CN109809051B

CN109809051B - Tank container

Info

Publication number: CN109809051B
Application number: CN201811382596.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: T·麦克拉恩; S·里格比; S·罗斯
Original assignee: WELFIT ODDY Pty Ltd
Current assignee: WELFIT ODDY Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2017-11-21
Filing date: 2018-11-20
Publication date: 2020-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-20
Also published as: NL2022039B1; CN109809051A; DE102017220794B3; NL2022039A

Abstract

The invention relates to a tank container (1). Wherein the vessel (2) is connected at a cylindrical section to an end frame (5) by an annular saddle arrangement (9), wherein the annular saddle arrangement (9) comprises an insulating ring (20), which insulating ring (20) comprises a foam material with a profiled cross section and has an inner saddle surface area and an outer saddle surface area, wherein the inner saddle surface area is formed to be interconnected in a form-fitting manner to a corresponding tank saddle arrangement (17) to form a tank form-fit, the outer saddle surface area is formed to be interconnected in a form-fitting manner to a corresponding frame saddle arrangement (13) to form a frame form-fit, and each of the tank form-fit and the frame form-fit is effective in the longitudinal direction of the tank container (1).

Description

Tank container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a tank container in which a tank body is connected to an end frame at a cylindrical section via an annular saddle device.

Background

In the field of tank containers, two basic designs are common. First of all so-called ISO tank containers, where the outer dimensions are defined by the frame dimensions. The body or tub of such ISO tank containers lies entirely within the outer dimensions of the frame. Typically, the tank is connected at its ends (typically disc-shaped ends) to the frame via an annular saddle arrangement.

Secondly, so-called SWAP tank containers, in which a tub extends through the end frame of the frame structure on each end. The SWAP tank container or SWAP body is suitable for transporting larger liquid volumes than an ISO container due to the larger volume of the tub. Typically, the tub itself is surrounded by end frame members and connected to these via an annular saddle arrangement. Typically, the tub is mounted generally directly to the end frame, just to the left and right of the tub circumference, although additional structural members (longitudinal frame members and/or diagonal frame members) are additionally used that connect the end frame in the bottom region of the tub to the tub itself to increase structural strength.

For heat sensitive products, it is desirable to minimize heat loss between the product and the surrounding environment. Thus, many tanks are equipped with insulation around the barrel (including the ends) to achieve a thermally insulated container. However, considerable heat losses are caused by the tank supports (saddle devices) because in these areas the tub or the tank itself is connected to the frame by welding, which forms a so-called thermal bridge which considerably reduces the insulation quality.

An insulating layer such as a rubber sheet mounted between the tub and the frame saddle arrangement provides shock absorbing properties (see, e.g., DT 2707891 a 1). However, additional tensioning devices are required to secure the tub in its circumferential position relative to the frame.

A different concept is known from EP 1251081B 1, in which an annular saddle arrangement is provided which utilizes an insulating skirt between the vessel and the frame, wherein the insulating skirt comprises connecting ends interconnected by an intermediate piece of fibre-reinforced plastic. In order to obtain sufficient insulation properties, the fiber-reinforced plastic intermediate piece must be arranged in the direction of the tank axis to obtain sufficient insulation results.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved tank container, wherein the containers are interconnected to the frame in an insulated manner, wherein the known drawbacks are at least partly avoided.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a tank container in which the container is connected at a cylindrical section to an end frame by an annular saddle arrangement, wherein the annular saddle arrangement comprises:

-an insulating ring comprising a foam material having a profiled cross-section and having an inner saddle surface region and an outer saddle surface region, wherein the inner saddle surface region is formed to be interconnected to a corresponding tank saddle arrangement in a form-fitting manner to form a tank form-fit;

-the outer saddle surface area is formed to interconnect to a corresponding frame saddle arrangement in a form-fitting manner to form a frame form-fit;

and each of the tank form fit and the frame form fit is effective in the longitudinal direction of the tank container.

Other aspects and features of the present invention are set out in the claims, the drawings, and the following description of embodiments of the invention.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example below with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tank container according to the invention;

figure 2 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a tank container according to the invention;

figure 2A shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a tank container according to the invention;

figure 3 shows a perspective cross-section of a detail of the saddle device (area a shown in figures 1 and 2);

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the saddle device in area B shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4A shows a variation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the saddle device in region B;

FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the saddle device in area B of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

fig. 7A to 7C show different general solutions of alternative saddle ring arrangements using various profile concepts.

