom wall of the outer tank. Furthermore, the trailer is outfitted with fully retractable, hydraulic landing gear to facilitate installment of the fluid storage tank at the worksite such that when retracted, the bottom of the trailer and tank bottom sits on the ground or on a surface such as a cement slab provided for such installment.
Furthermore, the trailer and associated hydraulics provides a quick and easy means to mount the apparatus to any suitable towing vehicle for removal and installation at another site. The trailer and associated hydraulics system also provides an easy means to accumulate stored fluid at the suction valve to facilitate a complete emptying of the tank at worksite prior to removal or perhaps at a secondary waste disposal site.
It is understood by those skilled in the art that the fluid storage tank and associated trailer can be used in a variety of circumstances and locations, and for the purposes different from those specifically described herein. For the reasons stated above and for the reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for storage tanks that have improved features associated with the handling of fluids including hazardous liquids or other component parts, and to the increased ease for transport and installation of these large industrial storage tanks at the worksite.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its scope can be obtained from the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the various embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly illustrating both storage tank and permanently mounted trailer of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of one side of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the mobile storage tank taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG 2 illustrating the outer containment tank and inner storage tank of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front end view of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a rear end view of mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the top mounted suction, fill and flush lines and entry hatches;
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic landing gear in transport mode;
FIG 8 is a schematic illustration of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic landing gear in the stationary position or installed mode;
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic landing gear in a sloped mode to facilitate emptying of the inner tank;
FIG 10 is a perspective view of the trailer of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention with the storage tank removed to illustrate various aspects of the trailer;
FIGS. 10a, 10b and 10c are side views of the trailer of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic system for said trailer in the stationary, change to transport and in transport positions respectively;
FIGS. 11a and 11b are end views of the trailer of the mobile storage and supply assembly illustrating the hydraulic lift mechanism in the transport and stationary positions;
FIG. 12 is a perspective cut-away view of the inner tank illustrating a division of the tank into a larger, fluid storage compartment and a smaller, secondary fluid storage compartment;
FIG. 13 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the mobile storage tank taken generally along line 1-1 of FIG 12 illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the inner tank is divided into small front compartment and a larger rear compartment; and FIG. 14 is a partial cut-away perspective view of the exterior of the storage tank depicting a portion of the manifold system for use in suctioning and discharging of a fluid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration only specific embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and that logical, mechanical and other changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, illustrative only and is not to limit the scope of the invention as a whole.
Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the mobile fluid storage and supply tank apparatus or assembly 10 that is used to store and dispense one or more fluids contained therein. Fluids, in the present sense includes both traditional fluids and also other flowable materials including suspensions, slurries and the like and may therefore include industrial fluids including fuels such as diesel and gasoline as well as industrial and mining fluids such as but not limited to drilling fluids, fracturing fluids, oil and tar sands slurries and the like.
In the embodiment as set out in Figs. 1 and 2, mobile fluid storage tank assembly 10 is comprised of a trailer 20 with frame 23 and a storage and dispensing tank hereinafter referred to as the "storage tank 30". The storage tank 30 is generally constructed of a front end 11, a rear end 14 which opposes front end 12, and a pair of opposed sides 13 and 14, which are in generally parallel relationship one to the other and extending between the front end 12 and rear end 14. The apparatus 10 includes base or bottom surfacel6, which is permanently mounted by any known securing means including welds,, bolts, etc. to trailer 20, and an opposed top or roofl8.
The trailer 20 including frame 23 is provided with one or more sets of rear wheels 21 and 22, preferably as a pair of tandem axles (not shown) to provide means to transport the apparatus 10 including trailer 20 and storage tank 30 when mounted and towed by a suitable towing vehicle such as a semi cab or truck (not shown).
The trailer 20 is towed by securing the trailer to the towing vehicle by a hitching plate 24, which is fastened by any standard means to any appropriate towing vehicle.
As depicted in FIG. 3, storage tank 30 includes an outer tank 40 and an inner tank 50, which is mounted within the outer tank 40. Outer tank 40 includes a vertical front wall 42, a vertical rear wall 44 together with a pair of vertical and opposed side walls 46 and 48, respectively and top and bottom walls, 47 and 49, respectively.
Similarly, inner tank 50 is comprised of a vertical front wall 52, a vertical rear wall 54, a pair of vertical and opposed side walls 56 and 58, respectively and top and bottom walls, 57 and 59, respectively.
The inner tank 40 is mounted within the outer tank 40 that there is a space 60 located therebetween, and wherein the space 45 hereinafter known has the interstitial space 60 is of a size such that it represents at least ten percent (10%) of the volume of the entire master tank. The interstitial space 45 provides means for containing any leakage of the fluid contained within the inner tank 50 and is of a size, at least 10 % of the inner tank capacity to offer 110% dual containment of the fluid or fluids contained within the inner tank 50. The leakage of stored fluid could be a result of a breach of any of the inner tank walls 52, 54, 56 or 58, which may be a result of rust or by other breach such as that caused by impact damage, etc.
The interstitial space 60 may be provided with a number of regularly spaced and vertical support members, generally depicted as members 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69, which provides support means to separate the inner and outer tanks, 40 and 50. It is clear that these vertical support members do not extend completely to the top and bottom of the interstitial space 60 to allow for fluid, which may enter the space 60 due to a breach in a wall of the internal tank 50 to fill the entire space.
Similar regular support members (not shown) may be also located within the space between the bottom walls, 49 and 59 and the top walls, 47 and 49 of the outer and inner tanks 40 and 50, respectively. The support members, therefore form a steel framework separating the inner and outer tanks and providing physical support and strength.
It is understood that the various walls which form the outer tank 40 and inner tank 50 may be made of any suitable material including but not limited to plate include metal plate such as steel plate or other similar material.
The mobile storage and supply tank assembly 10 therefore is formed into a double-walled, storage tank 30 that includes outer 40 and inner 50 tanks, which is preferably engineered of plate steel, and which defines an interstitial space which contains internal baffles and supports engineered of steel. The outer tank 40, which is supported by a steel frame comprised of the vertical support members 69, is then sheathed in steel plate to form the double-walled design.
Construction of the outer tank 40 ad the inner tank 50 is such that there is no penetration of the interstitial space 60 through the walls of the internal 50 and external 40 tanks.
As depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the mobile storage tank assembly 10 includes a covered working platform 70 that extends outwardly from the front end 12 and atop the hitching plate 24 of the trailer 20 to provide a suitable working surface to access various control and monitoring panels and systems (not shown) as well as access to various fluid line hook-ups including the oil suction line 72, oil fill line 73, invert fill line 74, invert suction line 75 and invert flush line 76 which allow for fluid flow into and out of the inner tank 50. The fluid lines, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 originate from within the inner tank 40 and pass out of the inner tank 50 through the top walls 47 and 57 of the outer and inner tanks, 40 and 50 respectively. The fluid lines 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 then run forward to the front end 12 of the storage tank 30 and terminate at ports located at appropriate heights above the landing platform 78 to facilitate the hook-up of any of the fluid lines to the appropriate pumping, siphoning and flushing equipment. The running of the fluid lines through the top 18 of the storage tank 30 rather than through a side or end wall reduces the potential for side or end wall breach of the outer tank 40 due to a weakening of the wall at the connection points of such side, end or rear wall entry and exit points.
Monitoring of the interstitial space 60 is also provided through the use of a sight glass (not shown) thereby allowing for visual assessment for a breach in one of the walls of the inner tank 50 by sighting fluid located within the interstitial space 60.
An internal circulating system (not shown) helps to keep fluids form freezing or separating. When being filled or during the circulation process, fluid level may reach a critical high level condition and therefore monitoring of the fill level of the inner tank 50 is needed to prevent overfilling. The monitoring systems (not shown) used are generally known in the art. In addition the monitoring systems include audible and visual alarms to signal and protect against overfilling of the inner tank 50. Such known systems include but are not restricted to the Garnet SeeLevel II
display system. Thus being filled or during the circulation process, fluid level may reach a critical high level condition, predetermined by tank volumes, and external visual and audible alarms will indicate an undesirable high level condition within the inner tank 50.
