EP0715542A1

EP0715542A1 - Anti-sedimentation process

Info

Publication number: EP0715542A1
Application number: EP94926197A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alexandra Frei; Bernard Paringaux
Original assignee: Frei Alexandra
Current assignee: Lindenport SA
Priority date: 1993-08-17
Filing date: 1994-08-16
Publication date: 1996-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2014-08-16
Also published as: AU683929B2; AU7613494A; DE59405403D1; DK0715542T3; EP0715542B1; WO1995005238A1; ES2115970T3; ATE163569T1

Abstract

A process and device are disclosed for preventing sediments from precipitating from mixtures of for example crude oil (4), refinery products and petrochemicals, which otherwise settle mainly at the bottom of cistern installations (T). Sediments have a precursor in the form of a thickening precipitation zone (4, 2). The precipitation of sediments is prevented by disturbing the formation of the precipitation zone (4, 2). This disturbance takes the form of global disturbance patterns (S) with local disturbance spots (L) and is applied according to the disturbance pattern (S) in a disturbance zone by means of disturbance devices (V) with disturbing means. The disturbance is hydrodynamically or mechanically applied by nozzles arranged in the disturbance zones through which crude oil flows out or by strings that may be made to vibrate as disturbing means (8, 12) excited by exciting elements (5) through pulling and pushing units (6) in the disturbance devices. The strings vibrate with fundamental and partial waves and deflect the components of the mixtures depending on the amplitude of said sonic waves.

Description

METHOD FOR AVOIDING SEDIMENTATIONS

The invention relates to a ner driving and a device to avoid sedimentation of liquid phases or thickening of liquid phases or mixtures such as, for example, oils, crude oil, refinery products and petrochemical products.

In the storage of liquid phases such as oils, crude oil, refinery products and petrochemical products, undesired sedimentation and thickening often occur, a problem which is discussed below using the example of crude oil, which forms a particularly sediment.

The liquid phase of crude oil is a mixture consisting mainly of hydrocarbons such as paraffins, aromatics and Νaphtenes, which, however, are accompanied by non-hydrocarbons or so-called impurities such as sludge, water, dissolved salts, sulfur compounds, sand, etc. during their production. Under certain circumstances, this crude oil is subjected to rough cleaning processes to separate impurities before being processed in refineries. Then it is generally common to process something as well as storing pre-cleaned crude oil in large tank systems. This with different lifetimes; Under certain circumstances it may take a long time for hoarding, and a much shorter time for operational storage.

The particularly long service life favors undesirable soil replacement from crude oil in tank systems. This sediment is diverse in nature, for example it can be favored by emulsions of water with hydrocarbon reactions, or it consists of segregates of heavy hydrocarbon fractions (hard waxes) or segregates of mud or salts. The result is a type of oil sludge that compresses to the bottom of the tank system and causes costs and losses.

Costs and losses are caused because, on the one hand, this oil sludge reduces the capacity of the tank systems and, on the other hand, binds wood or even consists mainly of thickened crude oil. In addition to the costly loss of space in the tank, storage also results in a not inconsiderable loss of substance. In addition, at least through the disposal, the loss of space can either not be eliminated (storage of the sludge in closed systems, that is, in tanks provided for this) or a final storage that is completely environmentally harmful (dumping the sludge into open basins). In large circular tank systems up to 100 meters in diameter, 20 meters in height and with the corresponding capacity, sediment layers of 1 to 2 meters result in a capacity loss of 5 to 10%. In addition, the operation of the tank systems can also be disturbed, the oil sludge from the pumps clogged, outflows from the tank systems have to be filtered, etc. Finally, the removal of oil sludge is associated with downtimes. If the oil sludge is not removed, it continues to accumulate and ultimately leads to the abandonment of such sludge storage containers and requires new buildings Filling stations. In addition to these storage costs, the untreated oil sludge itself is of course also a loss, because despite its impurities it consists largely of recyclable hydrocarbons.

Several solutions for removing sediment from crude oil in tank systems are now known. Here are two examples:

1) A first solution is proposed in the patents US-3436263 and FR-A 2211546, wherein cleaning substances are used which loosen or remove bound oil sludge. A disadvantage of these methods is that this dissolved oil sludge can no longer be used because of the cleaning substances introduced and is disposed of in landfills or in some way. Such landfills are, for example, old tank farms or fallow land and represent first-class environmental pollution. The reprocessing of oil sludge is not possible so that this does not represent a general damage control, but only a countermeasure. However, the tank systems can still be cleaned and made available again. The main reason why the dissolved oil sludge is not processed is therefore that the cleaning substances used for processing in refineries represent impurities, the separation of which using standard cleaning processes is tedious and costly and has no relation to the recovery of crude oil.

2) Another solution is proposed in the patent EP-160805, where hydrokinetic energy is used to suspend or dissolve residues sedimented in the liquid phase by means of vortex formation in the tank systems. In this way, oil sludge, dissolved by crude oil as a solvent substance, can be recycled and processed according to standard cleaning driving in the refinery. This process does not prevent the formation of oil sludge, but only eliminates it. For this purpose, targeted eddy currents are generated, the successive remote action of which is capable of effectively dissolving the sediment even outside the direct injection zone. However, this involves considerable effort

Material connected. Mechanically movable components in the interior of the tank systems, such as, for example, rotatable liquefaction lances with which oil sludge is hydrokinetically activated and dissolved in crude oil, represent a not inconsiderable technical outlay. This process, although it recuperates to a high degree, is therefore complex.

This is rather undesirable, especially under extreme environmental conditions, for example in sand or ice desert regions.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and a device by means of which the precipitation of sediments from liquid phases or the thickening in liquids or liquid mixtures such as oils, crude oil, refinery products and petrochemical products can be at least largely avoided. This method and the device for this purpose should be easy to implement and operate safely during operation, since the bearing units are generally technically little or not monitored at all. This object is achieved by the invention as defined in the patent claims.

The idea for the present invention is based on observations. It appears that sedimentation from liquid mixtures such as crude oil in tank systems forms a "precursor", a leading event, in the form of a precipitation or thickening zone that is compacted against the bottom of the tank system, from which oil sludge formation is initiated and successively sedimented and that the formation of this precursor can be influenced or prevented by a relatively minor disturbance, with the result that the formation of sediment is also suppressed. As it looks, this precursor for the sedimentation from crude oil consists of a precipitation zone of densifying crude oil which, as it were, "floats" somewhat above a floor surface, for example that of the tank system, depending on the material. In this continuously densifying zone, coagulate and polymerize components of the crude oil, are precipitated in this form as sediments or sediment and collect on the bottom of the tank system as notable recyclable oil sludge, thus forming a slowly rising floor area above which the Precursor is effective.

According to the invention, sedimentation from mixtures such as crude oil, but also from other oils, is practically avoided by disturbing this precursor. In contrast to the sensible crude oil recovery from the sediment, there is a "Prevention Technology" with which the formation of "sludge" is reduced or prevented. This approach differs from the solutions to the problems described at the beginning in that no disposal (removal of oil sludge) is carried out, but rather that the disadvantage (the formation of oil sludge) is avoided in the first place.

