RU176630U1 - Device for monitoring the level of filling tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

The proposed utility model relates to the control of the correct loading of railway tanks and can be used to control the level of loading of railway tanks directly in the process of filling (filling) tanks: fuel oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, oil, etc. on loading racks to prevent (or warning) overfilling or underfilling of tanks. A device as a utility model for monitoring the level of filling tanks, for example railroads, including a rod with a measuring scale, a bar, a latch and a frame designed to be installed on the upper edge of the neck of the tank, as well as a coupling connected to the frame with a through hole designed to move the rod in it. In this case, the bar is rigidly connected to the base of the rod and its position corresponds to the zero mark, and the ator is mounted on the coupling and is designed to fix the rod, rigidly connected with the bar in a strictly vertical position at the previously calculated tank filling level, while the shape of the through hole of the coupling corresponds to the profile of the rod, and the coupling itself is rigidly connected to the frame and installed in the center of the frame in such a way that the planes of the lower edge of the coupling and the lower edge of the frame coincide, while the frame associated with the coupling, the rod and the bar can be installed anywhere on the upper edge of the neck of the tank. A useful model from known devices of a similar purpose is that the base of the rod is rigidly connected to the center of the strip installed strictly perpendicular to the base of the rod, and the direction of the longitudinal axis of the strip is perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame located on the upper edge of the neck of the tank. The distinguishing features described in the application allow significantly increase the accuracy of loading the product during its loading into the tank, since the rod is rigidly connected to the center of the bar installed strictly perpendicular Brightly to the base of the rod, it allows to significantly reduce the error that occurs during the filling of the tank with products when determining its underfilling or overflow, since during the pouring of the product into the tank, it is often possible to move the rod from a predetermined position either by a stream of the product being poured or by a filling pipe lowered into the tank. In addition, the fact that the direction of the longitudinal axis of the bar is perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame located on the upper edge of the neck of the tank allows, above all, , Improve the accuracy of control of the loading of the product thanks to high-quality visual control by the operator of the process of pouring the product into the tank.

Description

The proposed utility model relates to the field of monitoring the correct loading of tanks with oil products and can be used to control the level of loading of tanks directly in the process of filling (filling) tanks: fuel oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, oil, etc. on loading racks to exclude (or prevent) overflow or underfilling of tanks.

A known method for remote detection of commercial marriage of oil tank cars of railway transport, which consists in inspecting them while the train is on. In this method, tanks already filled with oil products are moved into the field of view of the thermal imager, their thermal image is obtained, identified by comparing the contour image of the tank with its large-scale image from the database. Then, on the thermal imaging image, the level of filling (filling) of the tank is detected, it is compared with the required one, and then it is judged that there is a commercial defect, namely: overflow or underfilling of the tanks with oil products [1].

In addition, a known method for detecting improper loading of tanks of rolling stock of the railway, which consists in obtaining a thermal image of the surface of the tank on the train. When determining the level of filling (filling) the tank, the thermal imaging device is installed so that its optical axis is at an angle to the diametrical plane of the tank in the vertical and horizontal planes, and the tank itself is entirely in its field of vision. A thermal imaging image of the tank is recorded at its predetermined position in the field of view of the thermal imaging device, the image of the surface of the loading mirror is observed, and the height of the surface of the loading mirror from the rail head is measured.

For this, a thermal imaging image is used to construct an image of the perpendicular filling located in the plane of the surface of the mirror to the side border of the loading mirror at a distance from the edge of the side surface of the tank equal to the distance from the vertical plane passing through the edges of the side surface of the tank to a vertical measuring ruler located at the side surface of the tank. The level of filling (filling) of the tank is determined by the point of intersection of the image of the specified perpendicular with the image of the measuring line. After that, the level of loading is determined, the tank is identified by its characteristics, for example, by the on-board number, the type of tank is determined from the railway database or from supporting documents (or full-scale sheet), the type and weight of the bulk cargo is determined, taking into account the type of tank, the level of bulk is calculated and compare it with the previously determined thermal imaging image [2].

