EP0496808A1

EP0496808A1 - Cleaning device, especially adapted for cleaning of tanks

Info

Publication number: EP0496808A1
Application number: EP19900916196
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hakon Magnus Jacobsen
Original assignee: BISMO INDUSTRIER A-S
Current assignee: BISMO INDUSTRIER A-S
Priority date: 1989-10-20
Filing date: 1990-10-19
Publication date: 1992-08-05
Also published as: WO1991005619A1; NO170916C; AU6619190A; NO894182D0; NO894182L; NO170916B

Abstract

Dispositif de nettoyage, apte en particulier au nettoyage de réservoirs, comprenant un pipe-line (3) suspendu du haut dudit réservoirs, ainsi qu'une tête de nettoyage (1). Ladite tête comprend une pluralité de buses fixées au tuyau et une pluralité de buses pouvant tourner autour d'un axe horizontal lorsqu'un engrenage mécanique entraîne ladite tête à tourner autour d'un axe vertical. Le fluide de nettoyage est envoyé aux buses disposées dans le tuyau, ledit tuyau (3) étant suspendu dans des moyens d'entraînement (2) qui font tourner un arbre (4) situé à l'intérieur du tuyau. La rotation de l'arbre est communiquée à la tête de nettoyage de manière à faire tourner ladite tête autour de l'axe vertical, ce qui fait tourner les buses autour de l'axe horizontal. La tête de nettoyage comportant lesdites buses, réalisée sous forme sphérique, ne comprend pas de parties saillantes. Des segments de tuyau, dotés d'une tête de nettoyage montée sur l'extrémité inférieure, peuvent être éventuellement fixés à la tête de nettoyage la plus inférieure de manière à relier les arbres (4) à l'intérieur desdits segments de tuyau, et à ainsi faire tourner toutes les têtes et les buses de nettoyage.Cleaning device, suitable in particular for cleaning tanks, comprising a pipeline (3) suspended from the top of said tanks, as well as a cleaning head (1). Said head comprises a plurality of nozzles attached to the pipe and a plurality of nozzles which can rotate about a horizontal axis when a mechanical gear causes said head to rotate about a vertical axis. The cleaning fluid is sent to the nozzles arranged in the pipe, said pipe (3) being suspended in drive means (2) which rotate a shaft (4) located inside the pipe. The rotation of the shaft is communicated to the cleaning head so as to rotate said head about the vertical axis, which rotates the nozzles around the horizontal axis. The cleaning head comprising said nozzles, produced in a spherical shape, does not include protruding parts. Pipe segments, provided with a cleaning head mounted on the lower end, can optionally be fixed to the lower cleaning head so as to connect the shafts (4) inside said pipe segments, and thus turning all the heads and the cleaning nozzles.

Description

Cleaning device, especially adapted for cleaning of tanks

The present invention is related to a cleaning device, especially for cleaning the interior surfaces of tanks.

Presently there exists a demand for reliable and accurate cleaning systems for tanks, such as for cleaning tanks in ships as well as land based tanks, stationary as are found in factories etc, as well as mobile such as transportation tank units for roads and rails.

A number of different types of cleaning devices for such tanks are available on the market, some of which being adapted for permanent installation, others for installation and removement after use.

Furthermore cleaning devices are available to be hoisted down into the tank, rotated and moved around in the tank by the pressure from the cleaning fluid. Such a solution may lead to damage on the interior of the tank, such as bulk heads, as well as on the jet nozzles and generally the cleaning equipment. Using the pressure of the cleaning fluid to operate the cleaning devise as is usual, means that a substantial part of the pressure cannot be utilized for the cleaning process, thereby decreasing the effect of the cleaning fluid jets substantially.

With the^" cleaning device according to the present invention, a stationary, reliable and cleaning device is provided which is controlled from a central command station, preferably computerized to adapt the cleaning sequenze to the interior shape for the tank or tanks in question. The cleaning operation may be set into operation from a navigating bridge on board a ship or a central operation station in a factory. The cleaning work normally has to be performed very quickly to clear the tank for utilazation and with a large degree of accuracy in all parts of the tank. A continous control of all parameters in the cleaning process is ensured by use of a normally already existing computer syste .

The above mentioned advantages are acheived with the cleaning device according to the present invention sa defined with the features stated in the claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 discloses schematically an example of using the present invention in a tank on board a ship, comprising three cleaning balls connected to a drive means on top of the upper deck, Fig. 2 discloses an axial section through a cleaning ball and Fig. 3 discloses a side view of a nozzle segment.

Fig. 1 discloses schematically the cleaning device according to the present invention, suspended from a deck or tank top 12 on which a drive means 2 is arranged, comprising the drive for the drive shaft of the cleaning device and for pumps etc. for the cleaning fluid. From the tank top a pipe 3 is extending downwards to a cleaning ball 1. Depending of the height of the tank further units comprising pipe 3 and cleaning ball 1 may be connected to the lower ball of the cleaning device such that the cleaning device may comprise three cleaning balls 1 arranged above each other within the height of the tank.

In the interior of.the pipe 3 extends a shaft 4 through the tank top 12, being preferably driven by an electric or hydraulic motor in the drive means 2. The shaft 4 is extending through the cleaning ball 1, driving a gear 4 meshing with the gear 6 connected with an horizontal shaft 7. The horizontal shaft is extending through an aperture in the axis 4 to the other half of the cleaning ball, a nozzle segment 9 being connected with both ends of the horizontal shaft 7. Each nozzle segment 9 is comprising two nozzles 8 being arranged diametrically opposed to each other.

When rotating the vertical shaft 4, the gear 5 will drive also the horizontal shaft 7 in such a way that the ball will have the same number of revolutions as the shaft 4. Preferably the gear system will have an exchange between the gears 5 and 6, such that the nozzle segments 9 on both sides of the ball rotate with another number of revolutions, whereby the four nozzles 4 on the two nozzle segments 9 very e ficiently will be directed to all surfaces of the tank. This as well as other parameters being adjusted to the interior tank shape in question.

The pressurized cleaning fluid is guided from the drive unit 2 through the interior 13 of the pipe 3, into the, or each ball 1 and further to the interior of the nozzle segment and the nozzle aperture. From hear the cleaning fluid is driven without substantial decrease of the pressure out of the nozzles 8. In each of the nozzle segments are arranged diametrically opposed directed, nozzles 8. Furthermore the nozzles 8 in each nozzle 5 segment of each ball are arranged preferably parallel in such a way that reaction forces from the four nozzles substantially neutralize each other without effecting the balls.

As disclosed in Fig. 1 the lowermost cleaning ball comprises a cover 10 closing the ball and thereby also the o interior 13 of the pipe, thereby closing the fluid flow at the lowermost ball.

The cleaning ball principally comprises a middle unit in form of a ball disc having a flat bottom and top, the pipe being connected to the top by means of a cover 11 and the bottom s as well being flat, whereby a further pipe 3 by means of a cover 11 can be connected to the underside of the ball disc, or terminated as described above, by means of a cover 10. The nozzle segments 9 and the covers 10 and 11 are tightly connected in such a way that fluids from the interior of the tank cannot protude o into the different parts of the cleaning ball, such as gears in the interior of the balls.

The driving device comprises all components necessary to drive the cleaning system itself, including electrical motors, pumps and necessary electronics. Likewise a safety valve is 5 provided to ensure supply of air, thereby avoiding underpressure in the piping system. Furthermore the driving device 2 preferably comprises pipe connections to the valve for selectively supply of chemical cleaning fluid and clean water, whereby these units of security reasons are shielded against other parts of the 0 driving device. In operation the shaft 4 is driven by the electric motor in the driving device 2. The electric motor may be replaced by a hydraulic drive system.

The pipe 3 may be provided by braces 14, especially by arrangement of several balls above each other. When the shaft 4 5 is rotated, the gear 5 drives the gear 6 on the horizontal shaft 7, thereby rotating the nozzle segment 9. The shaft 7 is extending through the ball and connecting the two nozzle segments 9 with each other in such a way that they are rotating synchron¬ ous. The transversal shaft 7 rotates the shaft 4 in such a way that the ball is rotated around its own axis. The pressure from the cleaning fluid in the interior 13 of the pipe 3 is transmit¬ ted without substantial pressure fall to the to nozzles 8 in each nozzle segment 9. Choice of . fluid in the cleaning system, the chemical cleaning system and possibly clean water as well as the rotation of the shaft 4 is controlled by a board computer considering thereby the size and shape of the tank as well as the last cargo contained in the tank.

With the cleaning device according to the present invention a cleaning of the tank with high accuracy may be performed, thereby considering the last cargo contained in the tank. The cleaning furthermore is performed successively on the interior inner surface of the tank using a cleaning pressure which ensures correct cleaning in the interior tank. If in certain cases an increased cleaning pressure should be needed, a certain number of the nozzles may be blocked.

Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s

5 1. Cleaning device, especially for cleaning of tanks, comprising a pipeline (3) suspended from the top of the tank, a cleaning head (1) comprising a number nozzles being secured to the pipe and comprising a plurality of nozzles rotating about a horizontal axis when the head as such is rotating around a o vertical axis by mechanical meshing gears and where the cleaning fluid is supplied to the nozzles to .the pipe, CHARACTERIZED IN the pipe (3) being suspended in a drive means (2) which is rotating a shaft (4) arranged in interior of the pipe, the rotation of the shaft being transferred to the cleaning head to s rotate the cleaning head about the vertical axis and thereby rotating the nozzles about the horizontal axis, the cleaning head comprising the nozzles having a ball shape without protuding parts and that further pipe segments having a cleaning head arranged on the lower end, may be fixed to the lowermost cleaning 0 head thereby connecting the shafts (4) in the interior of the pipe segments for rotating all cleaning heads and nozzles.

2. Cleaning device according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN the operation sequence of the cleaning device being controlled by a central computer whereby the rotation speed of the shaft (4) 5 and the horizontal shafts in the different cleaning balls may be controlled^* based on parameters as to the shape of the interior of the tank, the type of cargo to be removed from the interior surfaces of ^"the tank, the type of cleaning fluid, the fluid pressure etc. 0