List of reference numerals

1 tank container

2 Container

3 barrel body

4 disc-shaped end

5 head frame

6 corner post

7 corner casting

8 transverse element

9-ring saddle device

10 longitudinal beam

11 lower diagonal member

12 diagonal beam

12a frame section

12b can body section

12c insulating section

13 frame saddle device

14 rolling section

14' roof-like section

14' multiple rolling sections

15 saddle plate

16 raised area

17 tank saddle device

18 shaped section

18' multiple rolling sections

19 recessed area

19' concave region

20 insulating ring

20' tooth-shaped insulating ring

21 support element

22M shaped section

22' rounded groove-like profile

23 supporting foam

24 support foam

25 rectangular tube section

26 rectangular U section

27 flat side flange

28 flat side flange

29 side of the frame

30 side of the can body

31 tooth-shaped friction element

Detailed Description

Before describing the drawings in detail, the following general remarks are made for these embodiments with reference to fig. 1.

The annular saddle arrangement according to the invention comprises an insulating ring interconnecting the end frame structure and the tank structure. The insulating ring comprises or is made of a foam material having a profiled cross-section.

The expression "foam material" describes an insulating material comprising a base material. The thermal insulation properties of such base or casting materials are enhanced by the foam structure in which the base material is used or into which the casting material is converted. The foam structure may comprise an open and/or closed cell structure in which cavities are created by hollow particles (hollow beads) and/or fibres embedded within a base material.

The expression "profiled" in connection with the present invention describes a V-U or rectangular channel-like form having a convex surface area and a concave surface area which may correspond to each other (parallel surfaces) or be different from each other. For example, a V-shaped concave surface defining a recess may be combined with a U-shaped convex surface defining a protuberance, and vice versa. Either the recess or the bulge may form an inner saddle surface region or an outer saddle surface region, wherein the inner saddle surface region is formed to be interconnected in a form-fitting (positive-fitting) manner to the corresponding tank saddle arrangement to form a tank-shaped fit, and the outer saddle surface region, whether the recess or the bulge, is formed to be interconnected in a form-fitting manner to the corresponding frame saddle arrangement to form a frame-shaped fit.

Each frame form fit is effective in the longitudinal direction of the tank container. This design allows cradle-type support of the tank in the frame structure, in particular in a downward or lateral direction with respect to the horizontal longitudinal axis of the tank, and also allows safe support of the tank in the longitudinal direction with respect to the frame structure.

The form fit between the can and the insulating ring (can form fit) and between the frame and the insulating ring (frame form fit) allows the use of the compressive strength of the foam material, which is significantly higher than the tensile or shear strength of such a material. A typical foam material may be a polyurethane foam system forming the insulating ring and achieving a compressive strength of 5 to 40MPa, in particular 12MPa, and a thermal conductivity (K-value) of 0.065W/m-K. Other typical foams may include PUR, PIR, hollow glass sphere filled resins, flexible polyurethanes, structured plastics, elastomers, ceramics. There are also ceramic materials available that either have a foam structure or contain insulating particles (e.g., insulating spheres or balls) to achieve a rigid, heat resistant structural material with excellent thermal insulation properties.

There are embodiments wherein the tank saddle arrangement comprises an M-ring profile in which a recess of the profile defines a tank form-fitting shape. In this arrangement, the recess corresponds to or defines the shape of the inner saddle surface of the insulating ring formed as a ridge that reaches into the recess defined by the M-ring profile. The shape of the recess of this M-ring profile is not limited to having a sharp V-shaped recess defining the bottom line, but also includes other U-shapes or channel shapes that may be adapted to form a suitable recess to define a tank saddle shape fit.

There are embodiments in which the tank saddle arrangement comprises two ring profiles which are coupled to the tank structure at a spacing in the longitudinal direction and form a recess between them, which recess defines the shape of the tank form fit. This arrangement allows the use of the tank shell as a part surface defining a recess corresponding to the inner saddle surface of the insulating ring.

Suitable ring profiles may be rectangular half-tube structures, so-called head profiles, which are arranged on the tank shell with their open sides facing the tank shell. They may be rounded (e.g., circular), triangular, or rectangular in shape.

There are embodiments wherein the frame saddle means comprises a frame ring having a raised profile area defining a frame form fitting shape. This protruding contour of the frame saddle arrangement defines the outer saddle surface area of the insulating ring and defines a frame form fit between the insulating ring and the frame ring, i.e. the respective frame saddle arrangement.

In another embodiment, the convex profile area (bulge) of the frame saddle arrangement reaches into the concave profile area (recess) of the tank saddle arrangement. This arrangement achieves a form fit between the frame saddle means and the tank saddle means, which is achieved by the tank form fit between the insulating ring and the tank saddle means and the frame form fit between the insulating ring and the frame saddle means. The convex profile area (bulge) of the frame saddle arrangement is thereby nested within the recess (concave profile area) of the tank saddle arrangement. Thus, the tank can be secured to the end frame structure even in the event of failure of the insulating ring structure.