It is also known "Device for measuring fluid loading", according to US patent No. 2607122, in which the shape of the through hole of the coupling corresponds to the profile of the rod, and the coupling itself is rigidly connected to the frame and installed in the center of the frame so that the plane of the lower edge of the coupling and the lower edge of the frame match. In addition, the frame associated with the clutch, rod and strap can be installed anywhere on the upper edge of the neck of the tank [3].

The disadvantages of the above known methods and devices used in them are:

- monitoring only the actual level of oil products loaded into railway tanks ready for transportation;

- identification of inconsistencies between the data on the quantity of the product already shipped indicated on the consignment notes and the actual quantity of the product shipped;

- controlling the level of loading of tanks with oil products with a large error, since in the process of movement of controlled tanks the level of loaded product fluctuates;

- poor-quality control of the load level due to the influence of external factors - uneven heating of tanks, glare of the sun, precipitation, etc .;

- the emergence of the need for uncoupling, formed into the composition of the tanks, when determining, for example, overflow of oil products into tanks, which leads to exceeding the permissible carrying capacity of tanks, which entails additional costly shunting operations,

- the inability to control the level of the tank bay in the process of filling it with oil products;

- low accuracy of control of the level of the bay of tanks when it is filled with oil products.

The closest, in technical essence, to the claimed utility model is a device for monitoring the loading of railway tanks during the loading of petroleum products, protected by a Russian patent for a utility model [3]. Said device includes:

- a rod equipped with a measuring ruler and equipped with a handle at its upper end;

- a horizontal bar fixed to the lower end of the bar;

- the upper bar mounted on the rod parallel to the lower bar at a distance of 4-8 cm and offset in relation to it at an angle from 45 ° to 90 °;

- a movable latch designed to fix the strap in a predetermined position and located on the bar;

- in this case, the latch can be attached either to the casing of the tank or to the lid of the filling tip.

However, the known device has significant disadvantages, namely:

- insufficient accuracy in determining the level of filling the tank;

- does not provide a rigid fixation of the rod, which creates a high error in the process of filling the tank with products when determining its underfilling or overflow, since in the process of loading the product into the tank, it becomes possible to displace it from the specified position either by the stream of the product being poured or by the filling pipe lowered into the tank;

- does not provide accurate visual control during the loading of oil into the tank.

The objective of the device for monitoring the level of filling tanks, proposed as a useful model, is to create a technical tool designed for accurate and high-quality control of the level of filling, for example, railway tanks during their filling, and, as a result, a significant reduction in the error in determining the level of filling (underfilling, or overflow) of products into such tanks.

The problem is solved in that a device for monitoring the level of filling of tanks, including a rod with a measuring scale, a bar, a latch and a frame designed to be installed on the upper edge of the neck of the tank, as well as a coupling connected to the frame with a through hole designed to move the rod in it , in which the bar is rigidly connected to the base of the rod and its position corresponds to the zero mark, and the latch is mounted on the coupling and is designed to fix the rod, rigidly connected with the bar in a strictly vertical position at a pre-calculated level of filling the tank, while the shape of the through hole of the coupling corresponds to the profile of the rod, and the coupling itself is rigidly connected to the frame and installed in the center of the frame so that the planes of the lower edge of the coupling and the lower edge of the frame coincide, while the frame associated with the coupling, the rod and the bar can be installed anywhere on the upper edge of the neck of the tank, in which the base of the rod is rigidly connected to the center of the bar installed strictly perpendicular to the base of the rod, and the direction of the longitudinal axis strips perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame, located on the upper edge of the neck of the tank.

The design of the device for controlling the filling level of a railway tank, proposed as a utility model, can significantly reduce the error from the calculated level when filling the tank; to provide a high level of accuracy of filling the tank, not only in automatic loading mode, but also when visually inspecting the filling of the tank, taking into account its previously measured reference height, type, load capacity, as well as type, temperature and density of the product being poured, also allows for high accuracy of filling when determining level of loading the tank, as well as not interfere with loading operations.

The reference height of the tank is the distance from the lower generatrix of the tank to the upper edge of its neck. It is measured along the lower edge of the frame mounted on the upper edge of the neck of the tank. In this case, the reference height is measured separately for each tank.

