AUTOMATED TANK CLEANING AND MONITORING DEVICE

• US 20080142042A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spraying Systems Company
• Original Assignee: Spraying Systems Company
• Inventors: Bramsen, Franklin Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,302,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0936 using rotating jets

Abstract

A tank cleaning system provides more efficient and more effective tank cleaning than known systems. The tank cleaning system further allows for a cleaning process to be monitored and provides a cleaning validation. In this regard, the tank cleaning system provides control and monitoring of the spray head mechanism while maintaining the mechanical simplicity and robust nature associated with known systems. The tank cleaning system automatically accounts for one or more characteristics of the vessel being cleaned and modifies the cleaning operation accordingly.

Claims

1. A tank cleaning system comprising:

a tank cleaning device having a shaft linked to a spray head mechanism, said spray head mechanism having thereon at least one orifice for spraying the interior of a tank with a cleaning fluid, wherein rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the spray head mechanism about two substantially perpendicular axes of rotation;

a rotational detector affixed to the shaft to provide a position signal associated with the shaft that can be translated to the position of the spray head mechanism about each axis of rotation thereof through multiple complete rotations of the shaft;

an actuator affixed to the shaft to cause rotation thereof;

a database maintaining data related to one or more interior features of the tank and a level of cleaning required at such one or more features;

a controller for receiving the shaft position signal and monitoring the shaft rotation number and translating the shaft position signal to indicate the position of the spray orifices and the data related to the one or more interior features of the tank, the controller being adapted to control the rotational speed and/or direction of the actuator, and thus the position of the at least one orifice, based on the position signal and the data related to the one or more interior features of the tank.

2. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the rotational detector is a rotational position sensor.

3. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the position signal associated with the position of the spray head mechanism comprises an angle signal indicating an angle of rotation of the shaft and a rotation count signal indicating a number of rotations undergone by the shaft.

4. The tank cleaning system according to claim 3, wherein the database further comprises a translation table associating the angle signal and rotation count signal with a position of the at least one orifice affixed to the spray head mechanism about each axis of rotation thereof.

5. The tank cleaning system according to claim 3, wherein the data related to the one or more interior features of the tank comprises data describing at least one interior feature of the tank that is likely to be more soiled than another interior portion of the tank.

6. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is implemented as a program running on a computing device.

7. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is implemented as a programmable logic circuit.

8. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to provide a verification signal when a tank cleaning operation has been successfully completed.

9. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the spray head mechanism comprises two orifices for spraying the interior of a tank with a cleaning fluid.

10. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the tank cleaning device comprises an inlet for receiving the cleaning fluid under pressure from a cleaning fluid source and the controller is adapted to control the flow of the cleaning fluid.

11. The tank cleaning system according to claim 10, wherein the controller alters the flow rate of the cleaning fluid at the inlet when the at least one orifice directs cleaning fluid at a predetermined location of the tank interior.

12. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller alters the velocity of the shaft rotation when the at least one orifice directs cleaning fluid at a predetermined location of the tank interior.

13. The tank cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller stops the rotation of the shaft when the at least one orifice directs cleaning fluid at a predetermined location of the tank interior.

22. The method of claim 3, wherein data related to the mechanistically determined sweep pattern of the at least one orifice affixed to the spray head mechanism indicates the varying proximity density of precedent and subsequent sweeps such that sweep velocity may be either slowed in velocity to provide greater dwell time to compensate for lower sweep density or increased in velocity to provide less dwell time to compensate for higher sweep density.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein the tank is an open vessel having a mouth.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the database maintaining data related to one or more interior features of the tank comprises data relating to at least one element selected from the group consisting of an internal flange, and internal paddle, and an interior wall region.

14. A method of cleaning a tank using a tank cleaning device having a shaft linked to a spray head mechanism having thereon at least one orifice for spraying the interior of the tank with a cleaning fluid at an impact point movable along a sweep trajectory, said at least one orifice being rotatable simultaneously about two substantially perpendicular axes, the method comprising:

receiving an initiation command to begin a cleaning cycle;

determining an initial position of the spray head mechanism along both axes;

based upon the determined initial position of the spray head mechanism, calculating a sequence of subsequent spray impact locations along the sweep trajectory within the tank as a function of rotation of the shaft;

linking the spray head mechanism position to one or more cleaning parameters via the sequence of subsequent spray impact locations to create a cleaning program;

calculating actuator motions to execute the cleaning program;

outputting control signals to implement the calculated actuator motions to control the spray head mechanism position; and

outputting a cleaning validation signal when the tank cleaning program is complete if no error was detected during execution of the cleaning program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving an initiation command to begin a cleaning cycle comprises receiving the command via a mechanism selected from the group consisting of user input and a scheduled activation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining an initial position of the spray head mechanism comprises translating an output of a rotational position sensor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of calculating a sequence of subsequent spray impact locations takes as its input data selected from the group consisting of a tank surface geometry, a cleaning fluid supply data, and an orifice fluid flow coefficient data.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of linking the spray head mechanism position to one or more cleaning parameters via the sequence of subsequent spray impact locations comprises setting a dwell time and/or sweep velocity for each of the sequence of subsequent spray impact locations.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of calculating actuator motions to execute the cleaning program further comprises calculating fluid control parameters.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of outputting control signals to implement the calculated actuator motions further comprises outputting control signals to control the cleaning fluid pressure.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of outputting a cleaning validation signal comprises outputting a notification selected from the group consisting of an audible notification signal, a visual notification signal, a digital output, and a printed notification signal.

25. A tank cleaning system comprising:

a tank cleaning device having a spray head mechanism having thereon at least one orifice for spraying the interior of a tank with a cleaning fluid, said tank cleaning device having an actuator driven by a flow of the cleaning fluid to cause a rotation of the spray head mechanism;

a rotational detector associated with spray head mechanism to detect rotation of the spray head mechanism and to provide a position signal associated with the rotational position of the spray head mechanism;

a database maintaining data related to one or more interior features of the tank and a level of cleaning required at such one or more features;

a controller for receiving the position signal and the data related to the one or more interior features of the tank, the controller being adapted to control the flow of cleaning fluid to the actuator, and thus the rotation of the spray head mechanism, based on the position signal and the data related to the one or more interior features of the tank.