There are embodiments in which the shape of the convex regions corresponds to the shape of the concave regions. This allows for a uniform stress distribution between the tank saddle arrangement and the frame saddle arrangement through the insulating ring.

There are embodiments in which the shape of the convex region is different from the shape of the concave region (recess). This arrangement allows a specific stress distribution from the tank shell to the frame structure and vice versa.

There are embodiments in which the bulging area (bulge) is circular in shape and in which the recess is partly trapezoidal and/or groove-shaped with a flat side flange which encloses an angle of 30 ° to 90 °, in particular 45 °, with the surface of the can body. This allows the can side to have a simple cap profile shape or M profile shape and the frame side to have a fully foam structure compatible shape. This construction avoids wedge-shaped impacts of the frame saddle arrangement on the insulating ring by achieving a very smooth stress and load distribution, in particular in the vertical direction.

There are embodiments in which the depth of the recess and the reaching depth of the protruding area into the recess form a ratio of 50% to 80% to 60% to 70%, in particular a ratio of 65%. This relationship allows a very rigid and reliable form fit and provides a sufficient safety overlap between the protruding area and the recess in case of material failure of the foam material of the insulating ring.

There are embodiments wherein the foam material of the insulating ring comprises one of: PUR, PIR, resin filled with hollow glass spheres, flexible polyurethane, structured plastic, elastomers, ceramics.

There are embodiments wherein structural support elements are provided that are effective between the inner and outer saddle surfaces. Such structural support elements may serve as additional support between the frame and the tank structure. They may also assist in adjusting the frame relative to the tub during the manufacturing process. This is helpful in the case where the foam ring is formed between the tub and the frame structure by a casting process (foaming in place). Alternatively, such support elements may also be helpful in case of material failure of the foam material (at high temperatures) and may keep the tank fixed relative to the frame structure.

There are embodiments wherein the support element is disposed in a region where the framing ring is connected to a framing element. Most of the loads during handling and transport are transferred between the vessel and the frame in these areas where the frame is directly interconnected to the tank bucket via the ring saddle arrangement. Stress peaks are expected in these areas, which may form overloads of the foam structure. The support elements in these critical areas may help to avoid stress peaks in the foam structure and may avoid fatigue problems in these areas during the life of the container.

There are embodiments wherein the support element is made of one of the following materials: metals (e.g., stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum), fiber reinforced plastics.

There are embodiments in which the insulation ring is formed in a region between the inner and outer saddle surfaces in a foam-in-place process (casting process) in which a raw material foam or an agent for reinforcing foam is injected into a specific region that may be additionally sealed to form a free surface of the insulation ring.

If the insulating ring is formed in this process, in addition to the form fit, a material fit (Stoffschluss) also occurs between the insulating ring and the respective contact areas of the tank saddle means and the frame saddle means. In other words, the inner saddle surface of the insulation ring and the outer saddle surface of the insulation ring are interconnected to the contact surfaces of the tank saddle arrangement and the frame saddle arrangement by a material fit that fixes the tub in the circumferential direction in addition to the existing frame and tank form fits. Turning now to fig. 1.

Figure 1 shows a tank container 1 in a typical SWAP body design. The tank container comprises a container 2 with a cylindrical tub body 3, which cylindrical tub body 3 is closed at its ends with a disc-shaped end 4.

The vessel is supported by a head frame 5, the head frame 5 surrounding the end sections of the barrel 3 and comprising corner post sections 6, corner castings 7 and lower and upper transverse elements 8. The barrel 3 and the head frame 5 are interconnected to each other by an annular saddle arrangement 9, which will be described in more detail below.

These frames are connected either by lower longitudinal beams 10 with additional lower diagonal members 11 (fig. 1, first embodiment) or directly to the barrel by diagonal beams 12, which diagonal beams 12 are divided by insulating sections 12c into frame sections 12a and tank sections 12 b. The tank section 12b is connected to the vessel 2 by saddle means 13 to distribute the load into the barrel and to evenly distribute the possible load tension to the barrel shell material (fig. 2, second embodiment). Fig. 2A shows an arrangement (third embodiment) in which the diagonal beam 12 is directly connected to the tank 12 through the saddle device 13.

The annular saddle means 9 is described in more detail with reference to fig. 3 to 6.