The mobile storage and supply tank assembly 10 with storage tank 30 comes in a variety of capacities and configurations. The primary function of the storage tank 30 is to provide fluid storage in the inner tank 50 with protected, secondary containment by way of the outer tank 40 to protect the environment or the public from the potentially hazardous fluids contained within. In this regard, it is envisioned that the mobile, double walled storage tank may take on a variety of configurations including tanks known as a master tank, a slave tank and a double compartment slave tank. All of these tanks are of the true double-wall tank design for double-walled containment. The master tank preferably is comprised of an 80m3 invert or drill fluid storage compartment and a 36m3 base oil storage compartment and includes a suction and discharge manifold system as discussed below and as illustrated generally in Figure 13. The slave tank has a capacity of 116m3. The dual compartment slave tank has two compartments, each with a capacity of 58c3.
The working platform 70 may be provided with a cover 71, which is supported by a pair of vertical supports, 77 and 78 to protect both the control panels and operating personnel from inclement weather. The landing platform, which is raised off of the ground and is mounted above the hitching plate 24 of the trailer 20, may be provided with an access ladder 79 or ramp (not shown).
As depicted in Figs. 1, 2, 5, & 6, a ladder 34 is mounted at the rear end 14 of the apparatus 10 to allow for climbing on the top of the master tank 30 to facilitate access to one or more hatches, represented by hatches 11 and 13 in the drawings.
These hatches allow for access to the interior of the storage tank 30 including, particularly the interior of the inner storage tank 50 for inspection and for cleaning purposes. The top of the master tank 30 may also be provided with thief hatches 35 and 36 and fixed safety anchors 32 and zip line anchors 37 to provide means for anchoring and thereby securing personal safety lines to protect against falls by workers while accessing the hatches and for offering anchors for temporary storage of secondary gear, etc.
In use, and as depicted in FIG. 7, the mobile storage tank assembly 10, which includes storage tank 30 and associated trailer 20, is hauled by a towing vehicle 80 to the worksite for installation. The towing vehicle 80 can be a single steer, front end, tandem rear end, highway tractor. The trailer 20, which is permanently mounted to the storage tank 30, via frame 23 is an engineered, Department of Transportation certified trailer 20 and is therefore constructed of heavy steel beams, tubing and plate.
The installation site may be simply an area of level or, if not available, uneven ground or may include a mounting pad or prepared surface made of concrete or the like to provide a firm and level surface. Once in place, the driver simply unhooks the towing vehicle 80 from the trailer 20 and the mobile storage tank apparatus 10 may then be lowered through the use of an air over hydraulics system located in both the front and rear of the trailer 20. The installation process is done through simultaneous retraction of the rear wheels, 21 and 22, and front landing gear (not shown) resulting in the lowering of the apparatus 10 until the bottom surface of the trailer 20 and bottom 16 or storage tank apparatus 10 comes to rest completely on the installation surface such that there is no longer any pressure exerted on the hydraulic systems.
Both the front and rear landing gear (not shown in FIG. 7), which as noted above are provided with air over hydraulics which utilize re-phasing or pressure balancing lift cylinders to ensure a level application of pressure should the ground be uneven.
The air system for the front and rear landing gear is functioned by a compressor on any standard truck with an air brake system. Thus, the air side functions the drum brakes (not shown) on the tandem or single axles of wheels 21 and/or 22 and also provides the means to operate the hydraulic system of the trailer 20. The hydraulic system is used to raise and lower the front of the trailer 20 via two re-phasing (pressure balancing) hydraulic lift cylinders (not shown) that ensure an even and level affect. The rear hydraulics are utilized to first lift the trailer 20 off a support carriage and secondly, once the support carriage is swung out of the travel position, to lower the trailer 20 such that the frame of the trailer rests on the ground or other installation surface. Reference is made to FIGS. 10 a-c and FIGS.11a and 11b and the more detailed description of the utilization of the landing gear provided below.
It is anticipated that such mobile tank installations may include a large number of mobile tank apparatus to handle the volumes of fluids associated with mining and industrial processing. The installations could conceivably include eighty or more storage apparatus and it is also contemplated that fluid connection between apparatus housing similarly stored fluid is also contemplated.
Prior to transport and relocation of the mobile storage tank apparatus 10, in an empty state, the installation process described above is simply reversed and the apparatus 10 is raised by the front and rear hydraulics systems to a height such that the towing vehicle 80 may be appropriately aligned and mounted onto the hitching plate 24 for towing. Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic representation of the apparatus 10 with the rear wheels 21 and 22 retracted in the installed mode.
FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic representation only of the apparatus 10 in a sloped mode or arrangement to facilitate emptying of the inner tank by gravitational accumulation of the fluid contents at front end of the inner tank 50 near the inner outtake (not shown) of the suction line.
The trailer's hydraulics system therefore not only allows for easy installation and re-mounting of the apparatus 10 for transport thereby avoiding the problems associated with the loading and unloading of sled mounted tanks onto transport trailers, it also provide a safe and easy means to ensure that the inner tank is substantially empty of fluid prior to transport to another worksite.
Alternatively, in some instances whereby the apparatus 10 is used to store waste fluid prior to disposal at an off-site disposal facility, the waste fluid may be hauled away and emptied at a hazardous waste disposal site where the tank may be flushed through the use of flush lines. The apparatus 10 once empty of waste fluid and flushed with water is then emptied of flush water and may be transported and installed at another worksite.
With reference now to FIG. 10 and FIGS. 10 a-c, the trailer 20 is comprised of a frame 100 which itself is comprised of a front support portion 102, a rear support portion 104 and a centrally located, main frame portion 106.
The front support portion 102 includes a hitching device 101 which secures the trailer to the towing vehicle (not shown), a front cross member, one or more intermediate cross members 105, a rear cross member 107 and side rails 109 and 110. The front support portion 102 thus provides both a means to hitch the trailer to the towing vehicle for hauling by forming a hitching plate which includes a hitching device 101. The front support portion 102 also provides a support surface to mount the working platform 70 as depicted, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The rear support portion 104 includes a front cross member 113, one or more intermediate cross members 115, an elongated rear cross member 117 and side rails 114 and 116.
The front and rear support portions, 102 and 104 respectively, of the trailer are each mounted at the same horizontal elevation and above the main frame portion 106 of the trailer 100 by a pair of front and rear vertical mounting plates 108 and 118 respectively.
The cross members of the front and rear support portions, 102 and 104, of the trailer frame, as well as the mainframe portion 106, maintain the position and orientation of their respective side rails and pairs of vertical mounting plates 108 and 118 provide a substantially rigid frame on which to permanently mount the storage tank and working platform.
The rear support portion 104 includes one or more undercarriage support members 120 onto which is rotatably mounted at least one set of tandem wheels 122 (hereinafter known as the wheels) mounted to their respective axle 124. The wheels 122 may be displaced by a hydraulic system (not shown) which control the movement of the undercarriage 120 and thus the raising and lowering of the wheels 122 to various positions as depicted in FIGS 10 a-c. The wheels therefore may be raised to an elevated or retracted position such that the bottom of the main frame portion 106 of the trailer 100 rests on the ground and the trailer 100 is thus in the stationary position as seen in FIG 10a. The storage tank and trailer assembly 10 is grounded and is therefore in a position to bear the combined weight of the storage tank and trailer assembly 10 and fluid stored therein. In this position, the storage tank and trailer assembly 10 is said to be in the installed mode. When transitioning from the stationary position to the transport position, the auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 is lowered such that the lower horizontal cross beam 134 engages the ground and the hydraulic system associated with the wheels 122 lowers the wheels from the retracted position to its ground engaging position ready for transport, see FIGS 10 a-c inclusive. FIGS. 11a and 11b illustrate the two positions of the auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 in a weight bearing position to facilitate the lowering of the wheels 122 and in the transport position wherein the assembly 130 is retracted for transport.
The rear support portion 104 with its associated rear landing gear additionally includes an auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 comprised of a pair of downwardly extending, telescoping strut members 111 and 112 which are located on either end of and are welded to the rear cross member 117 and which provides means to mount a pair of hydraulic pistons 131 and 132 which lower and raise a horizontal support beam 134. The auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 therefore is provided with hydraulic means to raise the horizontal support beam 134 from a retracted or stored position as illustrated in Figure 11a to an extended, ground engaging position as shown in Figure 11b. The auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 thus provides weight bearing assistance during the raising and lowering of the wheels 122 of the trailer 100 when moving the storage tank and trailer assembly from a stationary position to a transport position as illustrated in FIGS. 10a, 10b and 10c.