The main part of the sludge formation is based on a kind of gelation of the crude oil, it thickens and can be dissolved again during the thickening by stirring, in this phase no dilution by additional crude oil is (still) necessary. In large tank systems, however, an effective stirring system can hardly be realized, so that a different form of targeted malfunction, which does justice to the enormous tank systems, must be found. According to the invention, this can be solved by forming energy-transporting, running waves in the precipitation zone, the precursor of the crude oil, for example by supplying and / or removing crude oil.

Simple and maintenance-free disruptive means are implemented, for example, hydrodynamically by means of perforated pipe networks, nozzles and the like, so that flowing crude oil introduces the disruptive energy into the precursor of the precipitation layer. No movable mechanical components are therefore used within the tank, the method is therefore basically maintenance-free, robust, mechanically simple and easy to control.

Further simple and maintenance-free disruptive means, for example vibrators, are advantageously realized with mechanical means such as "strings", "bell-shaped membrane" and the like, which are vibrated and thus introduce interference energy into the precursor of the precipitation layer. Crossed strings, for example, allow a good distribution of the high-energy antinodes at places on strings where the deflection decreases more and more (towards the clamping points). The same applies, for example, to bell-shaped membranes. Their vibrations form sound patterns on their surface that can stimulate the liquid phase in tank systems. The strings and the membrane are excited using appropriate devices, which are simply moved back and forth slowly by means of a reciprocating drive (crank). Strings are newly swung up, for example, via excitation elements at certain time intervals in which they swing out and transmit a disturbance. Membranes are struck again using striking elements at certain intervals in which they vibrate and transmit a fault. Such devices are also practically maintenance-free, robust, mechanically simple and easy to control. The implementation of this idea in the method according to the invention is elegant, since the disruption of the precursor and the prevention of sedimentation take place with significantly less effort in terms of material and work than the recovery from existing sediment, and it can be done especially with simple, proven, functionally robust devices be performed. Another advantage of this method is that the location and extent of the precursor, ie its location, can be staked out and fault devices can therefore be attached in a targeted manner in its area, generally a little above the bottom of the tank system.

Details of the method according to the invention are described in detail below using exemplary embodiments and with reference to the figures listed below.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through part of a tank system, with precipitation zone and sediment relief.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of part of a tank system.

3 shows an embodiment of a fault pattern in the form of a three-dimensionally ordered pattern of impurities.

4a and 4b show a further embodiment of a fault pattern in the form of a two-dimensionally ordered pattern of fault points.

5 shows the conceptual superimposition of the tank system with the embodiment of a mechanically caused fault pattern according to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIGS. 6a and 6b show the conceptual superimposition of the tank system with the embodiment of a mechanically or hydraulically effected flow pattern according to FIGS. 2 and 4.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic top view of part of the embodiment of a mechanically acting interference device of the method according to the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of part of the embodiment of an interference device of the inventive method according to FIG. 7.

9a and 9b show a schematic plan view of part of an embodiment of a mechanically and hydraulically acting interference device of the method according to the invention.

10 shows a schematic side view of a part of the embodiment of an interference device of the inventive method according to FIG. 9b.

11a shows a schematic plan view of part of an embodiment of a drive for a pulling and pushing unit driving excitation elements in the form of a crank drive.

11b shows a schematic side view of part of the embodiment of a drive according to FIG. 11a.

12a shows a schematic view of a part of a preferred embodiment of a disturbance means in the form of an oscillatable sai tensystems with a first embodiment of a Spannvorrich¬ device.

FIG. 12b shows a schematic view of how the part of the oscillatable string system and its tensioning device according to FIG. 12a

Contact can be excited with an excitation element.

12c shows a schematic view of how the part of the vibratable string system and its tensioning device according to FIG. 12a vibrate after being excited by an excitation element according to FIG. 12b.

13 shows a schematic view of part of a further embodiment of a disruptive means in the form of an oscillatable bell-shaped membrane.

14 shows a schematic top view of part of a second embodiment of a tensioning device for vibratable string systems.

15 shows a schematic top view of part of a third embodiment of a tensioning device for vibratable string systems.

16 shows a schematic top view of part of an embodiment of a hydrodynamically acting interference device of the method according to the invention.

17 shows a schematic side view of a part of the embodiment of an interference device of the method according to the invention according to FIG. 16. 18 shows a schematic top view of part of a further embodiment of a hydraulically acting interference device of the method according to the invention.

19 shows a schematic side view of a part of the embodiment of an interference device of the method according to the invention according to FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 shows a schematic side view of part of the embodiment of an interference device of the method according to the invention according to FIG. 19.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a tank system, with a schematically illustrated failure zone 4.2, the precursor discussed above, above a sediment relief. This tank system T, for example, is of cylindrical symmetry with an approximately flat bottom 1, it has a wall 2 and a floating roof 3. The capacity of such tank systems T can be 100,000 m ³ . For safety reasons, the floating roof 3 is used to enable volatile and combustible fractions of the stored crude oil 4 to escape from the tank system T and thus to prevent the formation of explosive mixtures in the tank system T. When the tank system T is completely or partially filled, the cover floats directly on the crude oil 4. Of course, the method according to the invention can also be used for tank systems with a firm roof.

FIG. 1 shows sediments or sediments 4.1 and a precipitation zone 4.2 that is compacted above them. The sediments 4.1 consist of as from emulsions of water with hydrocarbon fractions, or they consist of segregates of heavy hydrocarbon fractions (hard waxes) or of thickened crude oil or of segregates of mud, sand, salts or rust and form a solid sediment to viscous oil sludge, also called sludge, which settles on the floor 1 of the tank system T. These sediments 4.1 originate from a precipitation zone 4.2 compacting against the bottom 1 of the tank system T, which, depending on the material, "floats" above the bottom surface of the tank system T and here has a higher density than the crude oil 4 which was originally let into the tank system T. According to observations, the thickness of the precipitation zone 4.2 in such a tank system T can be up to 1 m and depends on several parameters that are difficult to determine, such as the composition of the crude oil 4, the ratio of the hydrocarbon fractions, for example divided into paraffins, aromatics and naphthenes, and it also depends on the proportion and type of contaminants, for example the amount of water or sludge.

As stated, this compacting precipitation zone 4.2 is a kind of precursor for sedimentation from crude oil 4. Thickening crude oil is a (thixotropic) mixture which can be switched from viscous to less viscous, liquid aggregate state by mechanical activation. The condensing precipitation zone 4.2 is formed as soon as a certain minimum quantity or critical quantity of crude oil in a tank system T has found a certain metastable balance over time. The critical amount of crude oil would be, for example, that amount of crude oil in order to enable the formation of a precipitation zone 4.2. A metastable equilibrium is established in the tank system T, depending on the type of supply, the supply performance and also the duration of the supply of crude oil 4 (whether with or without interruptions), as a rule this takes only a few weeks. The crude oil 4 of the tank system T can be influenced by external forces. One of these external forces, which cannot be suppressed, is gravity. Certain constituents of the crude oil 4, which condense in a meta-stable precipitation zone 4.2, coagulate and polymerize there and their specific density increases over time in such a way that they fall onto the bottom surface of the tank system T in the precipitation zone 4.2 due to gravity, to form a sediment 4.1. The possibilities of coagulation, polymerization and precipitation of crude oil components 4 are quite varied according to the wide range of variation of a mixture and convert them into a stable equilibrium in the form of sediments or soil sets 4.1, oil sludge or sludge. Similar mechanisms of precipitation also apply to other substances which form liquid phases.

