US3404796A

US3404796A - High pressure fully openable tank

Info

Publication number: US3404796A
Application number: US616608A
Authority: US
Inventors: David T Dobbins; Frederic F Stafford
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1967-02-16
Filing date: 1967-02-16
Publication date: 1968-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1985-10-08

Description

06L 1968 D. T. DOBBINS ETAL 3,

HIGH PRESSURE FULLY OPENABLE TANK FIG-I. Y T

INVENTORS David T. Dobbins 8 Frederic E Stafford 1963 D. T. DOBBINS ETAL 3,404,796

HIGH PRESSURE FULLY OPENABLE TANK 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb.

United States Patent 3,404,796 HIGH PRESSURE FULLY OPENABLE TANK David T. Dobbins, Los Altos Hills, and Frederic F. Stafford, Los Altos, Califi, assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 616,608 Claims. (Cl. 2203) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A large high pressure fully openable tank is fabricated primarily from comparatively low cost steel plate. Hydraulically actuated holding frames retain removable top and bottom end members on a cylindrical body member. The holding frames are reinforced with bandings of a suitable material.

Background of the invention This invention relates, generally, to pressure tanks and, more particularly, to large high pressure tanks which are fully openable.

A tank large enough to contain a large test model, for example, a model about 10 feet in diameter, and capable of withstanding a pressure of 10,000 p.s.i.g. is inherently bulky and heavy. To manufacture such a tank by utilizing mass production tools, for example massive forging dies, is not practical as such tanks are normally not produced in large quantities. Furthermore, steel of a quality and size suitable for making very large forgings is expensive and is not readily available.

An object of this invention is to provide a large high pressure tank which is fabricated primarily from relatively low cost steel plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a high pressure tank which can be fully opened quickly to permit access to the interior of the tank.

Other objects of the invention will be explained fully hereinafter or will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Summary of the invention In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a tank having an open-ended cylindrical body and removable end closure members. The cylindrical tank body is formed by rolling and welding a heavy steel plate and the end members have curved tapered exterior surfaces. The ends are retained on the body by means of two holding frames disposed at opposite sides of the body and having tapered inner surfaces engaging the tapered end surfaces. The frames are moved toward the body along guide rails by hydraulic cylinders to engage the ends and away from the body to disengage the ends. The frames are of welded steel plate construction reinforced by handing with relatively thin strips of alloy steel sheet wrapped around the frames.

Brief description of the drawings For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, references may be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a tank embodying principal features of the invention and showing the tank in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the tank in the closed position;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the tank in a position 3,404,796 Patented Oct. 8, 1968 intermediate the closed position and the open position; and

FIG. 5 is a view, in perspective, showing the tank in the open position.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 5, a high pressure tank 10 comprises a cylindrical tank body 11 open at opposite ends, a top end closure member 12, a bottom end closure member 13, two holding frames 14 for retaining the

closure members

12, and 13 in position on the tank body 11 for closing the tank, horizontal guide rails 15 attached to opposite sides of the tank body 11 for slidably supporting the holding frames 14, fluid pressure operated means 16 for moving the frames 14 along the guide rails 15 toward and away from the body 11, a support base 17 attached to the bottom closure member 13, and supporting members 18 for supporting the outer ends of the guide rails 15. Each supporting member 18 preferably comprises three legs 19 which are welded together at their upper ends.

The tank body 11 is preferably formed by hot rolling a thick steel plate into a hollow cylindrical shape of the proper length and width to provide a tank of the desired diameter and height, and then welding the two ends of the plate together to form the cylindrical tank body. A large thick steel plate (for example, a plate one foot thick by thirteen feet wide by thirty-five feet long) can be hot rolled by means of facilities which are more readily available than are facilities for deep drawing a tube or dome of similar proportions.

Since the

end closure members

12 and 13 are not highly stressed in the present structure, they can be cast from relatively inexpensive steel or aluminum. Each end closure member is a generally cylindrical segment with an inwardly extending annular flange 21 which fits into the cylindrical tank body 11. The flange 21, as-best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may be machined to receive an O-ring gasket 22 to seal the joint between the flange and the tank body 11.

Each end closure member has a central cylindrical outer surface 23 disposed bet-ween two opposed end surfaces 24 of frusto-conical shape. The end surfaces are thus curved and tapered in opposite directions for receiving the holding frames 14.

A lifting lug 25 is attached, as by welding, to the cylindrical surface 23 of the top end closure member 12, and the support base 17 may be welded to the cylindrical surface 23 of the bottom end closure member 13. A suitable fitting 26 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided on the bottom end closure member 13 for pressurizing the inside of the tank when the tank is in the closed position. Also, the fitting 26 may be utilized for draining liquids from the tank.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holding frames 14 are preferably of welded steel plate construction. Each holding frame comprises a steel plate which is formed into a generally rectangular loop 30 having vertical side portions 31 and curved end portions 32. Each end portion 32 has a tapered inner surface 33 which engages the associated tapered surface 24 of an end closure member with a wedging action when the holding frames are forced into encompassing relation with the end closure member.

