AU728868B3 - Flexitank heating system - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT FLEXITANK HEATING SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: TRUE COPY FLEXITANK HEATING SYSTEM This invention relates to heating of oils and fats, which require heating for transportation and solidify when cool, "the products", inside flexitanks, for effecting bulk shipments of the products in standard shipping containers.

Up to now, it was only possible to transport the products in metal drums packed in shipping containers or in tanks of tanker vessels using ocean freight. Each method has its own set of problems. In the case of drums, shippers must store, fill, and pack drums into containers, which is a time consuming and expensive process. The recipient of drums has the problem of individually discharging each drum from the container, store until the product is needed, sufficiently heat each drum to discharge the contents, and dispose of each empty drum.

Furthermore, the cost of freight for the tare weight of the drums is also absorbed by the buyer.

Overall, drums are a very inefficient way of shipping oils and fats. In the case of bulk shipments in tanker vessels, the two major problems are storage costs and quality deterioation. Bulk shipments involve acquisition and storage of large quantities of product.

This method is quite effective for those buyers and sellers who consume large quantities.

However, the buyers who consume only small quantities, usually do not have the financial capacity to acquire large quantities and storage facilities. Consequently, they either have to purchase the products in drums from sellers directly or purchase in bulk from large distributors at a premium. The problem of quality arises as a result of frequent heating. To enable transport of the product, it has to be heated at the point of shipment, on the vessel prior to discharge, at the port of destination and buyers' premises prior to final use. The quality of the product deteriorates each time the product is heated. A prime example of such a product is tallow. Tallow is currently shipped in drums and in bulk and in quantities varying between metric tonnes to 10,000 metric tonnes per shipment. The purpose of employing flexitanks for transport of the products is to cater for small to medium buyers. Until now, there was no heating system that could be fitted inside a flexitank as a single unit that could efficiently melt the contents thus enabling bulk shipment of any quantity using standard shipping containers.

These problems are overcome by the Flexitank Heating System, that comprise a set of seven individually manufactured steam heating elements, which are specifically curved at ends to enable insertion and assembly, 2 with steam hose attachments, which are inserted inside an empty flexitank one at a time, through a porthole, where each element is interconnected with camlocks inside the flexitank, creating a complete grid-like heating system sitting on the bottom of the flexitank, which is then connected to a steam generator or a boiler, enabling evenly distributed heating of product inside the flexitank to facilitate discharge of contents.

In this invention the heating elements are made of aluminium pipes. In other forms of this invention it may be made of steel or mild steel pipes to suite the product to be transported.

In another form of the invention, the element connector fittings may comprise threaded pipe ends and connector nuts, or camlocks attached by threading or steam union connectors, enabling connection of individual heating elements inside the flexitank.

In order to fully understand the invention, reference will now be made to the attached drawings, which show the invention itself and how it is installed inside a shipping container and the procedure for heating the contents.

Figure 1 shows the complete Flexitank Heating System after each individual component is assembled inside the flexitank The numbers 1 to 7 refer to individual elements.

Figure 2 shows the three types of elements used in this melting system.

Figure 3 shows the details of connectors used in each type of element.

Figure 4 shows an external view and cross section of a typical 20 foot container installed with a flexitank containing products.

Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen how fully assembled elements are placed evenly inside a flexitank and cover the entire base. This is crucial for effective heat distribution to melt all of the contents. Each individual element is inserted inside an empty flexitank, one by one, through a porthole which is located on top of the flexitank. The elements are inserted starting with element no.1, followed by element no. 2, no.3, no.4, then no.7, no.6 and finally element no.5. As they are inserted, they are connected and pushed aside. The steam hoses attached to elements and are attached to the lashings inside the porthole The flexitank, it is then placed inside a container and filled with the product to be transported and the port hole is sealed by screw-on lid.

Figure 2 shows the design of individual elements One end of the element is curved 180 degrees at one end creating two parallel pipes. At the other end for elements 2 to 6 only, each end is bent at 90 degrees in opposing directions. At the end of one element, a male camlock (pipe connector) (13) is welded on and at the other end, a female camlock (14) is welded on. For elements 1 and 7, one pipe is bent at 90 degrees with a female camlock welded on. Each element is fitted with aluminium plates (17) welded on the two pipes to maintain it's shape and provide sufficient weight to ensure they do not float in the liquid form of the product. Under each weight plate, a metal foot (18) is welded on to prevent direct contact between the flexitank and elements.

2 grease proof steam hoses (19) pressure rated to 100psi, are attached to elements and with hose tail fittings (20) that screw on to the threaded pipe end (16) Hose tail fittings are secured to the hose using hose clamps The other ends are also fitted with hose tail connectors (22) and are sealed with a cap (23) and attached to the porthole lashings (27) with hooks Thus, as the flexitank is filled with the product, the flexitank rises, lifting the ends attached to the porthole. When the flexitank is full, the porthole is sealed with a threaded lid and the product is left to cool down and solidify. When the container reaches it's destination, the lid is removed and the exposed hoses are connected to a steam generators or a boiler for heating.

Figure 3 detailed drawings of fittings (23) Female camlock fitting welded on the element (24) Male camlock fitting welded on the element for elements Hose tail connector (26) Threaded pipe ends for elements and (7) (27) Lashings welded inside the porthole for hose to be hooked on (28) Hooks welded on the hose tail cap (29) Aluminium weight plate Aluminium foot

Claims (3)

1. A Flexitank Heating System, comprising a set of seven individually manufactured aluminium steam heating elements which are specifically curved at ends to enable insertion and assembly, 2 with steam hose attachments, which are inserted inside an empty flexitank one at a time, through a porthole, where each element is interconnected with camlocks inside the flexitank, creating a complete grid-like heating system sitting on the bottom of the flexitank, which is then connected to a steam generator or a boiler, enabling evenly distributed heating of product inside the flexitank to facilitate discharge of contents.

2. TEir flexitank lating oystcm of claim 1, wherein the elemcnts are made of steel. 2 A. The flexitank heating system of claim 1, wherein the connectors comprise steam union connectors.

3. A flexitank heating device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. EAST COAST INVESTMENTS GROUP PTY LTD 3 RD MAY, 2000