Fig. 3 shows the annular saddle device 9 in a cross-sectional view of the area a in fig. 1. The corner post 6 is connected to a frame saddle device 14a, which frame saddle device 14a comprises a rolled section 14 having a semi-circular shape and is welded to the corner post 6. An additional saddle plate 15 (not shown in fig. 3; see fig. 1, 2, 4A and 5) is connected to the rolled section 14 (fig. 3) and the corner post 6 by welding. The rolled section 14 comprises a protruding area 16 reaching into the tank saddle means 17.

The tank saddle arrangement 17 is formed by two shaped sections 18 forming a ring around the tank 3 and welded to the tank shell. The triangular shaped section 18 forms a recessed area 19, which recessed area 19 forms a recess to which the protruding area 16 of the frame saddle device 13 reaches.

The space between the convex region 16 and the concave region 19 is filled by an insulating ring 20 made of a foam material, wherein the insulating ring 20 has an inner saddle surface area defined by the concave region 19 and has an outer saddle surface area defined by the convex region 16. The insulating ring 20 is made of high density polyurethane or other suitable foam materials including PUR, PIR, resin filled hollow glass spheres, flexible polyurethane, structured plastic, elastomer, ceramic or combinations thereof.

The insulating ring 20 is made by injecting a liquid foam material between the convex region 16 and the concave region 19. The head frame 5 is adjusted relative to the tank 2 or the tub 3 before the foam is injected. The positioning can be supported by an additional support element 21, which additional support element 21 is designed as an annular spacer arranged between the rolled section 14 and the profiled section 18. These support elements 21 can also provide additional structural support, in particular in those regions in which the ring sections are located in the vicinity of the transverse elements 8 (region B in fig. 1) and the corner posts 6 of the head frame 5 (region a in fig. 1). Instead of an annular ring, it is also possible to design these support elements 21 as small cylindrical disks or rectangular blocks arranged between the rolling section 14 and the forming section 18.

It is also possible to inject a higher or lower stiffness foam material into the hollow section between the forming section 18 and the can body shell and/or between the rolled section 14 and the corner post 6.

Fig. 4 to 6 show different arrangements of the annular saddle means 9.

According to fig. 4, instead of a rolled section 14 having a semicircular shape, a roof-shaped section 14 'is provided, which roof-shaped section 14' is connected to the transverse element 8 by means of a saddle plate 15 forming the frame saddle device 13. Instead of two shaped sections 18 in fig. 3, there is a single M-shaped section 22, which M-shaped section 22 is connected to the tub 3 and forms the tank saddle arrangement 17.

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment in which the hollow space between the roof-like section 14' and the transverse element 8 is filled with supporting foam 23. Similarly, a support foam 24 is provided between the M-shaped section 22 and the tub 3. The insulating ring 20, the supporting foam 23 and the supporting foam 24 may be made of the same material, however, the foam material is different between the supporting foam 23, the supporting foam 24 and the insulating ring 20.

Figure 4A shows the same annular saddle unit 9 as the one shown in figure 4 but without the supporting

foams

23 and 24.

Fig. 5 shows an arrangement using a rolled section 14 in combination with an alternative rolled section 22 ', wherein the concave area 19' corresponds to the circular convex area 16 of the rolled section 14.

Fig. 6 shows an arrangement in which rectangular tubes 25 are provided instead of the rolled sections 14, 14' and the rectangular tubes 25 are arranged between rectangular or box-type tube sections 26.

However, in all designs according to fig. 3 to 6, there is always a frame-shaped fit between the outer saddle surface of the insulation ring and the convex region 16, and also a pot-shaped fit between the concave region 19 and the outer saddle surface of the insulation ring 20.

The preferred relationship between the depth D of the recess of the recessed area 19 and the depth D of the protruding area 16 into the recess (recessed area 19) is between 60% and 70% (depth D reaches 60% to 70% of depth D).

In addition, the angle between the flat side profile flange 27 of the profiled section 18 and/or the M-shaped section 22 and the bowl surface is between 30 ° and 90 °. Specifically 45 deg., and may correspond to the flat side flange 28 of the roof-like section 14'.

Fig. 7A to 7C show different arrangements of the annular saddle means, in which a plurality of profile arrangements are shown. Fig. 7A shows a plurality of triangular ring sections located on the frame side 29 and the tank side 30, with a tooth-shaped insulating ring 20' located between the frame side 29 and the tank side 30. Fig. 7B shows an arrangement in which a plurality of rolled sections 14 "are combined with corresponding rolled sections 18' on the can body side. The rolled sections 14 "are arranged in recesses between the rolled sections 18' to form a suitable form fit. Such a multi-profile arrangement may be suitable for increasing the possible load transfer in the longitudinal and transverse directions (whether up-down or side-to-side).