The reference height for each tank is determined separately and is part of the characteristics of the tank into which the product is loaded. The operator scoops all the parameters (reference height of the tank, its carrying capacity and type) that are part of the characteristics of each tank from the database, or determines independently, taking measurements and inspecting the tank before loading, and takes into account when calculating the tank filling level with the product.

Based on the reference height, type and capacity of the tank, taking into account the type, temperature and density of the product, the required level of filling is calculated.

The resulting measurement is set on the measuring scale of the rod along the lower edge of the frame or coupling, by moving the rod through the through hole of the coupling, i.e. inside the coupling.

Before loading the product into the tank or in the process of filling the product into the tank, the entire structure - the frame with the coupling, the rod and the bar is installed anywhere on the upper edge of the neck of the tank. Moreover, the frame located on the upper edge of the neck is rotatably mounted around the bar by 360 °, which provides the operator with the opportunity to choose the optimal position of the frame for visual observation of the bar during loading of the product into the tank.

Moving the rod inside the coupling, using the clamp, the rod is clamped in the coupling at a previously calculated level, which is counted on the measuring scale of the rod from the bar to the lower edge of the coupling. Moreover, when monitoring the level of loading the product into the railway tank, the measuring scale of the rod in the proposed device is 1-1.5 m.

After the necessary measurement (pre-calculated level of filling) for this particular tank is installed on the measuring scale of the rod using the lock located on the coupling, and with it, the rod is installed in a strictly vertical position relative to the frame of the device, the product is loaded into the tank to the level of the bar, rigidly connected with the bar.

Since, according to a utility model, the base of the rod is rigidly connected to the center of the bar, which, in turn, is installed strictly perpendicular to the base of the rod. The bar, rigidly mounted at the zero mark of the bar, has, as it were, two “wings” located on one and on the other side from the center of the bar. In this case, the direction of the longitudinal axis of the bar is perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame.

This allows the operator, when loading the product, to visually clearly see the bar through the neck of the tank, and therefore to monitor the level of filling of the tank, which is installed on the rod, according to the level of the bar.

The essence of the proposed utility model is characterized by the drawings shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1, 2 schematically shows a device for controlling the level of filling of railway tanks.

In FIG. 3 shows a General view of the proposed device, made in a perspective view, in which the clutch is placed inside the frame, and its upper part above the frame.

A schematic representation of the proposed utility model (Fig. 2) includes:

1 - a rod with a measuring scale of 1-1.5 m, the base of which is rigidly mounted in the center of the strip 5 and strictly perpendicular to its base;

2 - a frame installed anywhere on the upper edge of the neck of the tank;

3 - a coupling mounted in the center of the frame 2 with the possibility of movement along the rod 1;

4 - a latch mounted on the coupling 3 and intended for its fixation on the rod 1 in the required design position, as well as for fixing the rod 1 in a strictly vertical position;

5 - bar, rigidly connected with the rod 1.

The device proposed as a utility model works as follows.

First, based on the measured reference height of the tank, which is supposed to be filled with the product, taking into account its type and load capacity, density, as well as the type, temperature and density of the product, the level at which it is necessary to fill the tank with the product is preliminarily calculated.

Then, the device is brought into working condition: for this, the rod 1, rigidly connected to the center of the strip 5, is secured at the previously calculated level of loading the tank with the latch 4 mounted on the sleeve 3 located in the center of the frame 2.

After that, the device brought into operation using the frame 2 is installed on the upper edge of the neck of the tank (Fig. 3), and the frame 2, by rotation around the rod 1, is installed in the most optimal position for the operator to visually observe the level of product loading and pour product into the tank to a height previously calculated taking into account the above parameters of both the tank itself and the product being poured into it, mounted on rod 1.

In this case, the latch 4, made, for example, in the form of a clamping screw, is installed in the upper part of the T-shaped coupling placed above the frame 2, and the product is poured into the tank to the level of the bar 5.

Due to the fact that the rod 1 is perpendicularly fixed with respect to the bar 5 in its center, as noted above, it is divided, as it were, in half and has two “wings” located on one and the other sides of its center, and in view of that the direction of the longitudinal axis of the bar is perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame, the level of product loading into the tank is clearly visible to the operator.

