EP0362263A1 - A container or a tank. - Google Patents

A container or a tank.

Info

Publication number
EP0362263A1
EP0362263A1 EP19880905018 EP88905018A EP0362263A1 EP 0362263 A1 EP0362263 A1 EP 0362263A1 EP 19880905018 EP19880905018 EP 19880905018 EP 88905018 A EP88905018 A EP 88905018A EP 0362263 A1 EP0362263 A1 EP 0362263A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
container
layer
tank
electrically conductive
container according
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP19880905018
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0362263B1 (en
Inventor
Leif Nilsson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to AT88905018T priority Critical patent/ATE98835T1/en
Publication of EP0362263A1 publication Critical patent/EP0362263A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0362263B1 publication Critical patent/EP0362263B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24HFLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
    • F24H1/00Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters
    • F24H1/18Water-storage heaters
    • F24H1/185Water-storage heaters using electric energy supply
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/10Heating elements characterised by the composition or nature of the materials or by the arrangement of the conductor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a rigid container, such as a tank, cistern or other open or closed vessel, which is made of synthetic material and is intended for storing, heating, and sustaining the temperature of a fluid, and which incorporates electrical resistance wires or filaments which can be connected to a source of electric current via elec ⁇ trodes.
  • a rigid container such as a tank, cistern or other open or closed vessel, which is made of synthetic material and is intended for storing, heating, and sustaining the temperature of a fluid, and which incorporates electrical resistance wires or filaments which can be connected to a source of electric current via elec ⁇ trodes.
  • a container of the aforedescribed kind would be universally useful and able to replace many kinds of metal or synthetic-material containers at present used for varying purposes.
  • Containers made of synthetic materials have not been used widely for fluids which require a constant, temporary or variable supply of heat, inter alia, because of the risk that the material will become electrically conductive; because of the possible risk of fire or explosion caused, inter alia, by static electricity, when the vessel contains inflammable liquids; and because it has not been possible hitherto to solve satisfactorily the problem of electrically insulating the container.
  • a container made of synthetic material could fully replace vehicle fuel tanks, not only tanks for diesel oil but also tanks for petrol or other liquid fuels.
  • Containers intended for use in other fields, or even metal tanks and cisterns, could be replaced with containers made of synthetic materials, provided that the technical problems can be solved.
  • the basic concept of the invention is to provide a container of the kind described in the preamble which can be used universally, even for inflammable liquids.
  • a container constructed in this way can be used as a container for the windscreen washing liquid of an automotive vehicle, thereby eliminating the need to use special-duty washing liquid agents.
  • the necessary sypply of heat to the container can be effected through the agency, e.g., of the vehicle battery, which serves as the current source.
  • the inventive container can also replace the fuel tank of a diesel-engine vehicle or the storage tanks for diesel or other oils. Because the base material from which the container is made is electrically conductive but will not generate static electricity, the heat required can be supplied by transfo ⁇ ing down the mains voltage, or from a vehicle battery.
  • the insulating layer comprises a material known as ISOFIBER STRUCTURE, which originated in Norway and is retailed by Svelvik Fiber A/S, Norway, and which constitutes an essential part of the invention, since this layer practically excludes the possibility of heat leaking to the surroundings, thereby ensuring that the smallest amount of current possible is taken from the power source.
  • the outer surface of the insulating layer is conveniently coated with a further material, e.g. PVC, capable of forming a first protection means against, for instance, the impact gravel or the like from the road surface.
  • Washing machine drums, tumbler-dryer drums and tanks for water heaters are all examples of containers in which metallic material has hitherto been used but in which a container constructed in accordance with the invention would provide a good substitute.
  • a three-phase alternating current is generally used, and to eliminate the risk of such machines becoming electrically conductive, the inner surfaces of the base material, i.e. Semicon CT 6011:70, should be coated with an electrically insulating but heat-permeable
  • the layer of insulating material .applied externally on the container material, mainly the material sold under the designation Isofiber Struktur and sold, inter alia, Svelvik
  • L5 Fiber- A/S Svelvik, Norway, is fireproof and can also be exposed externally to flames without risk to the contents of container, even should these contents be inflammable.
  • the insulating material is, furthermore, a very effectibe insula ⁇ ting material, thereby enabling heat lossed from the container
  • the material is also resistant, e.g., to attack by mold.
  • a container which is manufactured in accordance with the invention will need practically no maintenance, with the exception of those faults which possibly occur in the current source.
  • the single figure of the accompanying drawing is a longitudi ⁇ nal sectioned view of an exemplifying embodiment of a tank constructed in accordance with the invention, namely a fuel tank for a diesel-driven motor vehicle.
  • the container When seen from outside, the container, or tank, comprises, for instance, a PVC-layer 10, inwardly of which there is applied an insulating layer 11, designated "Isofiber Struktur", the thickness of which will vary in dependence on the use for which the container is intended. Finally, there is applied on the inner surfaces of the layer 11 a further layer of material 12, designated Semicon CT 6011:70, which is an electrically conductive material and which encapsulates fully protected resistance wires or filaments, thus having properties which are known per se.
  • a PVC-layer 10 inwardly of which there is applied an insulating layer 11, designated "Isofiber Struktur", the thickness of which will vary in dependence on the use for which the container is intended.
  • a further layer of material 12 designated Semicon CT 6011:70, which is an electrically conductive material and which encapsulates fully protected resistance wires or filaments, thus having properties which are known per se.
  • the container material 12 is connected via electrodes to a current source (not shown) in a manner well known to the skilled person, said current source either being a conventio- nal mains supply, optionally transformed to a lower voltage level, or having the form of at least one conventional 12 volt battery.
  • the inventive container is of simple construction, it affords a surprising technical effect within, inter alia, the aforesaid fields. Compared with container types known hitherto, the manufacturing costs are significantly lower. Although the materials utilized in producing the composite container structure are each known per se, it is not believed, or known, that, the concept of combining these 'two materials for the purpose of achieving the aforedescribed unique results have been previously realized.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Abstract

Récipient rigide tel qu'un réservoir, une citerne, ou autre cuve ouverte ou fermée, conçu notamment, mais pas uniquement, pour stocker, chauffer ou maintenir la température d'un fluide, et incorporant des câbles ou des fils de résistance électrique pouvant être connectés à une source de courant par des électrodes. Une caractéristique significative de l'invention réside en ce que; a) le récipient comprend une couche de matière conductrice d'électricité et porte l'appellation commerciale Semicon CT 6011:70; et b) la couche de matière conductrice d'électricité est recouverte d'une couche de matière très isolante et ignifuge portant l'appellation commerciale Isofiber Struktur.Rigid container such as a tank, a cistern, or other open or closed tank, designed in particular, but not only, for storing, heating or maintaining the temperature of a fluid, and incorporating cables or wires of electrical resistance which can be connected to a current source by electrodes. A significant feature of the invention is that; a) the container comprises a layer of electrically conductive material and bears the trade name Semicon CT 6011: 70; and b) the layer of electrically conductive material is covered with a layer of highly insulating and flame retardant material bearing the trade name Isofiber Struktur.

Description

A CONTAINER OR A TANK
The present invention relates to a rigid container, such as a tank, cistern or other open or closed vessel, which is made of synthetic material and is intended for storing, heating, and sustaining the temperature of a fluid, and which incorporates electrical resistance wires or filaments which can be connected to a source of electric current via elec¬ trodes.
Under certain conditions, a container of the aforedescribed kind would be universally useful and able to replace many kinds of metal or synthetic-material containers at present used for varying purposes.
Containers made of synthetic materials have not been used widely for fluids which require a constant, temporary or variable supply of heat, inter alia, because of the risk that the material will become electrically conductive; because of the possible risk of fire or explosion caused, inter alia, by static electricity, when the vessel contains inflammable liquids; and because it has not been possible hitherto to solve satisfactorily the problem of electrically insulating the container.
One example of known metal containers is found in the diesel-oil tanks of diesel-driven motor vehicles. It is well known that the viscosity of diesle oil changes at low temperatures. Consequently, so-called K-diesel is introduced as an additive for the purpose of maintaining the viscosity of the diesel oil at desired values to the greatest possible extent, so that said oil can be used satisfactorily as fuel for diesel engines. This mixture of diesel oil and K-diesel, however, exhibits at least two drawbacks, namely that the additive is only effective at temperatures down to about -18 C, and that it is extremely difficult to extinguish the flames of a diesel oil and K-diesel mixture should the mixture ignite. This additive also increases the price of the fuel overall, Another drawback resides in corrosion, which can give rise to fuel leakage with subsequent fire risk and environmental contamination.
In this case, a container made of synthetic material could fully replace vehicle fuel tanks, not only tanks for diesel oil but also tanks for petrol or other liquid fuels.
Containers intended for use in other fields, or even metal tanks and cisterns, could be replaced with containers made of synthetic materials, provided that the technical problems can be solved.
The basic concept of the invention is to provide a container of the kind described in the preamble which can be used universally, even for inflammable liquids.
The aforesaid object is achieved with a container constructed in accordance with the following claim 1.
A container constructed in this way can be used as a container for the windscreen washing liquid of an automotive vehicle, thereby eliminating the need to use special-duty washing liquid agents. The necessary sypply of heat to the container can be effected through the agency, e.g., of the vehicle battery, which serves as the current source.
The inventive container can also replace the fuel tank of a diesel-engine vehicle or the storage tanks for diesel or other oils. Because the base material from which the container is made is electrically conductive but will not generate static electricity, the heat required can be supplied by transfoππing down the mains voltage, or from a vehicle battery.