The side of the holding frame facing the tank body 11 is open. However, the side away from the tank body is closed by a steel plate 34 which may be welded to the side portions 31 and the end portions 32 of the loop 30. A centrally disposed vertical brace 35 may be welded to the outside of the plate 34. A bearing housing 36 is provided on the brace 35 for a sleeve bearing 37 which slidably and rotatably supports the holding frame 14 on the guide rail 15 which is disposed at the horizontal axis of the tank.

In order to reinforce the holding frame 14, two outwardly extending

spaced flanges

38 and 39 may be welded to the outer periphery of the loop 30, and banding material 41 tightly wrapped around the loop vertically between the fianges. The banding material is preferably a continuous strip of thin high strength, steel sheet which is relatively inexpensive. Other suitable materials, such as steel wire, may be utilized if desired. The banding material 41 may be applied by spinning the frame 14 about the guide rail 15 and applying sufficient material to obtain the desired hoop strength in the loop 30 of the holding frame.

As previously explained, the actuating means 16 are utilized to move the holding frames 14 toward and away from the tank body 11. As shown, four actuators 16, of any suitable type provided for actuating each one of the frames 14. The actuators 16 are symmetrically disposed about the horizontal axis X-X' and the vertical axis Y-Y' of the tank structure. They are preferably of the hydraulic type, each actuator including a piston (not shown) slidably disposed inside a cylinder 42. Each cylinder 42 has an annular flange 43 thereon which is attached to the plate 34 in any suitable manner. The piston (not shown) is attached to an actuating rod 45 which is pivotably connected to a lug 46 by means of a pin 47. The lug 46 may be welded or otherwise attached to the side of the tank body 11.

Suitable fittings 48 are provided on each cylinder 42 for connecting hydraulic lines to apply fiuid pressure inside the cylinder to either side of the piston under the control of a suitable valve, as well known in the art. Thus, fluid pressure may be applied simultaneously to all of the actuators 16 to force the holding frames onto the

end closure members

12 and 13 with a wedging action as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Likewise, fluid pressure may be applied to the actuators 16 to withdraw the frames 14 to the position shown in FIG. 4, after which the top end closure member 12 may be lifted from the body member 11 by means of the lifting lug 25, as shown in FIG. 5, thereby fully opening the tank to make the interior of the tank body 11 accessible. In this manner, the tank may be quickly closed and opened without the necessity of removing a large number of head bolts as was necessary on prior structures.

The tapered fit bet-ween the end members and the holding frames preloads the banding material slightly upon closing the tank. Thus, as pressurized air is admitted to the tank through the fitting 26 the internal pressure raises the top end closure member 12 only minutely as the strain in the banding 41 is increased above the preload applied by the hydraulic actuators to the holding frames 14.

The radial expansion of the

end closure members

12 and 13 can be made to approach that of the tank body 11 by providing a cavity 49 in each of the end closures. Therefore, the sealing effect of the O-ring gasket 22 is maintained in the event of such radial expansion.

Instead of forming the tank body 11 by rolling a heavy steel plate, the tank body may be formed by a welded steel tube of lesser thickness sufficient to support a large number of layers of banding or wrapping material similar to the material 41 on the holding frames 14. The tube should be thick enough to permit machine finishing of its outer end surfaces to permit sealing by the O-ring gaskets. After the banding or wrapping material is applied it could then be brazed solid on each end, thereby assuring continuity of structure.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the invention provides an openable tank of fabricated construction which is lighter and cheaper than tanks of prior construction capable of withstanding high internal pressure. Furthermore, the tank may be quickly opene and closed, and it can be manufactured by utilizing tools and materials which are readily available.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described construction and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all subject matter cointained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings will be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What we claim is: p

1. A readily openable high pressure tank comprising a cylindrical tank body open at opposite ends and having a central axis, end closure member for closing the open ends of said body, holding frames disposed at opposite sides of the body,

means for moving the frames toward the body along an axis normal to said central axis to engage and urge the end closure member into sealing relation with the tank body and away from the body to dis engage the end closure members, and

banding means wrapped around the frames in loops parallel to said central axis for reinforcing the frames.

2. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the end closure members is removable and has opposed tapered exterior surfaces, and the holding frames have tapered interior surfaces for engaging the surfaces on the end closure member with a wedging action.

3. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein the banding means comprises a plurality of continuous loops of strips of relatively thin steel sheet.

4. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the frames includes hydraulic actuators attached to the frames.

5. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the end closure members is a generally cylindrical segment with oppositely disposed end portions having surfaces of frusto-conical shape for engaging the outer surfaces of the end closure member with a wedging action.

6. The high pressure tank defined in claim 5 wherein each holding frame encompasses the body and end members and is of generally rectangular shape with curved end portions having a tapered inner surface cooperable with the frusto-conical end portions of the closure memher.

7. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein guide rails are attached to opposite sides of the body for slidably supporting the holding frames.

8. The high pressure tank defined in claim 7 wherein each holding frame has a brace with bearing means therein for one of the guide rails.

9. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein each holding frame comprises a steel plate formed into a generally rectangular loop with two spaced flanges extending around the outer periphery of the loop to retain the banding means on the frame.

10. The high pressure tank defined in claim 1 wherein the cylindrical body is composed of rolled and welded heavy steel plate,

each end clossure member has an annular flange which fits into an end of the cylindrical body and at least one of the end members is movable along the vertical axis of the body to provide access to the interior of the body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,360,391 10/ 1944 Birchall 220-3 RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner.