FR3080342A1 - AREA FOR CLEANING VEHICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle cleaning area for segregating cleaning rejects, including discharges resulting from chemical treatment and discharges resulting from a conventional washing. In addition to segregating wastewater from chemical treatment (EUC) and sewage wastewater (EUG) from washing, sludge from washing is also segregated from EUCs using an automatic clearing system.

Description

VEHICLE CLEANING AREA

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates generally to cleaning areas for vehicles such as trains, in particular cleaning areas ensuring the collection and segregation of cleaning waste.

PRIOR STATE OF THE ART

Trains must be regularly cleaned to ensure their cleanliness and proper functioning. As part of their cleaning, the trainsets must be washed, in particular at the level of the bogies and underbody. They must also be rid of their graffiti, in particular graffiti made with spray paint on the walls of the trains. Cleaning takes place in dedicated cleaning areas, and often includes washing and chemical treatment steps.

The washing of the bogies and the rocker panels is done with a high pressure washer and at a high temperature (around 60 ° C). The washing waste water (called EUL) from this operation includes, on the one hand, fatty waste water (called EUG) composed essentially of water, mechanical grease, etc., in other words of rather fluid and light parts , and on the other hand, sludge composed of waste, pebbles and agglomerates of earth, sludge and mechanical grease, etc., in other words of rather solid and heavy parts. When the train has struck an animal, the sludge may also contain organic elements.

The EULs all fall into the cleaning pit of the cleaning area, from where the EUGs are evacuated by an evacuation network. After passing through a sludge trap and hydrocarbon tank, they can be discharged into the sewers.

Since the sludge cannot be evacuated by the evacuation network, it is generally cleared manually using shovels and then evacuated in barrels.

This handling operation is often painful for cleaning technicians and very time-consuming. Worse, it immobilizes the cleaning area because it cannot be carried out when a train is parked on the cleaning area.

If the sludge is not evacuated regularly, part of the sludge passes through the gutters and drains, clogging them progressively. This accumulation of sludge may render the cleaning area non-functional and requires additional maintenance operations.

The chemical treatment is carried out in two stages. First, an anti graffiti solution, aimed at dissolving the paint, is sprayed or applied to the broom on the wall of the train set. Then, the wall is rinsed with plenty of water to get rid of the paint made viscous under the effect of the anti graffiti solution. This treatment generates chemical treatment wastewater (called EUC), including water, chemicals, and paint in dissolved or lump form. The EUC cannot in any case be evacuated by sewers and must undergo a specific industrial treatment.

In traditional cleaning areas, a technician uses a recovery tank on casters, equipped with a plate that comes to rest on the wall of the train and collects runoff water when applying the anti-graffiti solution and rinse. This container filled with EUC is then emptied regularly into a retention tarpaulin. This procedure is particularly restrictive because it requires regular emptying of the recovery tank, and only authorizes section-by-section treatments, of length equivalent to the length of the recovery tank.

In some more recent cleaning areas, the wastes from washing and chemical treatment are confused, i.e. the EUL (with EUG) and the EUC fall into the same cleaning pit. The cost of reprocessing EUCs is high, and it is therefore preferable not to artificially increase the volume to be reprocessed. Thus, the cleaning steps are carried out separately, for example, first washing and then chemical treatment. The evacuation network allows segregation of wastewater, in particular washing EUGs and EUCs, by sets of valves allowing the selection of evacuation routes during cleaning.

However, sludge removal remains manual and problematic. The sludge that is not removed with each wash not only risks rendering the cleaning area non-functional, but is also saturated with toxic residues such as chemicals and pieces of paint. The sludge thus contaminated must then itself undergo subsequent industrial reprocessing.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is therefore to remedy the aforementioned needs and drawbacks by providing a vehicle cleaning area, in particular for washing and chemical treatment of a vehicle, the area comprising a cleaning pit on several levels. to receive waste water from chemical treatment, or EUC, and waste water from washing, or EUL, which EUL contain fatty waste water (EUG) and sludge, and a drainage network capable of evacuating the EUC and the EUGs in a segregated manner, the evacuation network comprising a mud pit communicating with the cleaning pit as well as a mobile system adapted to selectively open or block access to the mud pit, as well as a clearing system automatic to evacuate the sludge from the cleaning pit to the sludge pit, the evacuation network being able to evacuate the EUCs and the sludges in a segregated manner so that they do not m not tangent.

Preferably, the mud pit is attached to one end of the cleaning pit in the direction of its length, and the bottom of the mud pit is lower than the bottom of the central channel of the cleaning pit.