Although not shown, the front support portion 104 of the frame 100 may also provided with front landing gear in the form of hydraulic support assembly which is similar in structure and function to the auxiliary hydraulic support assembly associated with the rear landing gear described above. The front landing gear therefore which is comprised essentially of a second hydraulic support assembly may provide hydraulic means to lift the front of the trailer 100 from a lower stationary position whereby the mobile storage tank assembly is in an installed position to a raised position to allow for alignment of the hitching device 101 for attachment to a towing vehicle for transport. Once the trailer 100 is hitched to the towing vehicle, the front hydraulic support assembly is retracted from its lower, ground engaging or weight bearing position to an elevated or stored position for transport.
As discussed previously, the hydraulic system may also be used to provide means to position the storage tank and trailer assembly 10 in a sloped position such that the rear of the assembly 10 is in a slightly elevated position relative to the front of the assembly to facilitate emptying of the contents of the inner storage tank. In the sloped position, the stored fluid is urged to flow forward toward and enter the suction ports of the outtake lines that form a part of the manifold system.
Furthermore, as described above, the hydraulic system may also be used to actuate front landing gear in the form of a front hydraulic assembly (not shown) to raise the front of the trailer to a height to facilitate hitching of the trailer via the hitching plate and hitching device to the towing vehicle. The mobile storage tank assembly 10 of the present invention therefore includes the use of a hydraulic system which control both the front and rear landing gear for raising and lowering of the wheels 122, and which includes an auxiliary rear hydraulic support assembly 130, a front hydraulic assembly and related trailer and tank architecture that allows for the lowering, rising and tilting of the storage tank and trailer assembly to facilitate installation, transport and emptying of the storage tank. It is understood that the front and rear landing gear and associated hydraulics may be controlled independently or together to provide means to orient the mobile storage tank and trailer assembly 10 into any desired position.
As illustrated In FIGS. 12 and 13, the inner storage tank 50 may be divided into more than one storage compartment. By way of example, FIG 12 depicts an inner storage tank 50 that has been divided into two sub-compartments, including a larger, primary fluid storage compartment 51b and smaller, secondary fluid storage compartment 51a and that these sub-compartments are divided by a reinforced, single-walled bulkhead or middle wall 53. In this preferred arrangement, the inner tank 50 is divided into a smaller, forward compartment 51a having a inner front wall 52, a pair of opposing inner side walls, 56a and 58a, each having ends in contact with the inner front wall 52 and an inner middle wall 53 and an inner bottom horizontal wall 57a. The walls are so arranged as to form a smaller front fluid storage compartment of a generally rectangular configuration, which is useful in the storage of secondary fluids. Similarly, larger rear compartment 51b is formed by the inner middle wall 53 shared in common with the forward secondary compartment 51a, inner rear wall 54 in contact with a pair of opposing inner side walls, 56b and 58b, inner bottom horizontal wall 57b. This larger primary compartment is used to hold and/or dispense a larger quantity of primary fluid. As depicted in FIG 11, the larger rear compartment 52 includes a bottom horizontal wall 57b which has a rear horizontal portion 57b" which is higher than the front horizontal portion 57b'. This arrangement follows the contour of the frame 23 of trailer 20 to accommodate the axles which drive wheels 21 and 22 as depicted, for example in FIG 1.
For applications associated with oil and gas recovery including oil obtained from tar sands recovery processes including those involving steam assisted recovery processes, the larger rear fluid storage compartment Sib may contain waste water useful for steam generation, while the smaller forward compartment 51a may contain another fluid such as diesel fuel or the like which is commonly used on such worksites. In the recovery of oil associated with well drilling, the larger compartment may be used to hold drilling fluids.
It is understood that the inner storage tank 50 may be divided into a number of sub-compartments for storage of a number of different fluids dependent on the use or application of the assembly 10, but also with consideration to and without departing from the overall functionality of the storage tank assembly 10 as a whole, given that the apparatus 10 is used to storage large volumes of hazardous fluids used in or generated from varied industrial and mining applications.
As depicted generally in FIG. 14, the storage and trailer assembly of the present invention is provided with a manifold system 140, in part, includes a set of fluid lines such as fluid lines 142, 143 and 144 for which each exteriorly terminate with hookup ports illustrated, for example, by hookup ports 146, 147 and 148 on fluid line 142. The fluid lines 142, 143 and 144 includes valves, such as, for example, valve 149 which may be opened and closed to provide means with which to control the flow of fluid to and from the storage tank.
The mobile storage and dispensing assembly according to the present invention can thus obviate the need for on-site permanent storage and the economical and physical deficiencies associated therewith, and is capable of use in situations where such a storage facility is only needed temporarily or where a power supply for the operation of the pumping, siphoning and flushing equipment, etc. is not readily available. Furthermore, the assembly includes a means for the quick and easy installation and removal of the storage tank and trailer assembly and to means for filling and emptying of the fluid storage tank to overcome the drawbacks associated with sledge mounted, portable storage tanks currently in use in the field.
These drawbacks including, but not limited to, driver safety, time management, etc.
while providing a storage container for storing one or more potentially hazardous fluids which provides safety features to avoid or prevent a breaching of the tank and the accidental spill of the fluid and the environmental and health implications associated with such a spill. The storage tank and trailer assembly of the present invention also provides other advantages heretofore not found in other mobile fluid storage and dispensing systems including but not restricted to means to move the storage tank and trailer assembly from a ground mounted stationary position to a towing position and also provides means to manipulate the trailer to facilitate emptying of the storage tank prior to transport.
While the present invention has been described with reference to particular details of construction, configuration and application, these and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to be limitative of the invention so further described in such appended claims.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile storage apparatus including a double-walled tank for the storage and supply of large volumes of liquid at a worksite and which is also adapted for on-road transport by a suitable towing vehicle and which, by its construction, facilitates installation of the storage tank and wherein the storage tank also has superior primary and secondary safety features associated with the filling, storing and emptying of potentially hazardous liquids including those particularly associated with mining and industrial processes including the in situ production and/or processing of oil and gas including, but not restricted to oil recovery and processing from tar sands development. The use of such mobile storage tanks for other industrial applications including the storage of hazardous wastes derived from mining operations and the like and/or the storage of industrial chemicals for use at such worksites is also contemplated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In past practices, in order to transport and store liquid chemicals at a worksite, it has been necessary to transport such chemicals in massive tank trucks or railroad cars to a worksite where the chemicals are needed. Thereafter, at the worksite, the chemicals are then pumped from the tank truck or railroad care into permanent storage tanks maintained on site. This necessitates numerous handlings of the chemicals exposing the handlers to increased health risks associated with the handling of potentially hazardous fluids, increases in injury associated with the use of heavy machinery and increased environmental hazard associated with a chemical spill. The requirement for permanently built storage tanks at the worksite such as a oil or gas drilling site or an oil productions site from tar sands development, etc., represents significant capital expenditure due costs associated with construction and ultimately removal.
Furthermore, due to the usually corrosive nature of most of the fluids to be stored at such worksites, the permanent storage tanks are often constructed of steel or other suitable material and are conventionally located outdoors and therefore exposed to an often, harsh environment. This corrosion and exposure combine to mechanical failure including breaching of these permanent storage tanks as well as chemical stress on the valves and pumps, etc. associated with the tanks thus requiring continuous maintenance by workers at the site.
To overcome the use of permanent storage tanks and the drawbacks associated therewith, large mobile tanks are now currently provided for the on-site storing and supply or dispensing of potentially hazardous fluids associated with industrial and mining operations including, particularly, oil and gas drilling and oil sands production and processing. The hazardous fluids associated with these industrial and mining operations include, for example, drilling fluids containing salt, water, acid and pebbled mud; fracturing fluids which may contain a variety of potentially hazardous chemical; and oil or tar sands slurries containing bitumen, water, clays, sand, etc. and fluids such as diesel fuel, etc. and most particularly drilling fluids often required in large quantities in such working environments. When no longer of use, the tanks are emptied and flushed and the empty tanks may then be removed and relocated over distances for use at another worksite. Alternatively, the fluid storage tanks can be removed from the worksite with their tanks empty and flushed at a hazardous waste disposal site remote from the worksite. The use of such mobile tanks overcomes many of the drawbacks associated with the use of permanent, on-site storage tanks and the related costs associated with the maintenance of such stationary tanks Portable fluid storage tanks are used to provide storage of industrial fluids at temporary or on-site locations such as a drilling site for oil and gas wells or for tar sands mining. Upon installation, the empty storage tank may be filled with fluid to be stored and/or dispensed. More particularly, the industrial fluids which may be stored in the present storage tanks include drilling mud, fracturing liquids, fluids for use in the production and processing of tar sands, process slurries associated with environmental clean-up, recovered water particularly useful in the production of steam generation useful in oil or tar sands production including steam-assisted, gravity drainage (SAGD) processes, etc., brine and any other potentially useful and/or hazardous process fluid. It is further understood that in the case of large oil, gas or tar sands production facilities, a large number of these fluid storage tanks may be installed on-site and, if desired, may be linked in fluid communication from one to the other.
As used herein, the term "fluid" is intended to generally include any material that can flow into and out of a fluid storage tank if maintained in a desired condition and thus "fluid" is intended to include any flowing mixture, suspension, slurry, or combination of materials in different phases. One preferred example is tar sands process slurries or tailings slurries that are essentially comprised of bitumen, water, mud and sand. Drilling fluids that are a primary stored fluid may also be in the form of a slurry.
Prior art portable fluid storage tanks such as described in Canadian Laid Open Application 2,633,332 to Jansen disclose a portable storage tank for use particularly for storing and dispensing fluids associated with oil and gas drilling and oil sands production which must be winched using skids or picked using a picker onto the flatbed of a semi-truck capable of carrying such a large container and then secured to the flatbed by chains or other fastening means for transport to the drilling site.
Once at the site, the container must be unfastened from the flatbed and placed or installed onto the ground or other preferred surface again by winching or by picker.
This process is time consuming, exposes the driver to increased hazards associated with these complex installation processes and also requires the need for and the use of additional heavy equipment such as a picker to dismount the tank during installation at the drilling site and re-mount the tank prior to hauling to another site.
Therefore, there is a need to provide storage tanks that may be installed quickly and easily at the worksite and which also eliminate or reduce many of the drawbacks associated with the prior art, mobile storage tanks and the current means of transport and installation of these prior art, mobile storage tanks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a portable storage and supply tank of industrial size for the storage and dispensing of various fluids including those containing potentially environmentally and/or health hazardous components wherein the fluid storage tank is permanently mounted to its own trailer on its bottom surface to eliminate the need for the laborious, time consuming and potentially dangerous processes required to mount and dismount the prior art tanks onto the flatbed haulers. The use of these wheeled storage tanks therefore eliminates the need to mount and dismount the tanks onto and off wheeled flatbeds by chains or other laborious and potentially dangerous fastening means and vastly reduces the manpower and man hours associated with these processes and the need for additional specialized machinery to aid in the mounting and dismounting process.
The ease of installation and removal associated with the wheeled, fluid storage tanks also helps to dramatically reduce the trucking and transport costs;
dramatically reduce driver exposure time on highway and location, reduced trip and slip hazards and reduce or eliminate environmental spill hazards.
In use, an empty storage tank is towed to a temporary location, such as oil drilling site or tar sands mining or production and processing site by a towing vehicle such as a semi-tractor. At the worksite, the fluid storage tank and associated trailer is unhooked from the tow vehicle and is allowed to come to rest on level ground or other suitable surface including a prepared concrete slab or similar surface.
The storage tank and associated trailer is allowed to rest directly on the bottom surface of the trailer through hydraulic retraction of the wheels of the trailer thus providing an even distribution of weight directly on the ground for increased stability and for the elimination of static weight bearing on the wheels of the trailer during installation at the worksite.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the hydraulic lifting and lowering of the tank may be used to help move the fluid including slurries and solids associated with such slurries to the front of the tank to facilitate emptying thereof.
This eliminates the need to provide specialized features within the tank such as a sloped bottom as seen in the prior art storage tank of Janzen or the need for a troughed bottom or similar to aid in the emptying of the inner tank. The elimination of such features may also help maximize the storage capacity of tank.
A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a fluid storage tank that, in addition to being transportable by having a permanently mounted trailer to facilitate transport to the worksite, relates to the inclusion of an outer tank and an inner tank to form a double-walled storage tank. The inclusion of an inner tank such that the inner tank and outer tank forms the desired, double walled arrangement thereby providing means for preventing the leakage of potentially hazardous fluids stored inside should the inner tank begin leaking do to wall failure such as would be associated with rusting and the like or do to some other accidental breach.
The space between the inner and outer tanks provides a means for containing any leakage of the fluid and is of a size, at least 10 % of the inner tank capacity to offer true 110% dual containment. Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, the space between the inner and outer tanks may include means for monitoring the inside thereof to identify potentially leaks and wherein interstitial space is examined by visual means in the form of a sight glass or the like.
In still a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid storage tank of the present invention may include means for separating the inner tank into more than one compartment. In a preferred embodiment, the inner tank is divided into a larger, primary compartment and a smaller, secondary compartment such that the primary and secondary compartments may be used to store different fluids. For example, the secondary compartment that is smaller than the primary compartment, may hold a first fluid such as, for example, diesel fuel that his commonly used on mining or other industrial worksites, while the primary compartment may be used to store invert, fracture ("frac") or drilling fluid, or other fluids, which are produced and reused by oil, gas and tar sands processes and which most often includes components that are hazardous to the environment and to human health.
In still a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid storage tank of the present invention is provided with means to fill and empty the inner storage tank thereof by suction, fill and flush lines which enter the inner storage tank from above and through the top wall and therefore does not breach the doubled containment wall and internal space located between the internal and external tanks. This top entry arrangement of the suction, fill and flush lines, therefore, does not cause points of weakness in the double-wall of the storage tank and thus vastly reduces the potential for accidental breach of the fluid storage and containment tank.
Similarly, other access points such as entry hatches are not through the double-walled, but only through the top wall of the fluid storage tank.
In yet a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid storage tank apparatus is provided with a trailer, which is permanently attached or mounted to the bottom wall of the outer tank. Furthermore, the trailer is outfitted with fully retractable, hydraulic landing gear to facilitate installment of the fluid storage tank at the worksite such that when retracted, the bottom of the trailer and tank bottom sits on the ground or on a surface such as a cement slab provided for such installment.
Furthermore, the trailer and associated hydraulics provides a quick and easy means to mount the apparatus to any suitable towing vehicle for removal and installation at another site. The trailer and associated hydraulics system also provides an easy means to accumulate stored fluid at the suction valve to facilitate a complete emptying of the tank at worksite prior to removal or perhaps at a secondary waste disposal site.
It is understood by those skilled in the art that the fluid storage tank and associated trailer can be used in a variety of circumstances and locations, and for the purposes different from those specifically described herein. For the reasons stated above and for the reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for storage tanks that have improved features associated with the handling of fluids including hazardous liquids or other component parts, and to the increased ease for transport and installation of these large industrial storage tanks at the worksite.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its scope can be obtained from the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the various embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly illustrating both storage tank and permanently mounted trailer of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of one side of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the mobile storage tank taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG 2 illustrating the outer containment tank and inner storage tank of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front end view of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a rear end view of mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the top mounted suction, fill and flush lines and entry hatches;
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the mobile fluid storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic landing gear in transport mode;
FIG 8 is a schematic illustration of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic landing gear in the stationary position or installed mode;
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic landing gear in a sloped mode to facilitate emptying of the inner tank;
FIG 10 is a perspective view of the trailer of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention with the storage tank removed to illustrate various aspects of the trailer;
FIGS. 10a, 10b and 10c are side views of the trailer of the mobile storage and supply assembly of the present invention illustrating the trailer and hydraulic system for said trailer in the stationary, change to transport and in transport positions respectively;
FIGS. 11a and 11b are end views of the trailer of the mobile storage and supply assembly illustrating the hydraulic lift mechanism in the transport and stationary positions;
FIG. 12 is a perspective cut-away view of the inner tank illustrating a division of the tank into a larger, fluid storage compartment and a smaller, secondary fluid storage compartment;
FIG. 13 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the mobile storage tank taken generally along line 1-1 of FIG 12 illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the inner tank is divided into small front compartment and a larger rear compartment; and FIG. 14 is a partial cut-away perspective view of the exterior of the storage tank depicting a portion of the manifold system for use in suctioning and discharging of a fluid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration only specific embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and that logical, mechanical and other changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, illustrative only and is not to limit the scope of the invention as a whole.
Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the mobile fluid storage and supply tank apparatus or assembly 10 that is used to store and dispense one or more fluids contained therein. Fluids, in the present sense includes both traditional fluids and also other flowable materials including suspensions, slurries and the like and may therefore include industrial fluids including fuels such as diesel and gasoline as well as industrial and mining fluids such as but not limited to drilling fluids, fracturing fluids, oil and tar sands slurries and the like.