This level is limited by the bar 5, the center of which is rigidly connected with the rod 1.

The fact that the direction of the longitudinal axis of the strip 5 is perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame 2, located on the upper edge of the neck of the tank, contributes to the selection of the optimal rotation of the frame 2 relative to the strip 5 and thereby improve the accuracy of the product loading control due to the quality visual control by the operator of the filling process product to the tank.

Good visibility when loading the product into the tank is ensured by the fact that the coupling 3 is located in the center of the frame 2 and the plane of the lower edge of the coupling 3 and the lower edge of the frame 2 coincide. With this arrangement of the coupling 3, it does not prevent the operator from visually monitoring the process of filling the tank to the calculated level, however, it does not provide high accuracy of monitoring the level of filling.

It should also be noted that, in the particular case of the device, the coupling 3 has, for example, a T-shape. The lower part of this T-shaped coupling is located in the center of the frame 2 so that the planes of the lower edge of the coupling 3 and the lower edge of the frame 2 coincide, and the upper part of the coupling 3 is placed, for example, above the frame and on the upper part of the coupling, for convenience lock 4.

As soon as the product reaches level 5, the filling of the tank is stopped and proceeding to the filling of the next tank.

Since both light (e.g. gasoline, diesel fuel, etc.) and heavy (e.g. gas oil, fuel oil, heavy oil, etc.) types of oil products, as well as hydrocarbons and other liquid-filled products, when filling tanks it is necessary to take into account such indicators as:

carrying capacity and type of tank;

reference height of the tank;

density, temperature and type of product loaded.

The proposed utility model allows you to take into account all of the mentioned indicators and to prevent overflow or underfilling of the tank in the process of filling it with the product.

It must also be emphasized once again that the mutually perpendicular arrangement of the directions of the longitudinal axes of the frame and the bar does not allow the frame to close the visual visibility of the bar, which undoubtedly significantly increases the accuracy of filling the tank with the product to the calculated level.

In addition, the rigid connection of the rod with the center of the bar, installed strictly perpendicular to the base of the rod, can significantly reduce the error that occurs during the filling of the tank with products when determining its underfilling or overflow, since during the filling of the product into the tank it is often possible to move the rod from a predetermined position or by a stream of the product being poured, or by a bulk pipe lowered into the tank

Improving the accuracy of filling railway tanks with the product, which provides the proposed utility model, leads to the fact that a large number of tanks are released to fill the product, so that the productivity of the filling process increases by 8-12 percent.

Declared as a utility model, the device is designed as a prototype, tested under production conditions, has high accuracy of filling tanks with products, provides the ability to take into account the above indicators, namely: type, load capacity and reference height of the filled tanks, and also ensures high accuracy of their filling, considering the type, density and temperature of the loaded product.

Information sources

1. RF patent No. 2340946 C1, IPC G08B 13/19, publ. 06/10/2006

2. RF application No. 2009115366, IPC G08B 13/00, publ. 10/27/2010

3. RF patent No. 160928 U1 (utility model), IPC G01F 23/04, publ. 04/10/2016, bull. No. 10 (prototype).

Claims (1)

A device for monitoring the level of filling of tanks, including a rod with a measuring scale, a bar, a latch and a frame designed to be installed on the upper edge of the neck of the tank, as well as a coupling connected to the frame with a through hole designed to move the rod in it, while the bar is rigidly connected with the base of the rod and its position corresponds to the zero mark, and the latch is mounted on the coupling and is designed to fix the rod, rigidly connected to the bar, in a strictly vertical position on a previously calculated the filling of the tank is even, while the shape of the through hole of the coupling corresponds to the profile of the rod, and the coupling itself is rigidly connected to the frame and installed in the center of the frame so that the planes of the lower edge of the coupling and the lower edge of the frame coincide, while the frame associated with the coupling, rod and strap, can be installed anywhere on the upper edge of the neck of the tank, characterized in that the base of the rod is rigidly connected to the center of the strip installed strictly perpendicular to the base of the rod, and the direction of the longitudinal axis of the strip is perpendicular The direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame, placed on the upper edge of the tank neck.

Images