Advantageously, the evacuation network comprises an EUC evacuation point in the cleaning tank, and an EUG evacuation point in the sludge tank.

Preferably, the mobile system is in the form of a flap, adapted to pivot on a hinge at its lower part, which can take a first substantially vertical position where access to the mud pit is blocked and the EUC evacuation point is open, and a second substantially horizontal position where access to the sludge tank is open and the EUC discharge point is closed.

More preferably, the cleaning pit comprises, going from top to bottom, a quay level, a lateral pit level, a central pit level, and a central channel level, the central channel being located at the bottom, and being sloping.

Preferably, gratings are provided at the bottom of the central pit and on the central gutter, and that drains are provided in the vertical wall of the central pit.

More preferably, the automatic clearing system comprises a trolley equipped with a front shovel, the clearing system being located in the central channel, and being adapted to move the sludge towards the sludge pit.

Advantageously, the area includes an Archimedes screw connecting the mud pit to a mud bucket to move the mud from the mud pit to the mud bucket.

The object of the present invention also provides a method of cleaning a vehicle located on a cleaning area described above, said method comprising the steps of: washing the vehicle, removing EUG from the cleaning pit, moving the sludge from the cleaning pit automatically, then chemical treatment of the vehicle, and evacuation of EUC from the cleaning pit.

Preferably, the chemical treatment is a chemical treatment to remove graffiti.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- Figures IA and IB show a cross-sectional view and a longitudinal sectional view of a vehicle cleaning area, according to a first embodiment of the invention, during a chemical treatment;

- Figures 2A to 2D show cross-sectional views and longitudinal sectional views of the same cleaning area, according to a first embodiment of the invention, during the washing step;

- Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a cleaning area, according to a variant of the first embodiment of the invention.

In all these figures, identical references can designate identical or similar elements. In addition, the different parts shown in the figures are not necessarily shown on a uniform scale, in order to make the figures more legible.

DETAILED PRESENTATION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

The vehicle cleaning area will now be described according to an embodiment of the preferred invention, in the case where the vehicle is a train. The cleaning may include a washing operation and a chemical treatment operation, for example a chemical treatment intended to rid the train of graffiti.

Figures IA and IB show a cleaning area 100 for a train (not shown). The cleaning area 100 comprises a cleaning pit 50, distributed over four levels, namely from top to bottom: the level of the quay 10, the side pit level 20, the central pit level 30 and the central channel level 40. The widths of the different levels decrease downwards, in a tiered manner on each side.

The lateral pit 20 is delimited, in the vertical direction, by the platform 10 and the bottom of the lateral pit 21, the central pit 30 by the bottom 21 of the lateral pit 20 and the bottom 31 of the central pit 30, and the central channel 40 through the bottom 31 of the central pit 30 and the bottom 41 of the central channel. The lateral pit 20, the central pit 30 and the central channel 40 are delimited, in the horizontal direction, by their left and right vertical walls, respectively.

The cleaning pit 50 is constructed mainly of concrete. The metal rails 22 on which a train can run to be parked in the cleaning area are fixed on studs 23 which rise from the bottom 21 of the side pit 20 to about the height of the platform level 10. Ideally, the train wheels will be at platform 10 and the train bogies will be clearly visible from platform 10, unlike the station, to facilitate cleaning.

About 200m long to accommodate a complete train, the cleaning pit 50 is designed to allow a cleaning technician to walk along platform 10, the bottom 21 of the side pit 20 and the bottom 31 of the central pit 30. In addition, the bottom portion 31 of the central pit 30 below the central channel 40 is in grating 37 to allow a technician to walk on it and, to evacuate waste water (including sludge) towards the central channel 40. The depth can be approximately 2m between the level of platform 10 and the bottom 31 of the central pit 30 to allow a technician to walk under the train, facilitating cleaning by hand, for example washing using a pressure lance. Preferably, the cleaning area 100 forms a shelter similar to a tunnel.

Nozzles 25 are arranged at the corners of the lateral pit 20, that is to say between its bottom 21 and its vertical walls. The nozzles 25 are distributed along the length of the cleaning pit 50, and are supplied with high pressure and high temperature water by ramps 24 extending along the cleaning pit. These nozzles 25 can be activated to rinse the cleaning pit 50.

Drains 38 comprising holes wider than those of the gratings are distributed along the vertical wall of the central pit 30. These drains 38 lead through passages 43 to the central channel 40. These drains 38 are also intended to receive the wastewater , including material too large to pass through the gratings 37. The drains 38 are located on the vertical wall to prevent a technician from slipping his foot by accident.