In the embodiment as set out in Figs. 1 and 2, mobile fluid storage tank assembly 10 is comprised of a trailer 20 with frame 23 and a storage and dispensing tank hereinafter referred to as the "storage tank 30". The storage tank 30 is generally constructed of a front end 11, a rear end 14 which opposes front end 12, and a pair of opposed sides 13 and 14, which are in generally parallel relationship one to the other and extending between the front end 12 and rear end 14. The apparatus 10 includes base or bottom surfacel6, which is permanently mounted by any known securing means including welds,, bolts, etc. to trailer 20, and an opposed top or roofl8.
The trailer 20 including frame 23 is provided with one or more sets of rear wheels 21 and 22, preferably as a pair of tandem axles (not shown) to provide means to transport the apparatus 10 including trailer 20 and storage tank 30 when mounted and towed by a suitable towing vehicle such as a semi cab or truck (not shown).
The trailer 20 is towed by securing the trailer to the towing vehicle by a hitching plate 24, which is fastened by any standard means to any appropriate towing vehicle.
As depicted in FIG. 3, storage tank 30 includes an outer tank 40 and an inner tank 50, which is mounted within the outer tank 40. Outer tank 40 includes a vertical front wall 42, a vertical rear wall 44 together with a pair of vertical and opposed side walls 46 and 48, respectively and top and bottom walls, 47 and 49, respectively.
Similarly, inner tank 50 is comprised of a vertical front wall 52, a vertical rear wall 54, a pair of vertical and opposed side walls 56 and 58, respectively and top and bottom walls, 57 and 59, respectively.
The inner tank 40 is mounted within the outer tank 40 that there is a space 60 located therebetween, and wherein the space 45 hereinafter known has the interstitial space 60 is of a size such that it represents at least ten percent (10%) of the volume of the entire master tank. The interstitial space 45 provides means for containing any leakage of the fluid contained within the inner tank 50 and is of a size, at least 10 % of the inner tank capacity to offer 110% dual containment of the fluid or fluids contained within the inner tank 50. The leakage of stored fluid could be a result of a breach of any of the inner tank walls 52, 54, 56 or 58, which may be a result of rust or by other breach such as that caused by impact damage, etc.
The interstitial space 60 may be provided with a number of regularly spaced and vertical support members, generally depicted as members 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69, which provides support means to separate the inner and outer tanks, 40 and 50. It is clear that these vertical support members do not extend completely to the top and bottom of the interstitial space 60 to allow for fluid, which may enter the space 60 due to a breach in a wall of the internal tank 50 to fill the entire space.
Similar regular support members (not shown) may be also located within the space between the bottom walls, 49 and 59 and the top walls, 47 and 49 of the outer and inner tanks 40 and 50, respectively. The support members, therefore form a steel framework separating the inner and outer tanks and providing physical support and strength.
It is understood that the various walls which form the outer tank 40 and inner tank 50 may be made of any suitable material including but not limited to plate include metal plate such as steel plate or other similar material.
The mobile storage and supply tank assembly 10 therefore is formed into a double-walled, storage tank 30 that includes outer 40 and inner 50 tanks, which is preferably engineered of plate steel, and which defines an interstitial space which contains internal baffles and supports engineered of steel. The outer tank 40, which is supported by a steel frame comprised of the vertical support members 69, is then sheathed in steel plate to form the double-walled design.
Construction of the outer tank 40 ad the inner tank 50 is such that there is no penetration of the interstitial space 60 through the walls of the internal 50 and external 40 tanks.
As depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the mobile storage tank assembly 10 includes a covered working platform 70 that extends outwardly from the front end 12 and atop the hitching plate 24 of the trailer 20 to provide a suitable working surface to access various control and monitoring panels and systems (not shown) as well as access to various fluid line hook-ups including the oil suction line 72, oil fill line 73, invert fill line 74, invert suction line 75 and invert flush line 76 which allow for fluid flow into and out of the inner tank 50. The fluid lines, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 originate from within the inner tank 40 and pass out of the inner tank 50 through the top walls 47 and 57 of the outer and inner tanks, 40 and 50 respectively. The fluid lines 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 then run forward to the front end 12 of the storage tank 30 and terminate at ports located at appropriate heights above the landing platform 78 to facilitate the hook-up of any of the fluid lines to the appropriate pumping, siphoning and flushing equipment. The running of the fluid lines through the top 18 of the storage tank 30 rather than through a side or end wall reduces the potential for side or end wall breach of the outer tank 40 due to a weakening of the wall at the connection points of such side, end or rear wall entry and exit points.
Monitoring of the interstitial space 60 is also provided through the use of a sight glass (not shown) thereby allowing for visual assessment for a breach in one of the walls of the inner tank 50 by sighting fluid located within the interstitial space 60.
An internal circulating system (not shown) helps to keep fluids form freezing or separating. When being filled or during the circulation process, fluid level may reach a critical high level condition and therefore monitoring of the fill level of the inner tank 50 is needed to prevent overfilling. The monitoring systems (not shown) used are generally known in the art. In addition the monitoring systems include audible and visual alarms to signal and protect against overfilling of the inner tank 50. Such known systems include but are not restricted to the Garnet SeeLevel II
display system. Thus being filled or during the circulation process, fluid level may reach a critical high level condition, predetermined by tank volumes, and external visual and audible alarms will indicate an undesirable high level condition within the inner tank 50.
The mobile storage and supply tank assembly 10 with storage tank 30 comes in a variety of capacities and configurations. The primary function of the storage tank 30 is to provide fluid storage in the inner tank 50 with protected, secondary containment by way of the outer tank 40 to protect the environment or the public from the potentially hazardous fluids contained within. In this regard, it is envisioned that the mobile, double walled storage tank may take on a variety of configurations including tanks known as a master tank, a slave tank and a double compartment slave tank. All of these tanks are of the true double-wall tank design for double-walled containment. The master tank preferably is comprised of an 80m3 invert or drill fluid storage compartment and a 36m3 base oil storage compartment and includes a suction and discharge manifold system as discussed below and as illustrated generally in Figure 13. The slave tank has a capacity of 116m3. The dual compartment slave tank has two compartments, each with a capacity of 58c3.
The working platform 70 may be provided with a cover 71, which is supported by a pair of vertical supports, 77 and 78 to protect both the control panels and operating personnel from inclement weather. The landing platform, which is raised off of the ground and is mounted above the hitching plate 24 of the trailer 20, may be provided with an access ladder 79 or ramp (not shown).
As depicted in Figs. 1, 2, 5, & 6, a ladder 34 is mounted at the rear end 14 of the apparatus 10 to allow for climbing on the top of the master tank 30 to facilitate access to one or more hatches, represented by hatches 11 and 13 in the drawings.
These hatches allow for access to the interior of the storage tank 30 including, particularly the interior of the inner storage tank 50 for inspection and for cleaning purposes. The top of the master tank 30 may also be provided with thief hatches 35 and 36 and fixed safety anchors 32 and zip line anchors 37 to provide means for anchoring and thereby securing personal safety lines to protect against falls by workers while accessing the hatches and for offering anchors for temporary storage of secondary gear, etc.
In use, and as depicted in FIG. 7, the mobile storage tank assembly 10, which includes storage tank 30 and associated trailer 20, is hauled by a towing vehicle 80 to the worksite for installation. The towing vehicle 80 can be a single steer, front end, tandem rear end, highway tractor. The trailer 20, which is permanently mounted to the storage tank 30, via frame 23 is an engineered, Department of Transportation certified trailer 20 and is therefore constructed of heavy steel beams, tubing and plate.
The installation site may be simply an area of level or, if not available, uneven ground or may include a mounting pad or prepared surface made of concrete or the like to provide a firm and level surface. Once in place, the driver simply unhooks the towing vehicle 80 from the trailer 20 and the mobile storage tank apparatus 10 may then be lowered through the use of an air over hydraulics system located in both the front and rear of the trailer 20. The installation process is done through simultaneous retraction of the rear wheels, 21 and 22, and front landing gear (not shown) resulting in the lowering of the apparatus 10 until the bottom surface of the trailer 20 and bottom 16 or storage tank apparatus 10 comes to rest completely on the installation surface such that there is no longer any pressure exerted on the hydraulic systems.