This interaction of gravity with the failure zone 4.2 is apparently fine. The expansion and spatial position of the precipitation zone 4.2 take place relative to the bottom surface of the tank system T. This means that the precipitation zone 4.2 takes the form of a susceptible sediment relief. The statistically increasing surface structure of sediment 4.1 also causes corresponding structures of the upper and lower surfaces of precipitation zone 4.2. The growth of the sediments 4.1 is accompanied by a more or less constant thickness of the precipitation zone 4.2 (see FIG. 1).

According to the invention, sedimentation from mixtures such as crude oil 4, from refinery products and from petrochemical products in tank systems T is avoided by the metastable precipitation zone 4.2 being disturbed by external forces, so that coagulation and polymerization of constituents of the mixtures is prevented. Due to the well-known position tion, which was discovered by methodical peeling of sedimentation formation and studies of this formation, and the expansion of the precursor or precipitation zone 4.2 limited by the container, can thus be used in the tank systems T, which act specifically on them. ken. Two groups of embodiments of interference devices of the method comprise hydrodynamically and mechanically caused errors on the one hand. The disruption occurs hydrodynamically through the supply and removal of crude oil as pounding agent in the precipitation zone 4.2 of the tank system T. The components of the crude oil are thus in motion and the precipitation zone 4.2 is mixed due to the incompressibility of the particles. Mechanically

the disturbance occurs by generating energy-transporting running waves through vibrations or oscillations in the tank system T and excitation of the components of the mixture in the precipitation zone 4.2. These vibrating components are thus in motion and the precipitation zone 4.2 is mixed due to the incompressibility of the particles.

According to FIG. 2, the tank system T, as is usually the case, is cylindrical and has a circular diameter of up to 100 m and a height of up to 20 m. In such a container, an interference zone of approximately 1 m interference depth is now specified, which, according to the concept of global interference pattern S, that is to say an interference model, is composed of a large number of local interference points L. This fault zone is advantageously created at a constant fault height of half a meter with a disturbing effect of +/- 50 cm above the bottom of the tank system T. The interference zone extends down to the bottom 1 of the tank system T and can have several 1000 m ³ volume (base area x spread of the interference effect). According to the invention, the failure of the precipitation zone 4.2 is realized by hydrodynamic flow or by mechanical vibrations, and the latter are advantageously strings or bell-shaped membrane in the interior of the tank system T. The fault model is therefore first conceived in the method, it connects and optimizes the shape of the tank system T with the shape of the propagation of vibrations in mixtures. With increasing knowledge of the effect, specific fault models can be stored in the computer and, depending on the container, content, shape and environmental influences, modified and output. According to the optimized fault model, the fault devices are then selected and designed.

In a disturbance introduced by mechanical disturbance means according to FIG. 3, the disturbance pattern S has the shape of a three-dimensional pattern of disturbance points L and forms a two-layer symmetrical arrangement of equidistant "disturbance ellipsoids". The two layers cross each other in the right angle. They are suitable for long strings to be attached and excited inside the tank system T, similar to two huge, crossed harps, whose antinodes are optimally superimposed in this way. They are designed as long strings, which are excited by excitation elements, vibrate in fundamental and partial vibrations and thus deflect the components of the crude oil 4 depending on the size of the AmpUtude of the sound waves and thus produce an interference or mixing effect.

Another embodiment of an interference pattern S according to FIGS. 4a and 4b forms a two-dimensional pattern of interference points L, which are designed as more or less equidistant and equally large circular interference zones or as arbitrarily distributed interference zones. According to this pattern, T nozzles are attached to the inside of the tank system, strings to be excited are clamped in or a bell-shaped membrane is arranged. The fault points L are arranged at an optimal distance from one another which corresponds to the fault model, so that they are not too close and also not too far from one another and that no fault-free areas of the failure zone 4.2 can form between them in the fault zone. The sizes of the interfering ellipsoids in FIG. 3 and the interfering circles in FIG. 4 therefore do not indicate the limits of the interfering effect of local interfering points L, but only indicate that this interfering point L is “active”, that is to say acting. Finally, it should be borne in mind that the vibrations to be generated later will spread in the medium and thus have a certain range which is greater than the external conceptual extent of these defects L and which is also greater than the physical extent of the disruptive means which are subsequently realized .

The disruption should occur as homogeneously as possible to fill the volume. However, it is designed locally or globally by means of the fault locations L and by means of the fault patterns S, always with the aim of preventing the formation of the failure zone 4.2 by means of such a fault zone. Thus, many geometries of disturbance S can be exposed, for example three-dimensional structures, which have as close-packed impurities L as possible. Also, the imperfections L themselves do not have to be the same size, one can well imagine using stronger and weaker imperfections L combined, which are placed at regular or irregular intervals from one another (long and short, thick and thin strings). In this way, difficult geometrical relationships in the tank system T can be overcome, such as round walls, which are deliberately designed to be "stronger". Also, the interference points L do not have to be symmetrical, so randomly arranged interference points with individual interference powers and interference geometries can be used which are sufficiently long-range to allow interfering interference to be formed as an overlap. so that these vibrations of the tank system T act as a resonator on the stored crude oil 4 to fill the volume and homogeneously. And even symmetrical disturbances can vary widely. Thus, the interferences like flat disks can have a far-reaching effect, but only in one interference level uniform (e.g., sinusoidal and circular) or non-uniform (e.g. elliptical), and here too they only appear in the specified interference level. This is advantageous since the precipitation zone 4.2 to be prevented is itself also relatively flat. With knowledge of the invention, the person skilled in the art has many options for the design of local fault points L and global fault patterns S.

The fault pattern S can be designed using standardized fault points L on the drawing board or on the computer as a fault model. As an advantageous tool, electronic data processing is suitable for this, in which entire libraries of models can be built up and the field experiences can be saved and converted into parameter sets. The fault pattern S and the fault points L are then selected from a set of standardized and proven embodiments and are adapted according to the parameters to be fulfilled, with the respective geometry of the tank system T or the type of mixture of crude oil 4. The following FIGS. 5 and 6 show how this is implemented.

Thus, according to FIGS. 5 and 6a / b, the interference pattern S according to FIGS. 3 and 4 is superimposed on the base area of the tank system T according to FIG. 2, so that most of the fault locations L which are located within the fault zone in the tank system T subsequently by means of interference devices will be realized. The interference pattern S is projected onto the geometry of the tank system T, it is not necessary to proceed categorically, but the projection can take place depending on the type and extent of the defects L. In FIG. 5, the two positions of fault locations L or fault parabolas are shortened in their elongated dimensions in such a way that they "fit" into the tank system T. In contrast, in FIGS. 6a / b, some fault points L or fault circles located within the base area of the tank system T are not realized later. Only such defects L found by comparison with the geometry of the tank system T are subsequently also created in interference devices V. The fault zone consists of a volume which is formed from the base area of the tank system T and a fault depth and which advantageously includes the failure zone to be disturbed. For this purpose, the fault points L are advantageously realized in the following in fault devices as strings or bell-shaped membranes. Each of these strings or bell-shaped membrane is a realized local disturbance point L with a local disturbance volume.