The cleaning pit 50 is designed to receive cleaning discharges, such as chemical treatment waste water (EUC) and washing waste water (EUL). EULs include fatty wastewater (EUG) and sludge. At the same time, the evacuation network 55 of the cleaning area 100 is adapted to evacuate these cleaning discharges.

The platform 10, the bottom 21 of the lateral pit 20 as well as the bottom 31 of the central pit 30 are flat or slightly inclined towards the central channel 40. In this arrangement, the waters can flow more easily from the upper levels towards the channel central. However, the central channel 40 itself slopes slightly from a first end 51 to a second end 52 of the cleaning pit 50 (in the direction of its length). An EUC discharge point 46 is provided at the second end 52, where the central channel 40 is the lowest, and preferably a grid 47 is provided above.

At the second end 52 of the cleaning tank 50 there is also a sludge tank 60. It is directly adjacent to the cleaning tank 60 and located even lower than the lowest part of the central channel 40. The cleaning tank 50 communicates with the mud pit 60 via a mobile system 54. This mobile system 54 can be activated to allow or block access 44 to the mud pit 60. The mobile system 54 can for example be a flap 54 pivoting at its lower part on a horizontal hinge.

When the flap 54 is in a first position, access 44 to the mud pit 60 is blocked. Figure IB illustrates this configuration. In a second position, illustrated in FIG. 2B, the access 44 is open.

The flap 54 is substantially vertical in the first position, and substantially horizontal by extending further into the cleaning pit 50, in the second position. In this preferred embodiment, the EUC 46 discharge point is closed by the flap, when the latter is in the second position.

An automatic clearing system 48 is also provided for clearing the sludge accumulated in the central channel 40 towards the second end 52 of the cleaning pit 50. This system comprises a carriage 48 on wheels with a front shovel, capable of moving along of the central channel 40. The front shovel has substantially the dimensions of the section of the central channel 40 and is designed to scrape the bottom 41 of the latter. The bottom 41 of the central channel 40 is preferably flat in the direction of its width to ensure good contact with the edge of the shovel, thus allowing all the sludge to be removed.

When the clearing system is activated, the carriage 48 advances and pushes all the sludge towards the second end 52 of the cleaning pit 50, as far as in the mud pit 60. The carriage 48 is ideally self-propelled. To assist in guiding the carriage 48 and in maintaining its trajectory in the central channel 40, rollers on springs can be provided.

The mud pit 60 is equipped with an Archimedes screw 65 to extract the sludge to a bucket 72. When the Archimedes screw 65 is rotated, it can transfer the sludge accumulated in the mud pit 60 to a bucket 72 which will transport them to the recycling center. A point of evacuation of the EUG 66 is provided at the bottom 61 of the mud pit 60, for evacuating the EUG. A grid 67 above the discharge point prevents sludge from entering the discharge point EUG 66. This Archimedean screw 65 can be rotated as frequently as necessary, so as to prevent the point of EUG 66 evacuation is not blocked.

It goes without saying that the EUC evacuation point 46, the sludge pit 60, the mobile system 54, the EUG evacuation point 66 and the automatic clearing system 48, among others, are part of the evacuation 55 from cleaning area 100.

We will describe below a method of cleaning a train on a cleaning area 100 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

The train to be cleaned is led to the cleaning area 100 by rolling on the rails 22 until it is properly positioned above the cleaning pit 50. It will be assumed that the trains of the train have tagged walls by spray paint graffiti and that its bogies are clogged with mud, stones, agglomerates, mechanical grease, etc.

Figures IA and IB illustrate the cleaning area 100 during the chemical treatment step. Before the chemical treatment begins, the cleaning area 100 is put into the chemical treatment configuration, in particular the mobile system 54 which gives access to the sludge pit 60 is placed in the first position where the access 44 to the mud pit 60 is condemned and the EUC 46 evacuation point is open. Figure IB illustrates this configuration. Note that there is no sludge in the cleaning pit 50.

As described before, a chemical, such as an anti-graffiti solution intended to dissolve the paint, is sprayed or applied to the broom on the wall of the train. In a second step, the wall is rinsed with plenty of water in order to get rid of the graffiti paint that has become viscous.