Both the front and rear landing gear (not shown in FIG. 7), which as noted above are provided with air over hydraulics which utilize re-phasing or pressure balancing lift cylinders to ensure a level application of pressure should the ground be uneven.
The air system for the front and rear landing gear is functioned by a compressor on any standard truck with an air brake system. Thus, the air side functions the drum brakes (not shown) on the tandem or single axles of wheels 21 and/or 22 and also provides the means to operate the hydraulic system of the trailer 20. The hydraulic system is used to raise and lower the front of the trailer 20 via two re-phasing (pressure balancing) hydraulic lift cylinders (not shown) that ensure an even and level affect. The rear hydraulics are utilized to first lift the trailer 20 off a support carriage and secondly, once the support carriage is swung out of the travel position, to lower the trailer 20 such that the frame of the trailer rests on the ground or other installation surface. Reference is made to FIGS. 10 a-c and FIGS.11a and 11b and the more detailed description of the utilization of the landing gear provided below.
It is anticipated that such mobile tank installations may include a large number of mobile tank apparatus to handle the volumes of fluids associated with mining and industrial processing. The installations could conceivably include eighty or more storage apparatus and it is also contemplated that fluid connection between apparatus housing similarly stored fluid is also contemplated.
Prior to transport and relocation of the mobile storage tank apparatus 10, in an empty state, the installation process described above is simply reversed and the apparatus 10 is raised by the front and rear hydraulics systems to a height such that the towing vehicle 80 may be appropriately aligned and mounted onto the hitching plate 24 for towing. Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic representation of the apparatus 10 with the rear wheels 21 and 22 retracted in the installed mode.
FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic representation only of the apparatus 10 in a sloped mode or arrangement to facilitate emptying of the inner tank by gravitational accumulation of the fluid contents at front end of the inner tank 50 near the inner outtake (not shown) of the suction line.
The trailer's hydraulics system therefore not only allows for easy installation and re-mounting of the apparatus 10 for transport thereby avoiding the problems associated with the loading and unloading of sled mounted tanks onto transport trailers, it also provide a safe and easy means to ensure that the inner tank is substantially empty of fluid prior to transport to another worksite.
Alternatively, in some instances whereby the apparatus 10 is used to store waste fluid prior to disposal at an off-site disposal facility, the waste fluid may be hauled away and emptied at a hazardous waste disposal site where the tank may be flushed through the use of flush lines. The apparatus 10 once empty of waste fluid and flushed with water is then emptied of flush water and may be transported and installed at another worksite.
With reference now to FIG. 10 and FIGS. 10 a-c, the trailer 20 is comprised of a frame 100 which itself is comprised of a front support portion 102, a rear support portion 104 and a centrally located, main frame portion 106.
The front support portion 102 includes a hitching device 101 which secures the trailer to the towing vehicle (not shown), a front cross member, one or more intermediate cross members 105, a rear cross member 107 and side rails 109 and 110. The front support portion 102 thus provides both a means to hitch the trailer to the towing vehicle for hauling by forming a hitching plate which includes a hitching device 101. The front support portion 102 also provides a support surface to mount the working platform 70 as depicted, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The rear support portion 104 includes a front cross member 113, one or more intermediate cross members 115, an elongated rear cross member 117 and side rails 114 and 116.
The front and rear support portions, 102 and 104 respectively, of the trailer are each mounted at the same horizontal elevation and above the main frame portion 106 of the trailer 100 by a pair of front and rear vertical mounting plates 108 and 118 respectively.
The cross members of the front and rear support portions, 102 and 104, of the trailer frame, as well as the mainframe portion 106, maintain the position and orientation of their respective side rails and pairs of vertical mounting plates 108 and 118 provide a substantially rigid frame on which to permanently mount the storage tank and working platform.
The rear support portion 104 includes one or more undercarriage support members 120 onto which is rotatably mounted at least one set of tandem wheels 122 (hereinafter known as the wheels) mounted to their respective axle 124. The wheels 122 may be displaced by a hydraulic system (not shown) which control the movement of the undercarriage 120 and thus the raising and lowering of the wheels 122 to various positions as depicted in FIGS 10 a-c. The wheels therefore may be raised to an elevated or retracted position such that the bottom of the main frame portion 106 of the trailer 100 rests on the ground and the trailer 100 is thus in the stationary position as seen in FIG 10a. The storage tank and trailer assembly 10 is grounded and is therefore in a position to bear the combined weight of the storage tank and trailer assembly 10 and fluid stored therein. In this position, the storage tank and trailer assembly 10 is said to be in the installed mode. When transitioning from the stationary position to the transport position, the auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 is lowered such that the lower horizontal cross beam 134 engages the ground and the hydraulic system associated with the wheels 122 lowers the wheels from the retracted position to its ground engaging position ready for transport, see FIGS 10 a-c inclusive. FIGS. 11a and 11b illustrate the two positions of the auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 in a weight bearing position to facilitate the lowering of the wheels 122 and in the transport position wherein the assembly 130 is retracted for transport.
The rear support portion 104 with its associated rear landing gear additionally includes an auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 comprised of a pair of downwardly extending, telescoping strut members 111 and 112 which are located on either end of and are welded to the rear cross member 117 and which provides means to mount a pair of hydraulic pistons 131 and 132 which lower and raise a horizontal support beam 134. The auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 therefore is provided with hydraulic means to raise the horizontal support beam 134 from a retracted or stored position as illustrated in Figure 11a to an extended, ground engaging position as shown in Figure 11b. The auxiliary hydraulic support assembly 130 thus provides weight bearing assistance during the raising and lowering of the wheels 122 of the trailer 100 when moving the storage tank and trailer assembly from a stationary position to a transport position as illustrated in FIGS. 10a, 10b and 10c.
Although not shown, the front support portion 104 of the frame 100 may also provided with front landing gear in the form of hydraulic support assembly which is similar in structure and function to the auxiliary hydraulic support assembly associated with the rear landing gear described above. The front landing gear therefore which is comprised essentially of a second hydraulic support assembly may provide hydraulic means to lift the front of the trailer 100 from a lower stationary position whereby the mobile storage tank assembly is in an installed position to a raised position to allow for alignment of the hitching device 101 for attachment to a towing vehicle for transport. Once the trailer 100 is hitched to the towing vehicle, the front hydraulic support assembly is retracted from its lower, ground engaging or weight bearing position to an elevated or stored position for transport.
As discussed previously, the hydraulic system may also be used to provide means to position the storage tank and trailer assembly 10 in a sloped position such that the rear of the assembly 10 is in a slightly elevated position relative to the front of the assembly to facilitate emptying of the contents of the inner storage tank. In the sloped position, the stored fluid is urged to flow forward toward and enter the suction ports of the outtake lines that form a part of the manifold system.
Furthermore, as described above, the hydraulic system may also be used to actuate front landing gear in the form of a front hydraulic assembly (not shown) to raise the front of the trailer to a height to facilitate hitching of the trailer via the hitching plate and hitching device to the towing vehicle. The mobile storage tank assembly 10 of the present invention therefore includes the use of a hydraulic system which control both the front and rear landing gear for raising and lowering of the wheels 122, and which includes an auxiliary rear hydraulic support assembly 130, a front hydraulic assembly and related trailer and tank architecture that allows for the lowering, rising and tilting of the storage tank and trailer assembly to facilitate installation, transport and emptying of the storage tank. It is understood that the front and rear landing gear and associated hydraulics may be controlled independently or together to provide means to orient the mobile storage tank and trailer assembly 10 into any desired position.
As illustrated In FIGS. 12 and 13, the inner storage tank 50 may be divided into more than one storage compartment. By way of example, FIG 12 depicts an inner storage tank 50 that has been divided into two sub-compartments, including a larger, primary fluid storage compartment 51b and smaller, secondary fluid storage compartment 51a and that these sub-compartments are divided by a reinforced, single-walled bulkhead or middle wall 53. In this preferred arrangement, the inner tank 50 is divided into a smaller, forward compartment 51a having a inner front wall 52, a pair of opposing inner side walls, 56a and 58a, each having ends in contact with the inner front wall 52 and an inner middle wall 53 and an inner bottom horizontal wall 57a. The walls are so arranged as to form a smaller front fluid storage compartment of a generally rectangular configuration, which is useful in the storage of secondary fluids. Similarly, larger rear compartment 51b is formed by the inner middle wall 53 shared in common with the forward secondary compartment 51a, inner rear wall 54 in contact with a pair of opposing inner side walls, 56b and 58b, inner bottom horizontal wall 57b. This larger primary compartment is used to hold and/or dispense a larger quantity of primary fluid. As depicted in FIG 11, the larger rear compartment 52 includes a bottom horizontal wall 57b which has a rear horizontal portion 57b" which is higher than the front horizontal portion 57b'. This arrangement follows the contour of the frame 23 of trailer 20 to accommodate the axles which drive wheels 21 and 22 as depicted, for example in FIG 1.