In both of the aforegiven examples, the insulating layer comprises a material known as ISOFIBER STRUCTURE, which originated in Norway and is retailed by Svelvik Fiber A/S, Norway, and which constitutes an essential part of the invention, since this layer practically excludes the possibility of heat leaking to the surroundings, thereby ensuring that the smallest amount of current possible is taken from the power source. When the container is used as a vehicle fuel tank, the outer surface of the insulating layer is conveniently coated with a further material, e.g. PVC, capable of forming a first protection means against, for instance, the impact gravel or the like from the road surface.
The electrical resistance wires or filaments encapsulated in the base material Semicon CT 6011:70, which is retailed through " Asea Compound, Stockholm, Sweden, are dimensioned commensurately with the size of the container and the estimated energy requirement for heating and temperature-sustaining purposes.
It will be understood by those skilled in this art that the problem of controlling the voltage suplly automatically can be solved in many ways not disclosed in this document and not forming part of the present invention.
Washing machine drums, tumbler-dryer drums and tanks for water heaters are all examples of containers in which metallic material has hitherto been used but in which a container constructed in accordance with the invention would provide a good substitute. In this case, a three-phase alternating current is generally used, and to eliminate the risk of such machines becoming electrically conductive, the inner surfaces of the base material, i.e. Semicon CT 6011:70, should be coated with an electrically insulating but heat-permeable
® layer r for example TEFLON
5 Other fields include systems for storing, e.g., syrup, which readiXy thickens at low temperatures. Vehicles intended for transporting large volumes of mutually different fluids which require the temperature thereof to be maintained within given limits- can be equipped with containers constructed in accordance LO" with the inventive principles.
The layer of insulating material .applied externally on the container material, mainly the material sold under the designation Isofiber Struktur and sold, inter alia, Svelvik
L5 Fiber- A/S, Svelvik, Norway, is fireproof and can also be exposed externally to flames without risk to the contents of container, even should these contents be inflammable. The insulating material is, furthermore, a very effectibe insula¬ ting material, thereby enabling heat lossed from the container
20 to be kept at negligible levels, which guarantees that the amount of current consumed for heating and heat-sustaining purposes can be maintained at an optimally low level. The material is also resistant, e.g., to attack by mold.
25. A container which is manufactured in accordance with the invention will need practically no maintenance, with the exception of those faults which possibly occur in the current source.
30 Irrespective of the kind of current suplly sustem used, it will be understood that all monitoring devices can be readily mounted in a small, separate control box. No control devices, monitor¬ ing devices or heating devices are mounted inside the container, thereby enabling the container to be produced in a technically
3.5 simple manner. The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a longitudi¬ nal sectioned view of an exemplifying embodiment of a tank constructed in accordance with the invention, namely a fuel tank for a diesel-driven motor vehicle.
When seen from outside, the container, or tank, comprises, for instance, a PVC-layer 10, inwardly of which there is applied an insulating layer 11, designated "Isofiber Struktur", the thickness of which will vary in dependence on the use for which the container is intended. Finally, there is applied on the inner surfaces of the layer 11 a further layer of material 12, designated Semicon CT 6011:70, which is an electrically conductive material and which encapsulates fully protected resistance wires or filaments, thus having properties which are known per se.
The container material 12 is connected via electrodes to a current source (not shown) in a manner well known to the skilled person, said current source either being a conventio- nal mains supply, optionally transformed to a lower voltage level, or having the form of at least one conventional 12 volt battery.
Although the inventive container is of simple construction, it affords a surprising technical effect within, inter alia, the aforesaid fields. Compared with container types known hitherto, the manufacturing costs are significantly lower. Although the materials utilized in producing the composite container structure are each known per se, it is not believed, or known, that, the concept of combining these 'two materials for the purpose of achieving the aforedescribed unique results have been previously realized.

Claims

1. A rigid container, such as a tank, cistern, or other open or closed vessel, which is intended particularly, but not- -5 exclusively for storing, heating., and sustaning the temperature of a fluid, and which embodies electrical resistance wires or filaments which can be connected to a current source via electrodes, characterized in that a) the container comprises a layer of material which is 0 electrically conductive and has the commercial designation
Semicon CT 6011:70; and in that b) this layer of material has provided externally thereon a layer of well insulating, fire resistant material commer¬ cially designated Isofiber. Struktur. 5
2. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer surface of the insulating material layer has provided thereon a layer, for instance, of PVC-material which forms the outer layer or skin of the container. 0
3. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is intended to store temperature-sensitive fluid, such as oil, petrol, syrup or the like, whose proper¬ ties, are impaired at low or very low temperatures. 5
4. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that a
® thin layer of synthetic material, e.g., Teflon is applied on the inner surfaces of the container.
0
EP19880905018 1987-05-22 1988-05-20 A container or a tank Expired - Lifetime EP0362263B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT88905018T ATE98835T1 (en) 1987-05-22 1988-05-20 VESSEL OR CONTAINER.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE8702144 1987-05-22
SE8702144A SE460631B (en) 1987-05-22 1987-05-22 ELECTRIC HEATED CONTAINER AND APPLICATION OF THE SAME

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0362263A1 true EP0362263A1 (en) 1990-04-11
EP0362263B1 EP0362263B1 (en) 1993-12-15

Family

ID=20368618

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19880905018 Expired - Lifetime EP0362263B1 (en) 1987-05-22 1988-05-20 A container or a tank

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0362263B1 (en)
AU (1) AU1942688A (en)
DE (1) DE3886402T2 (en)
SE (1) SE460631B (en)
WO (1) WO1988009595A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2677438B1 (en) * 1991-06-10 1993-12-31 Bourgeois Ste Coop Prod DEFORMABLE WALL BOILER.
SE508117C2 (en) * 1996-05-31 1998-08-31 Perstorp Ab Process for producing a pressure vessel and pressure vessel, especially for hot water heaters, prepared by the method

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2607879A (en) * 1948-04-03 1952-08-19 Wingfoot Corp Liquid container
NL7212816A (en) * 1972-09-22 1974-03-26

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8809595A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1988009595A1 (en) 1988-12-01
SE8702144D0 (en) 1987-05-22
AU1942688A (en) 1988-12-21
SE460631B (en) 1989-10-30
EP0362263B1 (en) 1993-12-15
SE8702144L (en) 1988-11-23
DE3886402T2 (en) 1994-05-19
DE3886402D1 (en) 1994-01-27

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