Releases from this treatment fall into the cleaning pit 50. These releases, or EUC, include water, chemicals, and paint in dissolved form and in small pieces. The EUC flow naturally by gravity, through the gratings 37, up to the central gutter 40, and towards the evacuation point of EUC 46. It can be seen that access 44 to the mud pit 60 is condemned in this configuration. The EUC 46 evacuation point being open, the EUCs therefore enter this EUC 46 evacuation point and are routed to a retention sheet 74 adapted to store the chemical substances, while waiting to be collected and reprocessed. To facilitate the evacuation of the EUCs, the nozzles 25 can be activated.

Figures 2A-2D illustrate the cleaning area 100 during the washing step. Before washing begins, the cleaning area 50 is put into the washing configuration, in particular the mobile system 54 which gives access to the mud pit 60 is positioned in the second position: the access 44 to the mud pit 60 is open and the EUC 46 discharge point is closed. As the access 44 to the mud pit 60 is open, the evacuation point EUG 66 in the mud pit 60 is also opened. Figure 2B illustrates this configuration.

As described above, the washing of the bogies and the rocker panels is done with a high pressure washer and at a high temperature of around 60 ° C. The rejects from this washing fall into the cleaning pit 50. These rejects, which are the EUL, consist of EUG and sludge. EUGs include water, mechanical grease, earth, etc., while sludge includes wastes, stones and agglomerates generally composed of earth, sludge and mechanical grease, etc. The sludge can also include organic elements.

The EUG flow naturally by gravity, through the gratings 37, to the central channel 40, and towards the evacuation point EUG 66 in the mud pit 60. The evacuation point EUG 66 being open, the EUG Therefore enter this evacuation point EUG 66 and are conveyed to a sludge trap and a tank of hydrocarbon 76. However, the sludge, being rather of solid and heavy form, is not evacuated with the EUG. They remain retained by the gratings 37, especially large materials, smaller materials falling on the other hand into the central channel 40.

The sludge retained by the gratings 37 can then be pushed into the drains 38, then, via the passages 43, to the central channel 40 by a technician provided with a pressure lance. Alternatively, or cumulatively, the nozzles 25 can be activated to do this.

FIG. 2C illustrates the activated nozzles 25: the water jets coming from the nozzles 25 push the materials of the sludge remaining on the grating 37 into the drains 38 and rinse the cleaning pit 50. All the EUGs having flowed towards the point evacuation, only the sludge remains in the cleaning pit 50, in particular in the central channel 40.

Figure 2D illustrates the automatic clearing of sludge. The automatic clearing system 48 is triggered, on command of a technician, and the carriage 48 with its front shovel is activated. Beginning at the first end 51 of the cleaning pit 50, that is to say from the highest part of the bottom 41 of the central channel 40, the carriage 48 advances below the gratings 37, the shovel scraping the bottom 41 of the gutter. The sludge which has accumulated in the central channel 40 is pushed along the latter to the second end 52 of the cleaning pit 50, slide on the flap 54 and fall into the mud pit 60. To complete the evacuation of the sludge, the nozzles 25 can be activated.

It can be seen that the EUCs and all the EULs are discharged in a segregated manner by the evacuation network 55. In fact, the sludge is no longer contaminated by the EUCs. Furthermore, the cleaning area 100 was not immobilized during the evacuation of the sludge from the central channel 40, which can be done even when a train is driven or parked therein.

Of course, these cleaning steps do not necessarily have to be carried out in the order indicated. In other words, the chemical treatment can be carried out after washing, or else only the washing or the chemical treatment can be carried out. It is therefore understood that a second vehicle can follow the first for a chemical treatment or washing step only. For example, the washing of two trains can be chained, then the sludge from the two trains discharged at the same time, before starting the chemical treatment. This will be obvious to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the invention. The main thing is that the two types of water or waste are not mixed.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cleaning area according to a variant of the first embodiment of the invention. The vehicle cleaning area 100 is essentially the same as that described above, but the drainage network here comprises additional drainage points 26 on the lateral pit 20. More specifically, gutters 26 are provided on both sides of the lateral pit 20. These lateral gutters 26 have the function of rapidly evacuating the water in the cleaning pit 50.

The gratings 27 above the lateral gutters 26, like that above the central gutter 40, allow the technician to walk on it, while guaranteeing the flow of wastewater. These lateral channels 26 can be connected to sets of three-way valves allowing the selection of the evacuation channels to a sludge trap and a hydrocarbon tank 76 or a retention tarpaulin 74. In yet another variant, these lateral channels 26 can lead directly into the central channel 40.

The invention is particularly advantageous in the sense that it provides a single area for cleaning, by at least washing and chemical treatment, of a vehicle without having to move it.