FIGS. 7 and 8 schematically show a part of an exemplary embodiment of an interference device V which works according to the method according to the invention. FIG. 7 shows a top view and FIG. 8 shows a side view. The geometries of the jamming device V with its jamming means 8 and the tank system T are matched to one another in order to achieve an optimal, that is to say volume-filling and homogeneous malfunction. The interfering device has interfering means 8 in the form of strings that can be excited as implemented interfering points. In the example of a tank system T with a cylindrical geometry and a circular diameter, the interference means 8 are equidistant, differently long strings in two constant interference heights 9, 10 above the floor 1 of the tank system T, for example at a height of 40 cm (lower interference height 9) and 60 cm height (higher interference height 10). The fault zone encompasses the entire base area of the tank system T. With an interference effect of +/- 50 cm, it extends down to the bottom 1 of the tank system T and includes the failure zone 4.2 to be disrupted or prevented. The tensioned strings of this embodiment of the jamming device V can be excited by means of stylized excitation elements 5 via two pull / push units 6. The strings are advantageously excited to vibrate in the middle of their length. Such excitation elements 5 can be spikes or recessed clubs which are attached to pulling and pushing units 6. The strings which are at rest or slightly vibrating are excited by moving the excitation elements 5 back and forth. The excitation elements 5 are brought up to the strings to be excited, these are deflected, tensioned (by plucking), released, the excitation element 5 moving away from the strings, whereupon the strings can oscillate undisturbed. The strings, their tensioning devices and the pulling and pushing units 6 for excitation elements 5 are advantageously attached in several planes, so that the swinging of the strings and the forward and backward movement of the pulling and pushing units 6 with actuation elements 5 do not interfere with one another.

The strings can be tensioned differently depending on their length and they can be made with different thicknesses. They are made of rigid materials, for example wires made of metals such as steel, copper, alloys, possibly plastic and metallized plastics. The prerequisite is that the materials are not attacked by crude oil 4 and are capable of vibrating. In spite of tension and buoyancy, long strings should not sag so far that they touch the strings below or the bottom 1 of the tank system T. Long lengths may have to be divided into two or more strings, which naturally means that more devices for exciting the strings must also be provided. More details about strings, their excitation and tensioning device follow in the description according to FIGS. 12 and 14, 15. The pulling and pushing units 6 have rigid links (rod, piston) or movable links (pushable / pullable chains), which run for example in protected tubular guides and have attached excitation elements 5 for plucking or striking with which they Excite strings. In this first embodiment, the pulling and pushing units 6 run at right angles to one another and rectilinearly in two planes and can be moved via, for example, crank-operated, fluid-operated or gear-driven drives located outside the tank system T. Details of an advantageous embodiment of such a drive follow in the description according to FIG. 11. The pulling and pushing units 6 are, for example, fixedly mounted on the base 1 of the tank system T via stands or similar devices connected to the slotted tubular guides, and the rigid ones or movable members can be led out through the floating roof 3 through bushings 11 on the boiler wall 2, in the bottom 1 or on top of the tank system T. For security reasons, these bushings 11 should be made tight, so that the pulling and pushing units 6 can be operated without liquid components of the mixtures to be processed, such as crude oil 4, escaping from the tank system T. The pulling and pushing units 6 only need to be moved back and forth over relatively short distances of 10 cm to a maximum of 1 m in order to pluck or strike the strings, compared with their length resulting from the size of the tank system T. The expenditure of force for driving the pulling and pushing units 6 is also relatively low; they are lubricated and slidably supported in the guides without significant friction losses due to the crude oil 4. The parts of the pulling and pushing units 6 such as the rigid or movable members, the tubular guides and the excitation elements 5 are advantageously made of metal such as steel, bronze etc., possibly plastic and metallized plastic, so that they are made of The surrounding media can not be attacked, which largely drives the strings is maintenance free. The disruptive means are not mechanically stressed. They are planned by pairing the materials in such a way that the strings are kept in use while the excitation elements are exposed to possible wear and can be easily replaced during revisions. For example, they can be detachably attached to pull and push units 6.

The strings generate sufficiently high-energy vibrations (estimated 1 to 10 watts of power) and advantageously with low (inaudible) frequencies. With knowledge of the present invention, the person skilled in the art has many options for realizing such interference devices V.

FIGS. 9B and 10 schematically show part of a second embodiment of an interference device V of the method according to the invention. FIG. 9 shows a top view of this and FIG. 10 shows a side view along the section CC according to FIG. 9. The description of this second embodiment coincides in many ways with that of the first embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 8. In the following, therefore, there are mainly deviations of this explained.

In the example of a tank system T with a cylindrical geometry and the same volume as above, local interference points are implemented as approximately equidistant interfering means 12 in the form of bell-shaped membranes or short strings, which have a constant interference height 13 of, for example, 50 cm height above the ground 1 of the tank system T, so that the interference zone formed by the entire base area of the tank system T and with an interference effect of +/- 50 cm around the interference height 13 extends to the bottom 1 of the tank system T and thus includes the failure zone 4.2 to be prevented. The disturbance means 12 can be excited by means of excitation elements 5 via a pulling and pushing unit 6. The pulling and pushing unit 6 is made up of movable links like a chain and is therefore spatially flexible. It can consist, for example, of chain links which can be rotated relative to one another and which are guided in slotted tubular guides. In this embodiment, it is laid in a plane in the interior of the tank system T. It is fixedly mounted on the floor 1 of the tank system T and is guided to the outside via bushings 11 on top of the tank system T, in the floating roof 3. The excitation elements 5 can be small doen or Schlegel, which are attached to the pull and push units 6 an¬. The bell-shaped membrane or strings which are at rest or slightly vibrating are excited by moving the excitation elements 5 back and forth. Advantageous embodiments of such bell-shaped membranes or strings follow in the descriptions according to FIGS. 12 to 15. The external means 12 of the second embodiment are therefore smaller in their outer dimensions than those of the first embodiment. The spatially flexible pulling and pushing unit 6 used can be laid in large lengths from the roll in accordance with a predetermined fault pattern S or model.

A part of the hydrodynamic embodiment of an interference device V of the method according to the invention can be seen schematically in FIG. 9a, similarly to FIG. 9b. This jamming device V also consists of pipes 7 which are permanently installed inside the tank system T and which carry the jamming means and which allow the supply and removal of crude oil 4 via jamming means 8 in the form of openings such as perforated pipe networks or nozzles into the tank system T and thus the Formation of a failure zone 4.2 prevented. Details of the hydrodynamic disorder are discussed below. FIGS. 11a and 11b show a schematic top view and side view of part of an embodiment of an exemplary drive for a pulling and pushing unit 6 driving an excitation element 5 in the form of a crank drive. This drive can be mounted next to the tank system T or on the floating roof 3 of the tank system T and consists, for example, of a hydraulic motor M of a few kW. A reduction gear U drives a slowly rotating crank wheel 27 at approximately 5 or 10 revolutions per minute . One end of a connecting rod E is rotatably mounted on a pin Z which is fixedly connected to the flywheel 27 and rotates thereon, the other end of the connecting rod E is rotatably mounted with a piston 28 and this is fixedly connected to the pulling and pushing unit 6 to be driven. When the crank wheel 27 rotates, the piston 27 is moved linearly back and forth and guided by a guide 29. The length of the forward and backward movement of the pulling and pushing unit 6 is equal to twice the circular radius of the pin Z mounted on the flywheel 27 and can therefore be varied relatively easily in ranges of 10 cm and 1 m by changing this circular radius. The speed of the forward and backward movement of the pulling and pushing unit 6 can be adjusted simply and precisely by varying the speed of rotation of the motor M, for example by varying the reduction ratio U. This is important because the vibration behavior of interference devices V in tank systems T can be regulated and controlled externally. In addition, it is a very slow-running drive unit, which is suitable for continuous operation and requires hardly any maintenance.

FIGS. 12a, b, c show a schematic view of part of a preferred embodiment of a disturbing means 8, 12 in the form of a vibratable multiple string 18 with a first embodiment of a tensioning device. device 16. FIGS. 12a, 12b and 12c show how these vibratable multiple strings 18 and their tensioning device 16 tension after contact with an excitation element 5 and how the two strings 15, 17 of the vibratable multiple strings 18 vibrate after this excitation.

The vibratable multiple string 18 has two strings 15, 17. With its tensioning device 16, it can be mounted as a whole according to the disturbance pattern S via supports B, B 'on the floor 1 of the tank system T. This embodiment has the advantage that the tensioning device 16 is worked with two flexible brackets H, H 'and that the strings 15, 17 clamped on the brackets H, H' are thus "mutually" tensioned. The string tension is compensated by the strings 15, 17 and the brackets H, H 'as in the arrow bow. The supports B, B 'have to withstand a relatively small string tension in this embodiment of an interference means 8, 12, as a result of which the installation effort for correspondingly strong supports and thus costs are saved. Especially in the case of thick steel strings, for example 10 mm in diameter, which are tensioned with greater force, a tensioning device has to withstand considerable tension, which is avoided by this "mutual" tensioning of strings.

The tensioning device 16 can also perform other functions, such as that of voltage transmission via flexible brackets H, H '. The strings 15, 17 of the multiple strings 18 can all be excited simultaneously or at different times, but only certain individual strings can be excited to vibrate. If, for example, only one string 15 is deflected from its equilibrium position to excite vibrations, according to FIG. 12b it is transversely stretched in its longitudinal extent after contact with an excitation element 5 and as a result of movement of the pulling and pushing unit 6 in the direction of the arrow the brackets H, H 'inward and bend slightly at the clamping points of the string 15 and are themselves tensioned, similar to springs, the other string 17 also being tensioned and in this way the entire system storing energy. The excitation energy is transmitted into the strings 15, 17 and into the brackets H, H ', so that when the contact with the excitation element 5 is released, the system relaxes and begins to oscillate. According to FIG. 12c, the strings 15, 17 vibrate by mutual excitation with different amplitudes. It is therefore sufficient to excite a string 15 of a multiple string 18 to vibrate via an excitation element 5, as a result of which other strings 17 also vibrate and of course vice versa.

The strings 15, 17 can thus be excited in natural vibrations or partial vibrations and emit sound waves. The sound pressure level, which decreases exponentially with time, the decay of the amplitude of the vibrations, due to frictional forces with the medium surrounding them, is delayed by the excitation of several strings 15, 17. Such a harmonic group as shown in FIG. 12 generates coupled vibrations which form a long reverberation due to phase shifts.

FIG. 13 shows part of a third embodiment of a disturbing means 12 in the form of an oscillatable bell-shaped membrane. Such a bell-shaped membrane can be excited to one or two natural vibrations and accordingly more partial vibrations. It does not need any tensioning devices and can be fixed in the fault pattern S on the floor 1 of the tank system T using holding means, for example a support. It can be excited via an excitation element 5, which can be firmly connected to the bell-shaped membrane, for example via an elastic connection. Thus, an excitation element that can be moved via the pulling and pushing unit 6 nt 5 "bobbin-free bell-shaped membrane" directly by moving forwards and backwards or, according to FIG. 13, a bobbin K attached in or on bell-shaped membranes can deflect via a contact arm A. The clapper K can be "prestressed" in a relative equilibrium position by the inherent rigidity of the contact arm A to the bell-shaped membrane, this prestressing is stylized by the spring F. By moving the pulling and pushing unit 6 forward or backward in the direction of the arrow shown, an excitation element 5 is contacted in a force-transmitting manner with the clapper K via the contact arm A, for example the excitation element 5 and the contacting part of the contact arm A according to FIG. 13 worked in such a way that during this movement a concave-shaped area of the excitation element 5 and a convex-shaped area of the contact arm A come into contact. By further advancing or retracting in the same direction of the pulling and pushing unit 6, the clapper K is deflected and the contact arm A is further tensioned. When the contact arm A is defined in a definable manner, the contact between the excitation element 5 and the contact arm A is released, for example slips this at a definable deflection over the excitation element 5, the contact arm A relaxes and strikes the clapper K against the wall of the bell-shaped membrane. As soon as clapper K and contact arm A have again assumed a relative equilibrium position, the excitation element 5 is moved back in the opposite direction of the arrow. The excitation element 5 and the contacting part of the contact arm A are worked so that there is no force-transmitting contact between the two during this restoring movement of the pulling and pushing unit 6, because two convex areas come into contact with one another slide past each other sideways. FIGS. 14 and 15 show, in schematic plan views, part of a second and third embodiment of tensioning devices for vibratable multiple strings 18. These tensioning devices enable simple assembly of strings 15, 17 to be tensioned in the jamming devices according to the invention and they enable the string tensions to be corrected at any time, even after the jamming device has been assembled, when the tank system T is filled with crude oil 4. There are thus adjustable clamping devices in the clamping force. In the embodiment according to FIG. 14, the string tension is set in a single-acting manner via one of the two brackets H, H ', in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 15 the string tension is adjusted in a double-acting manner via both brackets H, H'.

A handlebar 24 is rotatably mounted on a holding mandrel B, which in turn is firmly anchored in the container; as well as the bracket H \ The second bracket H is rotatably fastened to the handlebars. When the tensioning unit 21 is tightened, the handlebar moves and pulls the holder H with it, the strings being tensioned, which is shown by the position shown in broken lines.

For adjusting the string tension, tensioning or pushing units 21 are expediently used, which can be of a similar or the same construction as the pulling and pushing unit 6 described above for generating vibrations or are simple steel cables. These exciting pulling and pushing units 21 drive clamping elements 22 firmly connected to them. Like the pulling and pushing units 6 for generating vibrations in the tank system T, they can be laid according to a fault pattern S and the resulting local position of the interference means 8, 12 and fixedly mounted on the floor 1 of the tank system T (see FIGS. 6 to 10). The With knowledge of the present invention, a person skilled in the art has many options for realizing such tensioning mechanisms.

According to FIG. 14, a tensioning element 22 for multiple strings 18 consists of a mobile part 22.1 and a static part 22.2. According to FIG. 15, a tensioning element 22 for multiple strings 18 consists of two, for example identical, mobile parts 22.1. The static part 22.2 is a holder H with clamping points at the ends of the multiple strings 18, which can be freely rotated via a support B and is fixedly mounted on the bottom 1 of the tank system T. The mobile part 22.1 has a similar holder H 'with clamping points for the multiple strings 18, for this purpose it is freely rotatably connected to a link 24, which in turn is freely rotatable with a support B' and rigid with the tension and tension Thrust unit 21 is connected. In the view according to FIGS. 14 and 15, the supports B, B 'are largely covered by the brackets H, H'.

The strings are expediently changed in such a way that a movement of the tensioning means 21 in the direction of the elongated arrows shown causes the links 24 to rotate about the supports B '(drawn in by the curved arrows), which means the brackets H, H' relative to pulls apart from its original position and strings 15.17. Handlebars 24, brackets H, H 'and strings 15, 17 in new, tensioned positions are shown in dashed lines. The holder H, H 'of the ends of the multiple strings 18 are freely rotatably mounted, as a result of which they are aligned with one another in accordance with the tensioning force of the strings 15, 17. In the embodiment according to FIG. 14, rotating the mobile part 22.1 and holding the static part 22.2 of the tensioning element 22 results in a change in the position of the multiple strings 18, it is at a certain angle “obliquely” to the original position, which in the embodiment according to FIG FIG. 15 is not the case, here both mobile parts 22.1 rotate and maintain the position of the multiple strings 18.

The asymmetrical design of the link 24 causes a leverage, i.e. A long and relatively small force movement of the pulling and pushing units 21 causes a small deflection but greater force on the brackets H, H \. Compared to the single-acting tensioning device according to FIG. 14, the double-acting tensioning device can be used tension with greater force according to FIG. 15 or a greater number of multiple strings 18 can be tensioned with the same force. These two tensioning devices, which can be adjusted in the tensioning force, enable simple and quick assembly or exchange of strings 15, 17. By releasing the tensioning device (backward movement of the tensioning and pushing unit 21 against the direction of the arrows shown), possibly tensioned strings 15, 17 are all relaxed at the same time, strings 15, 17 to be clamped in can then be loosely, i.e. relaxed, with brackets H, H 'of the multiple strings 18 are connected (for example via quick-release fasteners, carabiners, etc.) and the tensioning device makes the jamming device ready for use.

FIGS. 16, 17 and 18, 19 schematically show parts of a first and second embodiment of a disturbance device V which works according to the method according to the invention. FIG. 16 shows a top view and FIG. 17 shows a side view along the sectional plane CC of a first embodiment. Form according to Figure 16. Figure 18 shows a plan view and Figure 19 shows a side view along the section plane DD of another embodiment according to Figure 18. The geometries of the jamming device V with its jamming means 17 and the tank system T are matched to one another, so as optimal, ie as possible to achieve volume-filling and homogeneous disturbance. The disturbance device has, as realized disturbance points, disturbance means 8 in the form of nozzles through which crude oil 4 can flow into and out of the tank system T. In the example of a tank system T with a cylindrical geometry and a circular diameter of up to 100 m and a height of up to 20 m, the disruptive means 8 are in checkerboard geometry and are at a constant fault height 9 above the floor 1 of the tank system T, for example at a 50 cm fault height 9 arranged. The fault zone covers the entire base area of the tank system T. With an interference effect of + / - 50 cm, it extends down to the bottom 1 of the tank system T and includes the failure zone 4.2 to be disrupted or prevented.

The interference devices V are implemented and connected to one another for the interference points L designed in the method according to FIGS. 2 to 4 via pipe networks 7 at an adequate interference level 9 above the floor 1 of a tank system T. Via these pipe networks 7, crude oil 4 is fed or discharged into the precipitation zone 4.2, for example via bushings 11 of the pipe networks 7 through the tank system T. The supply and discharge takes place via pumps P, which are connected to certain points of the pipe network. In the embodiment according to FIG. 16, the interference means 8 are connected linearly in a non-branched pipe network 7, in the embodiment according to FIG. 18 the interference means 8 are connected in a branched pipe network 7. Of course, several pipe networks 7 that can be operated independently of one another can also be attached. These can have independent feedthroughs 11 for the supply or removal of crude oil 4, but they can also be operated dependent on such Raw metal 7 can be supplied, for example, only via a feed or discharge. Pipe networks 7 can be at the same interference level 9 or at different interference levels 9 above the floor 1 of the tank system T, they can be at the same signal-to-noise ratio 14 or at different signal-to-noise ratios from one another and from the wall of the tank system T.

Advantageously, the geometry of the jamming devices V is adapted to the geometry of the tank system T in order to achieve an optimal, i.e. to achieve the fullest possible volume and homogeneous supply and removal of crude oil 4 to the level of formation of a failure zone 4.2. The depth of this interference zone around the interference level 9 is referred to as the interference depth, it encompasses the base area of the tank system T. In the first and second embodiment in a tank system T of z-cylindrical shape and circular diameter of up to 100 m and of up to a height of 20 m, a large number of local interference means 8 in the form of openings such as perforated pipe networks or nozzles are at a constant signal-to-noise ratio. They are installed at a constant interference height 9 of, for example, 50 cm above the bottom of the tank system T. The fault zone encompasses the entire base area of the tank system T. With a typical interference effect of +/- 50 cm, it extends down to the bottom 1 of the tank system T and includes the failure zone 4.2 to be disrupted or prevented.

The interfering means 8 of the interfering devices V serve to supply or remove crude oil 4 and are openings such as perforated pipe components or nozzles through which crude oil 4 can flow in or out. In the present embodiment, nozzles are attached through which crude oil is let into the fault zone. In the simplest case, a volume-filling homogeneous disturbance is to be realized through identical disturbance variables of these nozzles. The person skilled in the art then offers several known and proven techniques for making crude oil 4 throughout Let the interference zone flow out evenly from all nozzles. Depending on the height of the crude oil column in the tank system, there is an overpressure of 10, 20 or even 30 atm. In the pipe networks 7, the crude oil 4 to be poured is pumped by pumps P with a sufficiently high pressure to all 76 nozzles in order to be able to develop a full disturbing effect at the end of the pipe networks 7, at the last nozzle in series. Such a sufficient supply of crude oil can be implemented simply and in a controlled manner by using standardized and coordinated nozzles (nozzle cross-section). Advantageously, the nozzles have large opening angles, so that they, for example directed towards the bottom 1 of the tank system T, irradiate it with crude oil 4 over the entire area.

As a rule, the locally poured amount of crude oil is determined by the pressure in the pipe networks 7 and the throughput through the nozzles. For example, the amount of crude oil flowing out of the individual nozzles is so small in relation to the amount of crude oil located in the pipe networks 7 that no significant pressure drop occurs in pipe networks 7 due to the flow of crude oil 4 out of the nozzles. Thus, with the same type of nozzles, equal amounts of crude oil 4 can be poured out.

