GB1004760A - Combined tanker service unit - Google Patents

Abstract

1,004,760. Cleaning tanks. ALGONQUIN SHIPPING & TRADING Ltd. May 23, 1963 [March 30, 1963], No. 20621/63. Heading A4F. [Also in Divisions A5 and B7] A service unit 5 for installation within fluid-containing tanks comprises a vertically disposed tubular structure, said structure having heating sections 8, 9, 10 and diffusion sections 11, said diffusion sections having nozzles 32 for the ejection of a cleaning fluid; means to supply a heating medium to said heating sections, means 31 ,to exhaust condensate from said heating sections and means for supplying cleaning fluid to said diffusion sections. As shown, steam supply lines 39 are provided with branch lines 40 leading to connections (Figs. 3, 5 or 11 or 12, not shown) at each of the service units 5. The steam flows into upper section 8 and then flows successively through heating sections 9 and 10 via connecting pipes 30 (Fig. 5, not shown). Condensate is exhausted from the bottom of the unit via exhaust pipe 31. For tank cleaning valve 38 is opened allowing seawater under pressure from mains 35 to pass through connection 16 down into the upper diffusion section and thence through pipes 27 into lower diffusion sections. This pressure water passes through nozzles 32 which are located in large numbers in both side walls 28 and conical end wall 29, said nozzles being adjustable in a plane at 90 'degrees to the axis of the structure (Fig. 14, not shown). The uppermost of any adjacent pair of diffusion sections being provided with a greater number of nozzles than the diffuser section immediately below. A steam connection 41 is fitted at all connections 16 for the purpose of supplying . fire smothering steam to the unit. The heating sections each have open-ended pipes 33 passing through them, the pipes 33 being alternatively set at right angles to each other (Fig. 6, not shown). Fluid contained in the tank thus being allowed to flow through the heating sections as well as over the fins (Fig. 3, not shown) attached to the outside surface of said heating sections. The lower end of the tubular structure is provided with a spigot 20 supported by angle pieces, said spigot being received by a sleeve (Fig. 13, not shown).