Fig. 7C shows a configuration in which the insulating ring 20 is divided by a profiled intermediate layer 31 into a frame-side section 20a and a can-side section 20 b. Such an intermediate layer 31 is suitable for increasing the structural resistance of the insulating ring 20 and contributes to increasing the shear and pressure resistance of the foam material.

In all embodiments according to the above description, the tank form fit and the frame form fit are supported by a material fit between the inner saddle surface region and the connecting tank or tub region (according to the above description as the concave region 19) and a material fit between the outer saddle surface region and the connecting frame saddle region (according to the above description as the convex region 16). Of course, all the convex areas described in relation to the frame saddle arrangement 13 may also be formed as concave areas. The same applies to the concave area 19 described in connection with the tank saddle arrangement 17, which concave area 19 can also be formed as a convex area.

Other suitable insulating materials for the insulator ring 20 are flexible polyurethane with a compressive strength of 10 to 50MPa and a conductivity of 0.3W/m 2K, structured plastic with a compressive strength of 20 to 300MPa and a conductivity of 0.3W/m 2K, elastomer with a compressive strength of 10 to 50MPa and a conductivity of 0.3W/m 2K, ceramic with a compressive strength of 100 to 500MPa and a conductivity of 0.3W/m 2K, and any combination of the above and other materials.

Other embodiments and variations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A tank container (1), wherein a vessel (2) of the tank container (1) is connected to an end frame (5) at a cylindrical section of the vessel (2) via an annular saddle arrangement (9) surrounding the cylindrical section, wherein the annular saddle arrangement (9) comprises an insulating ring (20), which insulating ring (20) comprises a foam material having a profiled cross-section and has an inner saddle surface area and an outer saddle surface area, wherein:

the inner saddle surface area is formed to be interconnected to a corresponding tank saddle arrangement (17) in a form-fitting manner to form a tank form-fit;

the outer saddle surface area is formed to be interconnected to a corresponding frame saddle arrangement (13) in a form-fitting manner to form a frame form-fit;

and each of the tank form fit and the frame form fit is effective in the longitudinal direction of the tank container (1).

2. Tank container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the tank saddle arrangement (17) comprises an M-ring profile (22, 22 '), in which M-ring profile (22, 22') a recess of the M-ring profile defines the tank shape-fitting shape.

3. Tank container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the tank saddle arrangement (17) comprises two ring profiles (26), which ring profiles (26) are connected to the tank structure at a distance in the longitudinal direction and form a recess in the middle, which recess defines the shape of the tank form fit.

4. A tank container (1) according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the frame saddle arrangement (13) comprises a frame ring (14; 25), which frame ring (14; 25) has a raised profile area, which raised profile area defines the shape of the frame form fit.

5. Tank container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the raised profile area of the frame saddle arrangement (13) reaches into a recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17).

6. A tank container (1) according to claim 5, wherein the shape of the raised profile area corresponds to the shape of the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17).

7. A tank container (1) according to claim 5, wherein the shape of the raised profile area is different from the shape of the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17).

8. Tank container (1) according to claim 7, wherein the shape of the raised profile area is circular ring-shaped and wherein the shape of the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17) is partly trapezoidal and/or groove-shaped with a flat side profile enclosing an angle of 30 ° to 90 ° of the tank surface.

9. Tank container (1) according to claim 5, wherein the ratio of the depth of the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17) to the reaching depth of the raised profile area into the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17) is between 50% and 80%.

10. A tank container (1) according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the foam material of the insulation ring (20) comprises one of: PUR, PIR, hollow glass sphere filled resin, flexible polyurethane, structured plastic, elastomer, ceramic, and/or combinations thereof.

11. A tank container (1) according to any of claims 1-3, wherein a structured support element (21) is provided, effective between the inner and outer saddle surfaces.

12. Tank container (1) according to claim 11, wherein the support element (21) is provided in the area where the frame ring (14; 25) of the frame saddle arrangement (13) is connected to a frame element (8, 15).

13. A tank container (1) according to claim 11, wherein the support element (21) is made of one of: metal, fiber reinforced plastic.

14. The tank container (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insulating ring (20) is formed in the area between the inner and outer saddle surfaces.

15. A tank container (1) according to claim 8, wherein the flat side profile encloses an angle of 45 ° of the tank surface.

16. Tank container (1) according to claim 9, wherein the ratio of the depth of the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17) to the reaching depth of the raised profile area into the recess of the tank saddle arrangement (17) is between 50% and 60%.