If this is not quite the case, if a pressure drop occurs, this can be corrected by using nozzles with different throughputs, so that the ratio of the local pressure at the nozzles in pipe networks 7 to the throughput of the nozzles is kept constant. At the inlet of the pipe networks 7, near the bushings 11, where the crude oil 4 has its highest pressure, nozzles with a correspondingly low oil throughput are mounted, while the nozzles at the end of the pipe networks 7 have a relatively large oil throughput. The hydrokinetic disruption of the formation of the precipitation zone 4.2 can also be prevented by a combined removal and supply of crude oil 4 from the interference zone via a plurality of pipe networks 7 as interference devices V. In this case, crude oil 4 would be fed in via pipe networks 7 (for example via nozzles) and at the same time would be discharged via other pipe networks 7 (for example sucked off through openings in these pipe networks 7).

The pipe networks 7 of this first and second embodiment can consist of standardized pipe components which are common in the crude oil processing industry, such as, for example, rigid steel components such as linear extension pieces, elbows made at specific angles, T-pieces, etc., which can be welded to one another and for example can be permanently fixed to the bottom of the tank system T. Such pipe components can have typical circular diameters of 5 to 20 cm; at the positions of the fault points L to be realized, they have openings or connecting means for the assembly of nozzles. Such connecting means can be welding spigots or standard flanges. These pipe networks 7 can be mounted, for example, on fork-shaped stands in the disturbance height 9 and fixed firmly on the bottom 1 of the tank system T.

FIG. 9a schematically shows part of a further embodiment of an interference device V of the method according to the invention. This interfering device V also consists of at least one pipe system 7 permanently installed in the interior of the tank system T, which allows the supply and removal of crude oil 4 via interfering means 8 in the form of openings such as perforated pipe networks or Enables nozzles in the tank system T and thus prevents the formation of a precipitation zone 4.2.

The description of this embodiment of a jamming device V largely coincides with that of the first and second embodiment according to FIGS. 16 to 19. However, the pipe system 7 is now laid spirally from flexible pipe components or armored pressure-resistant hoses, for example made of metal and steel or steel alloys are made. Such hoses can have typical circular diameters of 10 to 20 cm and they can be laid in larger lengths, similar to the way in which the cables are laid, from a reel in accordance with a predefined fault pattern S.

These armored flameproof hoses have the advantage of flexible installation. Such a raw butcher 7, which consists of one or more coupled hoses and can be flexibly installed, which in an exemplary tank system T with a diameter of 100 m is in turn installed at a fixed fault height 9 of 50 or 60 cm according to a fault pattern S in the form of a spiral, therefore no longer requires special manufacture of pipe components such as extension pieces and elbows for the implementation of the individual fault points as fault means 8 and their connection. This laying means that pipe components no longer necessarily have to be connected to one another via flanges, which saves time and material. Only the openings or nozzles have to be attached. This can be done during or after installation by drilling openings, cutting threads and attaching standardized connecting means such as flanges, so that the nozzles can be connected to the pipe network 7. Another advantage of the flexible pipe network 7 is the simplification of the design and calculation of the fault pattern S and the implementation of an effective, highly effective fault zone. Due to the spatial flexibility of the flexible pipe network 8, the shape of the fault pattern S and the shape of the pipe network 8 can now be matched to one another. In contrast to the first and second embodiments, where only the fault points L of the checkerboard-like fault pattern S are realized and connected via rigidly deployable pipe networks 7, the third embodiment now interacts between the conception of the fault pattern S and the laying of a pipe network 7 instead.

With knowledge of the length of the hose which is laid in a spiral and provisional manner in the raw network 7, the number of nozzles required for an effective fault in a spiral-shaped fault pattern S can be calculated virtually on site. In this stage of the method, rough specifications are created, a hose is laid but not fixed, and a specific fault pattern S is calculated for the tank system T. The latter advantageously takes place via table or computer-based expert systems, for example by means of electronic data processing.

With these specifications, both the flexibly installable pipe network 7 and the fault pattern S are now coordinated with one another, the local positions of the hose can now be changed slightly, and the local position, type and size of nozzles can be varied. For example, the hose can no longer have a perfect spiral, but is locally adapted in small fine structures such as waves etc. These adjustments can take place due to any external circumstances, because otherwise local Flows according to fault pattern S would not develop optimally. Such obstacles that are taken into account in this fine-tuning can be, for example, eddies and currents on the walls of the tank system T. It is important that this creates the greatest possible freedom in the design of the fault pattern S itself. The disturbance pattern S no longer needs a predefined shape like the chessboard in the first and second embodiment according to FIGS. 16 to 19, but it optimizes the specifications itself. These specifications are of course freely selectable, so the pipe network is not necessary 7 in the form of a spiral, but this is practical and advantageous.

After this stage of the optimization, the flexibly routable hose is permanently fixed, for example, to the bottom 1 of the tank system T, openings are made in the hose at the calculated and optimized positions of the nozzles, and the nozzles can be opened through such openings and via connecting means such as cut threads or standardized flanges are attached so that the nozzles are connected pressure-tight to the pipe network 7. The same remarks apply to the selection of the nozzles as in the first and second embodiment. The pressure in the raw material 7 and the throughput of the nozzles to be fitted must be matched to one another in such a way that the crude oil 4 to be poured out can be transported to all the nozzles at a sufficiently high pressure and thus also at the end of the pipe network 7, at the last nozzle, a full disturbing effect to unfold.

FIG. 20 schematically shows part of a further embodiment of an interference device V of the method according to the invention. If the construction of stationary defects in the precursor volume with interference devices carried from the bottom of the storage container also appears to be simple in terms of construction, the interference can also be supplied from above, that is to say from the cover of the storage container. The "floating roof", the cover of which has a large number of supports, is suitable for this. During the storage period, lances can be introduced or installed in these supports, through which the interference flow can be introduced into the precursor.

Figure 20 shows a side view of this in section. This jamming device V consists of a plurality of lances 12 which are permanently installed in the floating roof 3 of the tank system T and which allow the supply and removal of crude oil 4 via jamming means 8 in the form of openings such as nozzles on the lancets 12 into the tank system T and thus the training prevent a failure zone 4.2. The feed network with the pumps is not shown here.

In contrast to the first three embodiments according to FIGS. 16 to 19, lances 12 are now attached to bushings 11 in the floating roof 3 of the tank system T, which extend down to a disturbing height 9 in order to flow out crude oil 4 via disturbing means 8 such as nozzles and / or soak up and so to disturb zones. The lances 12 can consist of standardized pipe components which are common in the crude oil processing industry, for example rigid steel components such as linear extension pieces, etc. The fault points L designed in the tank system T, for example according to the fault pattern S according to FIGS. 4 and 6, are now implemented as lances 12 and fault means 8, which are not fixedly mounted on the floor 1 of the tank system T, but rather in the floating roof 3 of the tank system T. . These lances 12 can be connected via a common pipe or hose network laid outside the tank system T for the removal and supply of crude oil 4, but they can also all be individually connected to other petroleum reservoirs for the discharge and supply of crude oil 4. The fault zone encompasses the entire base area of the tank system T. With a typical interference effect of + / - 50 cm, it extends down to the bottom 1 of the tank system T and includes the failure zone 4.2 to be disrupted or prevented. As soon as the floating lid lowers (when removing) or lifts (when refilling), the lancets are set to "disturbance level" again. In this way, you have the opportunity to get to the pre-advances of prevention without having to rebuild, rebuild, etc. a storage container, albeit a little more cumbersome, but still practical for longer storage periods. After the storage container has been emptied, one can then switch to a preventive device of the embodiments discussed above and continue to use the lancets in other containers.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A method for avoiding sedimentation in liquid phases or a thickening of liquid phases or liquid mixtures such as oils, crude oil, refinery products and petrochemical products, which gradually settle predominantly on the bottom of storage containers (T), with sedimentation taking place in such containers before the start of sedimentation Storage containers (T) forms a precursor in the form of a condensing precipitation zone (4.2), from which a thickening formation is initiated and successively changes into sedimentation and / or thickening, which precursor is impaired by the introduction of a disturbance, whereby the sedimentation tion and / or thickening suppressed until prevented.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that a pulse in the form of an excitation is introduced in the area of the precursor by means of mechanical means.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flow of the depletion zone (4.2) is conceived by a global disturbance pattern (S) with a large number of local disturbance points (L), that the disturbance pattern S as a whole of Disturbance points (L) are converted into disturbance zones to fill the volume, into which the flow is introduced via disturbance devices (V) with disturbance means (8, 12) into the disturbance zones in the storage container (T).