The 48 automatic mucking system for evacuating sludge is practical and much faster than traditional manual mucking. In addition, as the sludge clearing is automatic, there is less risk of exposure to toxic residues and chemicals. Finally, the cost to treat EUC is lower because the quantities of EUC released are less. The sludge is not contaminated with toxic residues and therefore does not require further industrial treatment.

Of course, this invention can be applied to other vehicles other than trains, for example buses or cars. In addition, other forms of chemical treatment than that described above for erasing graffiti can be considered.

The chemical treatment step and / or washing can be automatic. More specifically, the cleaning area 100 can be automated, with steps of chemical treatment, rinsing, evacuation of the EUC, washing, evacuation of the EUG, and evacuation of sludge produced with little or no d human intervention. In this case, the gratings 27, 37, the vertical drains 38 and their passages 43 can be dispensed with, the sludge then falling directly into the central channel 40.

The mobile system 54 for the sludge pit 60 can take other forms than that indicated. For example, it may consist of a flap pivoting around a vertical hinge, or of a flap capable of translation along a guide, which can take a first position where access 44 to the sludge pit 60 is locked and a second position where the access 44 is open. The EUG 66 discharge point access can be closed by a dedicated valve independently of the flap 54.

In addition, pipes or layers of chemical resistant material, for example polypropylene, can be used.

Finally, the clearing of sludge can be carried out by a different system. For example, the carriage 48 may comprise a gear wheel system, driven by a motor, which cooperates with racks for moving, or else a gypsy, driven by a motor which cooperates with a chain fixed in the cleaning area. Instead of a self-propelled cart, a shovel pulled by chains may still be suitable.

Claims (10)

1. Vehicle cleaning area (100), in particular for washing and chemical treatment of a vehicle, the area comprising a cleaning pit (50) on several levels (10, 20, 30, 40) for receiving waste water from chemical treatment, or EUC, and waste water from washing, or EUL, which EUL contains fatty waste water (EUG) and sludge, and a discharge network (55) capable of discharging the EUC and the EUG in a segregated manner, characterized in that the evacuation network (55) comprises a mud pit (60) communicating with the cleaning pit (50) as well as a mobile system (54) adapted_to selectively open or lock the 'access (44) to the mud pit (60), as well as an automatic clearing system (48) to evacuate the sludge from the cleaning pit (50) to the mud pit (60), the network of evacuation (55) being able to evacuate the EUC and the sludge in a segregated manner so that they do not mix. 2. Cleaning area according to claim 1, characterized in that the mud pit (60) is attached to one end (52) of the cleaning pit (50) in the direction of its length, and the bottom (61) of the mud pit (60) is lower than the bottom (41) of the central channel (40) of the cleaning pit (50). 3. Cleaning area according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the evacuation network (55) comprises an EUC evacuation point (46) in the cleaning pit (50), and an EUG evacuation point (66) in the mud pit (60). 4. Cleaning area according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile system (54) is in the form of a flap (54), adapted to pivot on a hinge at its lower part, which can take a first substantially vertical position where the access (44) to the mud pit (60) is closed off and the EUC evacuation point (46) is open, and a second substantially horizontal position where the access (44) to the mud pit sludge (60) is open and the EUC discharge point (46) is closed. 5. Cleaning area according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning pit (50) comprises, going from top to bottom, a platform level (10) _; a lateral pit level (20), a central pit level (30), and a central channel level (40), the central channel (40) being located at the bottom, and being sloping. 6. Cleaning area according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that gratings (37) are provided at the bottom (31) of the central pit (30) and on the central gutter (40), and that ruts (38) are provided in the vertical wall of the central pit (30). 7. Cleaning area according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the automatic clearing system (48) comprises a carriage equipped with a front shovel, the clearing system being located in the central channel (40), and being adapted to move the sludge towards the sludge ditch (60). 8. Cleaning area according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the area comprises an Archimedes screw (65) connecting the mud pit (60) to a mud bucket (72) for moving the mud from the mud pit (60) to the mud bucket (72). 9. A method of cleaning a vehicle located on a cleaning area (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, said method comprising the steps of: washing the vehicle, evacuating the EUG from the cleaning pit (50), moving the sludge from the cleaning pit (50) automatically, then chemical treatment of the vehicle, and evacuating the EUC from the cleaning pit (50). 10. A cleaning method according to claim 9, characterized in that the chemical treatment is a chemical treatment to remove graffiti.