FR2608076A1 - Practical unit for cleaning railway carriages, containers, tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

The unit, mounted on a platform 25, comprises an electricity generating set 7, a treatment unit 8 comprising a boiler and a high-pressure pump, detergent receptacles 16, a clean water vessel 1 and vessels for waste water and tank sludge 3, 4, a pump for feeding the treatment unit 17; pumps 18, 19 for drawing off waste water and tank sludge and pipes for bringing hot water at pressure to the site and for drawing off waste water and tank sludge, the whole unit being remote controlled from the treatment site and avoiding pollution of the treatment site.

Description

The present application relates to a functional assembly for cleaning wagons, containers, tanks while preserving the environment and mounted on a tray.

While waiting for their reuse after being unloaded, the wagons and containers are stored on solid tracks or land located far from any source of energy or water, so that to clean them on site, it is necessary to bring tanks water and treatment devices on independent trucks. During the treatment, the cleaning water falls on the ground and flows there, polluting the environment. This is aggravated when it comes to cleaning the bottom of tank cars or containers that have contained oils or toxic products.

The object of the present invention is to provide a functional assembly which allows such treatments to be carried out without rejecting waste and cleaning water on site.

To this end, according to the invention, the functional assembly mounted on a tray comprises
- A generator,
- A clean water tank,
- A pump to supply a treatment group,
- A pressurized water buffer container,
- A treatment group including
* a boiler,
* a high pressure pump,
- At least one container of detergent,
- High pressure piping for treatment with
its reel,
- A detergent selection valve
- An air compressor,
- A pipe and its reel for the suction of
sewage and tank bottoms,
- A tank bottom suction pump,
- A tank for receiving tank funds,
- A wastewater suction pump,
- A waste water reception tank,
- A control unit.

For the reception of washing water from the containers, a device is also provided which can adapt to the end of the containers and hang on to the washing members which are provided there, the edge of the tank touching the container being slightly withdrawal from it so as to receive an inflatable hose allowing a perfect seal and thus avoiding the passage to the ground of the used cleaning water. For this purpose, we will have along the suction pipe a pipe connected to the compressor and that we can either connect to the hose in question, or on a blowing nozzle to perform other cleaning or drying after cleaning .

The adjustable treatment nozzle located at the end of the treatment piping will adjust the force of the jet at the outlet. An important feature of the system is to allow the remote control of the treatment unit by placing at the end of the treatment piping a box allowing to choose the type of detergent, to control the treatment group, the suction pumps, the winders and the shutdown of the generator set, the start-up of which will be made from the platform from the control unit for safety reasons. For the choice of detergent, a multi-way valve is provided where the various detergents stored in their containers terminate, the outlet pipe of this valve terminating in a Venture-type suction member placed on the high pressure piping.

Finally, if necessary, the tray can be placed directly on a truck or placed on axles, one of which will be steerable and fitted with traction hooks.

The invention will be better understood using the accompanying drawings or
- Figure 1 gives a diagram of the installation,
- Figure 2 mounts the installation on a container of the
waste water recovery,
- Figure 3 gives a section of the water recovery tank
worn.

In Figure 1 there is shown schematically one of the possibilities of installation on a plate 25 of the processing assembly. This latter essentially comprises a generator 7 supplied by a fuel tank 14 and started from the control unit 11 and a treatment group 8 comprising a high pressure pump supplied with water by a boiler heated by fuel, the assembly being remotely controlled from the end of the treatment piping as indicated above. The supply of clean water is done from a clean water tank I by a pump 17 and a buffer tank 2 of water under a pressure of approximately 2 bar. The treatment piping is placed under a reel 12 whose unwinding is manual but whose rewinding will be carried out using a motor not shown and also remote controlled. A pressure gauge 5 will make it possible to control the water pressure in the buffer tank 2, and a regulating valve 6 will limit the pressure in this tank by discharging pressurized water into tank 1 if the water under cleaning pressure is not used, from the spray nozzle located at the end of the processing piping.

The supply of detergents will be done from one of the containers 16 as desired from a remote-controlled multiple valve 10 and from a Venturi located on the high-pressure treatment pipe and connected to the valve.

The pumping of waste water or tank bottom waste will be done by a pipe 22 by a pump 19 to the waste water tank 3, or by a pump 18 to the waste tank 4, the two pumps being remotely controlled by the operator. A winding 13 makes it possible to wind this pipe 22 at the same time as a compressed air pipe leaving the end of the treatment pipe and provided at its end with a valve and an adjustment.

The remote-controlled orders will be received by a box 20 in relation to the control box 16.

The end of the suction pipe 22 may, for cleaning the containers, be connected to a tank 23 for receiving the cleaning water shown in section 3 and whose attachment to the end of the containers is shown in perspective Figure 2 Between the lower edge of the container and the edge of the tank 23 has been reserved a space in which is placed, on the side of the tank 23, an inflatable hose 24 so as to achieve a perfect seal with respect to the cleaning waste water. Two grids 26 and 27 are placed so as to avoid the penetration of solid bodies into the tank 23 and into the suction pipe 22. At rest, the tank 23 will be hung on the side of the tray 25.

To complete the installation, a fire extinguisher 15 and a ladder 21 are provided, fixed on the plate.

The advantages of this set are multiple: It can be controlled by a single person who, after starting the generator can control the treatment point, up to 60 m. from the tray, all operations from changing the detergent to choosing the recovery tank. The treatment piping does not need to be emptied since the detergent can be admitted or stopped from the treatment point. We can also save fuel since the boiler will be shut down from the treatment point, as well as detergents. Finally, any pollution on site will be avoided and, if necessary, the treatment of residues can be done directly in tanks 3, 4 or as soon as they exit by the drain valves in continuous treatment devices.

Finally, the remote-controlled winding of the treatment and suction and compressed air pipes also corresponds to an appreciable time saving.

Claims (2)

CLAIMS Functional assembly for cleaning wagons, containers, tanks, preserving the environment, mounted on a tray, characterized in that it comprises - A generator (7) - A clean water tank (1) - A pump for the supply of a treatment group (17) - A pressurized water buffer container (2) - A treatment group comprising: (8) * a boiler, * a high pressure pump - At least one detergent container (16). - High-pressure piping for treatment with its reel (12) - A detergent selection valve (10) - An air compressor (9) - A pipe and its reel for the suction of wastewater and bottoms tank (22) - A tank bottom suction pump (18) - A tank bottom receiving tank (4) - A waste water suction pump (19) - A waste water receiving tank (3) - A control unit (11) Assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that the treatment piping is provided at its end with a nozzle, known per se, and with a remote control member allowing the choice of '' a suitable detergent, adjusting the pressure, starting and stopping the treatment unit (8) and the pumps (17 to 19), stopping the generator set and controlling the reels. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, for the recovery of container washing water, it further comprises a tank (23) provided with a filter (26 and 27) which is can place at the end of the suction pipe (22) and hang on the base of the containers to be cleaned, the seal between said tank and the base of the container being ensured by an inflatable hose so as to avoid any leakage of waste water to the outside. 4. Assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized  in that the suction pipe is lined with an air line  compressed. 5. Assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in  that the plate (25) is arranged to receive axles, one of which at  less is steerable and provided with means for connection to a tractor,  known manner.