4. The method according to Anspmch 3, characterized in that interference zones at interference levels (9,10,13) above the bottom of a tank system (T) are determined, that one or more interference zones above the base area of the tank system (T) are determined that Interference zones, an interference depth is determined and that the volume of the interference zones formed by the base area and interference depths is created such that they enclose the failure zone (4.2).

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the formation of the precipitation zone (4.2) takes place by mechanical action of the mixtures, and that means which can be excited to vibrate are arranged as interference means (8, 12) in interference zones.

6. Device for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by a plurality of vibratable means (8) arranged in a predetermined fault zone pattern and individually or with one another excitable by means of the vibrating means (5,6) are.

7. Apparatus according to Anspmch 6, characterized in that excitation elements (5) via tension and thrust units (6) are excited in jamming devices (V), that the strings vibrate in general and partial vibrations and the components of the mixtures depending on Deflect the magnitude of the amplitude of these sound waves.

Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the strings are attached tensioned at a constant signal-to-noise ratio, so that they are excited to vibrate in the middle of their elongated extent by means of excitation elements (5) of the tension and push units (6) -Excitation elements (5) in the form of thorns or beaters which are attached to the pulling and pushing units (6) and that strings which are in the idle state or slightly vibrating strings by moving the plucking and striking elements back and forth (5) be stimulated.

9. Device according to Anspmch 6, characterized in that for disturbing the formation of the failure zone (4.2) in disturbance zones vibratable bell-shaped membrane are arranged as disturbing means (12), which by means of excitation elements (5) via pulling and pushing units (6 ) are excited in interfering devices (V), as a result of which the bell-shaped membrane vibrates in fundamental and partial oscillations and deflects the components of the mixtures depending on the size of the amplitude of these sound waves.

10. The device according to Anspmch 9, characterized in that the bell-shaped membrane is excited to vibrate via hammer elements (14) of the pull and shoe units (6), with hammer elements (14) in the form of small hammers which act on the train and thrust units (6) are rigidly attached, so that bell-shaped diaphragms which are at rest or slightly vibrating are excited to vibrate by moving the hammer elements (14) and hammers back and forth by means of the hammer elements (14) on the bell-shaped membrane .

11. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the bell-shaped membrane is excited to vibrate via hammer elements (14) of the tension and shoe units (6), with hammer elements (14) in the form of elastic connections in or on bell-shaped

Membrane attached clapper to pulling and pushing units (6), so that bell-shaped membrane which is in the idle state or is slightly oscillating by moving the hammer elements (14) back and forth by means of hammer elements (14) on the bell-shaped membrane for swinging be stimulated.

12. Device according to one of claims 6 to 11, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that pull and push units (6) with rigid or movable members are arranged in several planes to each other that they are fixed on the floor (1) of the tank system ( T) are mounted and that their rigid or movable members can be guided outside through bushings (11) on the wall (2) or in the floating roof (3) so that fluid-operated drives located outside the tank system (T) to be driven.

13. The device according to Anspmch 12, characterized in that spatially flexible pull and push unit (7) are used with movable members made of metal such as steel, steel alloys, bronze or made

Plastic or made of metallized plastic, and which are laid in greater lengths of roll in accordance with a predetermined fault pattern (S).

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a flow in the form of an excitation is introduced in the area of the precursor by means of hydrodynamic means.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the flow of the formation of the failure zone (4.2) is designed by a global fault pattern (S) with a large number of local fault points (L), that the fault pattern S as a whole of fault points (L) volume-converting into fault zones, into which the flow over fault devices

(V) with interference means (8, 12) is introduced into the interference zones in the storage container (T).

16. The method according to Anspmch 15, characterized in that fault zones are determined at fault heights (9, 10, 13) above the bottom of a tank system (T), that one or more fault zones above the base area of the tank system (T) are determined by Interference zones a interference depth is determined and that the volume of the interference zones formed by the base area and interference depths is created in such a way that they include the failure zone (4.2).

17. The method according to Anspmch 15 or 16, characterized in that the flow of the precipitation zone (4.2) is formed by hydrokinetic supply of crude oil (4) into the fault zone via pipe networks (7), and that in the fault zones, current-carrying agents are used as Interference means (V) are arranged.

18. Device for carrying out the method according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized by a plurality of liquid-releasing means (8) arranged in a predetermined fault zone pattern and connected to one another by liquid-conducting means (7).

19. The device according to Anspmch 18, characterized in that the formation of a precipitation zone (4.2) is prevented hydrokinetically, by supplying or removing crude oil (4) into or from the fault zone via pipe networks (7) as fault devices (V).

20. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that the formation of a precipitation zone (4.2) is hydrokinetic, through a combined removal and supply of crude oil (4) from and into the fault zone via nozzles and pipe networks (7) in fault devices (V). is prevented.

21. Device according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that pipe networks (7) are built from standardized rigid pipe components, that these rigid pipe components can be connected to one another via connecting means such as flanges and that openings or nozzles via connecting means with rigid tubular components can be connected.

22. Device according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that pipe networks (7) are constructed from standardized flexible pipe components, that these flexible pipe components can be connected to one another via connecting means such as flanges and that openings or nozzles can be connected to flexible pipe components via connecting means.

23. The device according to Anspmch 22, characterized in that the flexible pipe components as armored pressure-resistant hoses are laid flexibly, so to speak, on a roll, which are permanently fixed on the floor (1) of the tank system (T) after the nozzles have been attached.

24. The device according to one of claims 19 or 20, characterized in that the supply or removal of crude oil (4) into and from the fault zone takes place via nozzles, that nozzles with standardized, different throughputs of fault means are attached that the nozzles correct a drop in the amount of interference in pipe networks (7) via these different throughputs of interference.

25. Device according to Anspmch 24, characterized in that the ratio of the local through nozzles with different throughputs

Dmck at the nozzles in pipe networks (7) for the throughput of the nozzles is kept constant.

26. Device according to one of claims 18 to 20 and 24 to 25, characterized in that the flow-causing means are guided from the cover of the storage container into the precipitation zone.

27. The device according to Anspmch 26, characterized in that the interference means are lancets which are arranged in supports in a floating roof or can be guided through a fixed roof.