OA10409A

OA10409A - Bitumen container

Info

Publication number: OA10409A
Application number: OA60983A
Authority: OA
Inventors: Peter Lehmann; Jacques Grisoni
Original assignee: Henred Fruehauf Trailers Propr; Cont-Asphalt Ltd
Priority date: 1996-03-25
Filing date: 1997-03-24
Publication date: 2001-12-06

Description

010409

FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to a heatable container suitable for transporting anddispensing bitumen and cut-back compositions thereof.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 5 An object of the présent invention is to provide a novel bitumen containerwhich is capable of a certain degree of pressurisation and accordingly suitablefor conveying cut-back compositions of bitumen or the like. A further object of the invention is to provide a container with a heatingfacility whereby material in the container can be heated to a molten State for 10 dispensing purposes. A further object of the présent invention is to provide a container suitable for bitumen or the like which is provided with a heating facility whereby a large contact area of the container will transmit heat to the bitumen to minimise dégradation thereof. 010409

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention a container suitable for bitumen, cut-back or thelike comprises a body member defining a base zone, side wall zones, end wall • zones and a roof zone, characterized in means for transmitting heat from a5 heating medium to the base zone and to at least part of the side wall zones ofthe container. In one embodiment the means for transmitting heat from aheating medium will be adapted to transmit heat to the base zone, the side wall zones, and also to the roof zone of the container.

Further according to the invention the means for transmitting heat from the10 heating medium comprises a heating box or duct or the like disposed adjacentthe base zone and at least part of the side wall zones of the container. In apreferred embodiment a heating box or duct for a heating medium will beconstructed below the container base zone and extend at least partially up theside wall zones. Preferably also the heating box will include internai 1 5 partitioning to define a pathway for heating medium to move from one ormore bumers to one or more chimney outlets along adjacent outward boundand retum passages. Altematively, the duct could be in the form of a pluralityof pipe lengths disposed longitudinally about the periphery of the container,parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container, the pipe lengths being adapted 010409 to duct heating medium therethrough, along a sinuous outward and retum pathway.

It is a further feature of the invention that the container will be in the form of a tank structure with the base zone, side wall zones and roof zone defïning a 5 tubular structure of generally circular cross-section, and the end zones beingdomed outwardly.

Further according to the invention the tank structure will be mounted onsupports within an ISO container frame. Preferably the domed ends of thetank will terminate short of the ends of the frame structure at one, or 10 preferably both ends. It has been found that this feature will permit access toequipment such as bumers disposed at the ends zones, even when the containeris parked against a bulkhead or the like. Thus in one embodiment, one andpreferably both ends will terminate approximately .05 métrés short of the endsof the frame structure. With such an arrangement the diameter of the tank in 15 cross-section will be approximately 2,300 métrés. 010409

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order more clearly to illustrate the invention an embodiment thereof is described hereunder purely by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein: 5 Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bitumen and cut-back container in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic sectioned élévation of the container in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a schematic sectioned end élévation on line ΙΠ-ΠΙ in Figure 1 ; 10 Figure 4 is a schematic sectioned plan on line IV-IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a schematic sectioned end élévation of a different embodiment to the container in Figure 1 ; and Figure 6 is a schematic sectioned end élévation of yet a different embodiment to the container in Figure 5. 010409

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERREP EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings container for bitumen, cut-back or the likecomprises a pressure vessel in the form of a tank 10 having a elongated bodyof substantially circular cross-section which terminâtes at its ends in outwardly 5 domed end sections 10a. It is a feature of the invention that the tank 10 should be capable of being pressurised for example for conveying a cut-backbitumen formulation, and the construction will accordingly be in accordancewith ISO standard IMO-type Π spécifications.

The tank 10 described above will be mounted in a frame 11 which also 10 compiles with ISO spécifications for containers in respect of dimensions,mounting means, etc. As shown in the drawings the tank 10 will be mountedon a pair of spaced cradle formations 12 and it will be noted that the domed ends 10a of the tank 10 structure terminâtes short of the ends of the frame 11.

Preferably a space of approximately 0.5 métrés will be left between the domed 15 ends 10a and the end of the frame 11. This feature of the invention serves to provide access to equipment such as oil bumers which are discussed in moredetail below, in situations wherein the container frame 11 is stacked againstan adjacent frame, bulkhead or the like. 6 010409

Thus where the length of the frame structure is 6,058 métrés, the length of thetank will preferably be in the order of 5,00 métrés. In accordance with ISO standards, the height and width of the frame structure will be 2,591 métrés and 2,438 métrés respectfully. 5 It is a further feature of the invention that a facility is provided for heatingmaterial in the tank 10 and that heat transfer will take place along the bottomzone 10b of the tank 10 and also along at least part of the side walls 10cthereof. Thus in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, a heating boxin the form of a structure 13 is provided below the tank 10 and extends up the 10 side walls 10c thereof to substantially the widest point of the tank 10. It isenvisaged that the interior of the heating box 13 will be heated either by meansof one or more bumers, not shown, which will be removably located in holders 14; or altematively by means of a network of tubes 23 designed tocarry a heating liquid such as oil. Preferably the interior of the heating box 1 5 13 will be partitioned by means of vertical ribs 15 as shown in Figure 3 and