For applications associated with oil and gas recovery including oil obtained from tar sands recovery processes including those involving steam assisted recovery processes, the larger rear fluid storage compartment Sib may contain waste water useful for steam generation, while the smaller forward compartment 51a may contain another fluid such as diesel fuel or the like which is commonly used on such worksites. In the recovery of oil associated with well drilling, the larger compartment may be used to hold drilling fluids.
It is understood that the inner storage tank 50 may be divided into a number of sub-compartments for storage of a number of different fluids dependent on the use or application of the assembly 10, but also with consideration to and without departing from the overall functionality of the storage tank assembly 10 as a whole, given that the apparatus 10 is used to storage large volumes of hazardous fluids used in or generated from varied industrial and mining applications.
As depicted generally in FIG. 14, the storage and trailer assembly of the present invention is provided with a manifold system 140, in part, includes a set of fluid lines such as fluid lines 142, 143 and 144 for which each exteriorly terminate with hookup ports illustrated, for example, by hookup ports 146, 147 and 148 on fluid line 142. The fluid lines 142, 143 and 144 includes valves, such as, for example, valve 149 which may be opened and closed to provide means with which to control the flow of fluid to and from the storage tank.
The mobile storage and dispensing assembly according to the present invention can thus obviate the need for on-site permanent storage and the economical and physical deficiencies associated therewith, and is capable of use in situations where such a storage facility is only needed temporarily or where a power supply for the operation of the pumping, siphoning and flushing equipment, etc. is not readily available. Furthermore, the assembly includes a means for the quick and easy installation and removal of the storage tank and trailer assembly and to means for filling and emptying of the fluid storage tank to overcome the drawbacks associated with sledge mounted, portable storage tanks currently in use in the field.
These drawbacks including, but not limited to, driver safety, time management, etc.
while providing a storage container for storing one or more potentially hazardous fluids which provides safety features to avoid or prevent a breaching of the tank and the accidental spill of the fluid and the environmental and health implications associated with such a spill. The storage tank and trailer assembly of the present invention also provides other advantages heretofore not found in other mobile fluid storage and dispensing systems including but not restricted to means to move the storage tank and trailer assembly from a ground mounted stationary position to a towing position and also provides means to manipulate the trailer to facilitate emptying of the storage tank prior to transport.
While the present invention has been described with reference to particular details of construction, configuration and application, these and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to be limitative of the invention so further described in such appended claims.
Claims (31)
1. A mobile storage tank with double-walled, fluid containment comprising:
a frame for supporting the mobile storage tank;
an outer tank having an outer front wall, an outer rear wall, a pair of opposing outer side walls, and outer top and bottom walls arranged so as to form said outer storage tank of a generally rectangular shape, an inner tank having an inner front wall, an inner rear wall, a pair of opposing inner side walls, and bottom wall arranged so as to form said inner storage tank which is of a generally rectangular shape;
said inner tank being of a size such that it may located within the outer tank and wherein the outer front wall, outer rear wall and opposing outer side walls and the complementary inner front wall, inner rear wall and opposing inner side walls are separated from their counterparts by an interstitial space; and an outer top wall or roof, which is mounted to the top of the outer tank and which provides sealed containment of the inner storage tank and the interstitial space.
a frame for supporting the mobile storage tank;
an outer tank having an outer front wall, an outer rear wall, a pair of opposing outer side walls, and outer top and bottom walls arranged so as to form said outer storage tank of a generally rectangular shape, an inner tank having an inner front wall, an inner rear wall, a pair of opposing inner side walls, and bottom wall arranged so as to form said inner storage tank which is of a generally rectangular shape;
said inner tank being of a size such that it may located within the outer tank and wherein the outer front wall, outer rear wall and opposing outer side walls and the complementary inner front wall, inner rear wall and opposing inner side walls are separated from their counterparts by an interstitial space; and an outer top wall or roof, which is mounted to the top of the outer tank and which provides sealed containment of the inner storage tank and the interstitial space.
2. The mobile storage tank of claim 1, wherein the interstitial space provides the storage tank with a double-walled arrangement which provides means for capturing fluid which may leak from the inner storage tank should any of the walls of the inner tank be breached do to accidental or rust damage.
3. The mobile storage tank of claims 1 or 2, wherein the interstitial space is approximately 10% of the volume of the inner storage tank.
4. The mobile storage tank of claims 1-3, wherein the interstitial space includes a number of regularly spaced support members, which provides support means to separate the inner and outer tanks while providing reinforcement of the inner and outer walls of the storage tank.
5. A mobile storage tank assembly with fluid containment, the assembly comprising:
a trailer including a base frame with at least one pair of rear wheels mounted to engage the ground for rolling movement relative thereto;
a storage tank supported by and permanently secured to the base frame, said storage tank being comprised of an outer tank and an inner tank within said outer tank and an interstitial space located between said outer tank and inner tank so as to form a double-walled, fluid storage tank arrangement; and hitching means including a front support assembly which forms a hitching plate including a hitching device located at the front of said trailer for hitching the trailer to a towing vehicle.
a trailer including a base frame with at least one pair of rear wheels mounted to engage the ground for rolling movement relative thereto;
a storage tank supported by and permanently secured to the base frame, said storage tank being comprised of an outer tank and an inner tank within said outer tank and an interstitial space located between said outer tank and inner tank so as to form a double-walled, fluid storage tank arrangement; and hitching means including a front support assembly which forms a hitching plate including a hitching device located at the front of said trailer for hitching the trailer to a towing vehicle.
6. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 5, wherein the storage tank is comprised of:
an outer tank having an outer front wall, an outer rear wall, a pair of opposing outer side walls, and outer top and bottom walls arranged so as to form said outer storage tank of a generally rectangular shape, an inner tank having an inner front wall, an inner rear wall, a pair of opposing inner side walls, and bottom wall arranged so as to form said inner storage tank which is of a generally rectangular shape;
said inner tank being of a size such that it may located within the outer tank and wherein the outer front wall, outer rear wall and opposed outer side walls and the complementary inner front wall, inner rear wall and opposed inner side walls are separated from their counterparts by an interstitial space; and a outer top wall defining a roof, which is mounted to the top of the outer tank which provides sealed containment of the inner storage tank and the interstitial space.
an outer tank having an outer front wall, an outer rear wall, a pair of opposing outer side walls, and outer top and bottom walls arranged so as to form said outer storage tank of a generally rectangular shape, an inner tank having an inner front wall, an inner rear wall, a pair of opposing inner side walls, and bottom wall arranged so as to form said inner storage tank which is of a generally rectangular shape;
said inner tank being of a size such that it may located within the outer tank and wherein the outer front wall, outer rear wall and opposed outer side walls and the complementary inner front wall, inner rear wall and opposed inner side walls are separated from their counterparts by an interstitial space; and a outer top wall defining a roof, which is mounted to the top of the outer tank which provides sealed containment of the inner storage tank and the interstitial space.
7. The mobile storage tank assembly of claims 5 or 6, wherein the trailer includes front and rear landing gear and wherein rear landing gear includes at least one pair of rear wheels.
8. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 7, wherein the front and rear landing gear include front and rear hydraulic systems to provide means for lowering and the storage tank assembly during installation and removal of the tank assembly from a work site.
9. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 8, wherein the front and rear hydraulics systems are air over hydraulics systems.
10. The mobile storage tank assembly of claims 8 or 9, wherein the front and rear hydraulics systems additionally provide a means to tip the storage tank to facilitate emptying of the tank.
11. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-10, wherein the front and rear hydraulic systems utilize re-phasing or pressure balancing lift cylinders to ensure a level application of should the ground at the installation site be uneven.
12. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-11, wherein the front and rear hydraulic systems are provided with compressed air from a compressor of a towing vehicle with its associated an air brake system.
13. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-12, wherein the mobile storage tank includes a manifold system comprised of various fluid lines including an oil suction line, an oil file line, an invert fill line, invert suction line and invert flush line and wherein these fluid lines are in communication with the inner storage tank of the master tank through the outer top wall or roof thereof.
14. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-13, wherein the outer top wall or roof, additionally includes access to the inner storage tank by means of hatches located in said outer top wall.
15. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 13 wherein access to the top the hatches located in the roof of the master tank is via a ladder, which is mounted to the rear end wall of the master tank.
16. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 14, wherein the roof of the storage tank is provided with fixed safety anchors and zip-line anchors and may additionally include a thief hatch.
17. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-16, wherein the inner storage tank is provided with a circulating system to provide means to keep stored fluids from freezing or separating.
18. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-17, which further includes monitoring and alarm systems for monitoring of various conditions and for notification of any changes to in those conditions.
19. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 18, wherein the monitoring means includes means for monitoring the interstitial space between the outer and inner storage tanks and wherein this monitoring means is a sight glass which allows for visual assessment of the interstitial space.
20. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 18, wherein the monitoring systems include control panels, audible and visual alarms to signal and protect against over-filling of the inner storage tank.
21. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 20, wherein the monitoring and alarm system may include a Garnet SeeLevel II display system.
22. The mobile storage tank assembly of any of claims 5-21, which further includes a working platform supported on top of the hitching plate and wherein the working platform includes a cover or roof supported by vertical supports and wherein said roof provides means for protection of the control panels and operating personnel against inclement weather.
23. The mobile storage tank assembly of claim 22, wherein the fluid lines which make up the manifold system each exit the inner storage tank through the roof of the storage tank and each terminate with hook-up ports located at the front end of the storage tank at points under the roof of the working platform to provide protected means to connect the fluid lines to auxiliary pumping, suctioning and flushing equipment.
24. The mobile storage tank assembly of claims 22 or 23, wherein the working platform may be provided with an access latter or ramp to aid in mounting the platform.
25. A mobile storage tank assembly with fluid containment comprising:
a frame for supporting the mobile storage tank;
an outer tank having an outer front wall, an outer rear wall, a pair of opposed outer side walls, each having ends in contact with said outer front and rear walls, a roof in contact with each of said outer rear wall and said pair of opposed outer side walls, and an outer bottom wall in contact with each of said outer front wall, said outer rear wall and said pair of opposing outer side walls;
an inner tank having an inner front wall, an inner rear wall, a pair of opposed inner side walls each having ends in contact with said inner front wall and said inner rear wall, and an inner bottom wall in contact with each of said inner front wall, said inner rear wall and said pair of opposing inner side walls;
said inner tank having a forward compartment and a rear compartment;
said forward compartment having an inner front wall, a pair of opposed inner side walls each having ends in contact with said inner front wall and an inner middle wall, and an inner bottom horizontal wall and an inner top horizontal wall, each in contact with each of said inner front side walls;
said rear compartment sharing the inner middle wall with the forward compartment, a pair of opposed inner side walls each having ends in contact with said inner middle wall, and an inner bottom horizontal wall in contact with each of said inner rear wall, said inner middle wall, and said pair of opposed inner side walls;
said inner front wall, said inner rear wall, said pair of opposing inner side walls and said inner bottom horizontal wall being spaced from said outer front wall, said outer rear wall, said pair of opposing outer side walls, and said outer bottom respectively, thereby defining a protective, interstitial space between said outer tank and said inner tank.
a frame for supporting the mobile storage tank;
an outer tank having an outer front wall, an outer rear wall, a pair of opposed outer side walls, each having ends in contact with said outer front and rear walls, a roof in contact with each of said outer rear wall and said pair of opposed outer side walls, and an outer bottom wall in contact with each of said outer front wall, said outer rear wall and said pair of opposing outer side walls;
an inner tank having an inner front wall, an inner rear wall, a pair of opposed inner side walls each having ends in contact with said inner front wall and said inner rear wall, and an inner bottom wall in contact with each of said inner front wall, said inner rear wall and said pair of opposing inner side walls;
said inner tank having a forward compartment and a rear compartment;
said forward compartment having an inner front wall, a pair of opposed inner side walls each having ends in contact with said inner front wall and an inner middle wall, and an inner bottom horizontal wall and an inner top horizontal wall, each in contact with each of said inner front side walls;
said rear compartment sharing the inner middle wall with the forward compartment, a pair of opposed inner side walls each having ends in contact with said inner middle wall, and an inner bottom horizontal wall in contact with each of said inner rear wall, said inner middle wall, and said pair of opposed inner side walls;
said inner front wall, said inner rear wall, said pair of opposing inner side walls and said inner bottom horizontal wall being spaced from said outer front wall, said outer rear wall, said pair of opposing outer side walls, and said outer bottom respectively, thereby defining a protective, interstitial space between said outer tank and said inner tank.
26. The mobile storage tank assembly with fluid containment according to claim 25, wherein said rear compartment's inner bottom horizontal wall has a rear horizontal portion which is at an elevation that is higher than that of the front horizontal portion.
27. The mobile storage tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the frame is comprised of a front support portion, a central main frame portion and rear support portion and wherein the front and rear support portions are at the same elevation and at an elevation above the main frame portion.
28. The mobile storage tank assembly according to claim 27, wherein each of the front support, rear support and main frame portions of the frame each are comprised of their respective front rear and one or more intermediate cross members and side rails and wherein the cross members and side rails are made of steel.
29. The mobile storage tank assembly according to any of claims 7-12, wherein the rear landing gear includes at least one undercarriage support member which rotatably supports at least one set of rear wheels and associated axle(s) and which is hydraulically controlled to raise and lower the wheels of the trailer from a retracted position when the storage tank assembly is in a stationary mode to an extended position when the storage tank assembly is in a transport position.
30. The mobile storage tank assembly according to any of claims 7-12, wherein the rear landing gear includes an auxiliary hydraulic support assembly which is comprised of a pair of hydraulic pistons which are vertically mounted on a pair of telescoping strut members located, each located on either side of the end of the trailer and whereby the pistons hydraulically move a horizontal support beam from an upper retracted or stored position to a lower, ground engaging position.
31. The mobile storage tank assembly according to any of claims 7-12, wherein the front landing gear includes a hydraulic support assembly comprised of a pair of hydraulic which are mounted on a pair of telescoping strut members located on either side of the front end of the trailer and whereby the pistons hydraulically move a horizontal support beam from an upper retracted or stored position to a lower, ground engaging position.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2762244 CA2762244A1 (en) | 2011-12-15 | 2011-12-15 | Mobile storage tank with fluid containment |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2762244 CA2762244A1 (en) | 2011-12-15 | 2011-12-15 | Mobile storage tank with fluid containment |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2762244A1 true CA2762244A1 (en) | 2012-08-09 |
Family
ID=46634673
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2762244 Abandoned CA2762244A1 (en) | 2011-12-15 | 2011-12-15 | Mobile storage tank with fluid containment |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2762244A1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20150115589A1 (en) * | 2013-10-29 | 2015-04-30 | Lonny Thiessen | Mobile fluid storage tank |
| US9995122B2 (en) | 2014-08-19 | 2018-06-12 | Adler Hot Oil Service, LLC | Dual fuel burner |
| US10591184B2 (en) | 2013-06-13 | 2020-03-17 | 1026844 B.C. Ltd. | Apparatuses and methods for supplying natural gas to a frac water heater |
| US10767859B2 (en) | 2014-08-19 | 2020-09-08 | Adler Hot Oil Service, LLC | Wellhead gas heater |
-
2011
- 2011-12-15 CA CA 2762244 patent/CA2762244A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10591184B2 (en) | 2013-06-13 | 2020-03-17 | 1026844 B.C. Ltd. | Apparatuses and methods for supplying natural gas to a frac water heater |
| US11391488B2 (en) | 2013-06-13 | 2022-07-19 | 1026844 B.C. Ltd. | Apparatuses and methods for supplying natural gas to a frac water heater |
| US20150115589A1 (en) * | 2013-10-29 | 2015-04-30 | Lonny Thiessen | Mobile fluid storage tank |
| US9995122B2 (en) | 2014-08-19 | 2018-06-12 | Adler Hot Oil Service, LLC | Dual fuel burner |
| US10138711B2 (en) | 2014-08-19 | 2018-11-27 | Adler Hot Oil Service, LLC | Wellhead gas heater |
| US10767859B2 (en) | 2014-08-19 | 2020-09-08 | Adler Hot Oil Service, LLC | Wellhead gas heater |
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