Figure 4 so that hot combustion gasses from the bumer holders 14 will followa sinuous outward and adjacent retum pathway 16, 17 respectively to achimney outlet 18. It will be noted that in the arrangement in Figure 4, twoopposed bumer holders 14 and two opposed chimney outlets 18, are provided 20 for efficient utilisation of heat. Preferably insulation in the form of an outerpacking of minerai wool, glass fibre mat or the like 19, on the outer surface 7 010409 of the tank 10 and the heating box 13 will be provided. A protective outerskin 20 of métal or plastics sheet material will enclose the insulation 19. A different embodiment to the one described above is shown in Figure 5,wherein the heating box 13 extends around the entire side wall 10c of the 5 container as well as the roof zone lOd thereof. The heating box thus extendsaround the entire container 10 and if required, could also extend over the endwalls 10a of the container 10. With this arrangement, additional partitions 15will preferably be provided at least at the zone of the widest portion of thetank 10, and as described above, the hot combustion gasses will be ducted to 10 follow an outward and retum pathway between the various partitions 15. Withthis arrangement, additional heat transfer area between the heating box 13 andthe tank 15 is thus provided, to ensure efficient heat transfer and an overallgraduai heat transfer process.

In Figure 6 yet a further variation of the invention is illustrated and in this 15 arrangement the network of tubes 23 surrounds the tank 10 in a longitudinaldirection. As stated above, the network of tubes 23 can be utilized as an alternative to hot combustion gasses for heating the tank 10. The tubes 23could for example carry a heating liquid such as oil in a sinuous outward andretum pathway or could be utilized for carrying a gaseous heating medium. 010409

Preferably the tubes or pipes 23 will be disposed in contact with the tank 10to transfer heat through conduction as well convection.

It has been found that the arrangement of the invention provides a large heattransfer area between the heating box 13 and the interior of the tank 10 which 5 is advantageous from the point of view of efficient heat transfer. It has alsobeen found that the dégradation of material such as bitumen as a resuit of theheating is minimised by the large heat transfer area. In particular it has beenfound that a poor quality of bitumen can be successfully heated in thecontainer of the invention to transform such bitumen to a suffîciently liquid 10 State to be dispensed from a low level outlet shown at 21.

Doubtless variations in detail of the invention are possible without departingfrom the principles set out in the consistory clauses. For example, it will beappreciated that a suitable inlet to the container and access by way of amanhole or the like 22, can be provided as illustrated.

Claims

CLAIMS: 010409

1. A container suitable for bitumen, cut-back or the like comprising abody member 10 defining a base zone 10b, side wall zones 10c, end wall zones 10a and a roof zone lOd, characterized in means 13 for transmitting heat from a heating medium to the base zone 10b and to at5 least part of the side wall zones 10c of the container.
2. The container according to claim 1 including means for transmittingheat from the heating medium to the roof zone lOd of the container.
3. The container according to claim 1 wherein the means for transmittingheat from the heating medium comprises a heating box 13 or ducts 23 10 disposed adjacent the base zone 10b and at least part of the side wall zones 10c of the container.
4. The container according to claim 2 wherein the means for transmittingheat from the heating medium comprises a heating box 13 or ducts 23which extend over the base zone 10b, the side wall zones 10c, and the 15 roof zone lOd of the container. 1ΰ 010409
5. The container according to claira 3 wherein the heating box 13 or duct 23 is constructed below the container base zone 10b and extends at least partially up the side wall zones 10c, and includes an inlet 14 for agaseous heating medium and a chimney outlet 18 for the heating 5 medium.
6. The container according to claim 5 wherein the heating box 13 includesinternai partitioning 15 to define a pathway for the gaseous heatingmedium to duct the heating medium from the inlet 14 along a sinuouspath to the chimney outlet 18.
7. The container according to claim 5 wherein the duct is in the form of a plurality of pipe lengths 23 disposed longitudinally about theperiphery of the container 10, parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof,the pipe lengths 23 being coupled so as to duct heating mediumtherethrough along a sinuous pathway.
8. The container according to any one of claim 1 wherein the body member is in the form of a tank structure 10 with the base zone 10b, side wall zones 10c and roof zone lOd defming a tubular structure of generally circular cross-section, and the end zones 10a being domed outwardly. IL 010409
9. The container according to daim 8 wherein the tank structure ismounted on supports 12 within an ISO container ftame 11.
10. The container according to daim 9 wherein the domed ends 10a of the tank structure 10 terminâtes short of.the ends of the frame structure 11 5 at one or both ends thereof, to permit access to the domed ends of the container for the introduction of a heating medium to the base zone 10b thereof.
11. The container according to daim 10 wherein the domed ends 10a terminate 0.05 métrés short of the ends of the frame structure 11, and 10 the diameter of the tank structure is approximately 2,3 métrés in cross- section.