CARGO TANK ASSEMBLIES WITH GROUND LEVEL ACCESS

• US 20170253168A1
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Inventors: Cannon, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,427,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/224 comprising auxiliary devices, e.g. for unloading or level indicating catwalks, ladders or safety railings therefor B60R3/005
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/2255 Ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/226 Arrangements of access openings or covers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/06 Trailers vehicles comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping or like vehicles B60P3/32
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/04 Arrangement or mounting of valves valves per se F16K ; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/06 Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member for autoclaves B01J3/03; closures for large containers in general B65D B65D90/54; for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/083 for medium-sized mobile storage vessels, e.g. tank vehicles or railway tank vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0394 in direct contact with the pressure vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0135 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/02 for filling with liquefied gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A cargo tank assembly can include a cargo tank, and a plurality of access ports for the cargo tank, including a manway. A cabinet can be arranged to provide ground-level access to the plurality of access ports. In some embodiments, the cabinet can provide a sole breakable seal for a set of equipment, or for the cargo tank.

Claims

1. A cargo tank assembly comprising:

a cargo tank configured for transport of pressurized materials;

a plurality of access ports for the cargo tank, including a manway and one or more of an inlet port to fill the cargo tank, an outlet port to empty the cargo tank, a cleaning port, and an inspection port;

a vapor recovery system, including a vapor-recovery fitting configured to attach to an external conduit to discharge vapor from the cargo tank; and

a cabinet arranged to enclose the plurality of access ports and the vapor-recovery fitting, the cabinet thereby providing ground-level access to the plurality of access ports and the vapor-recovery fitting.

2. The cargo tank assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of access ports are disposed on one of a front head and a rear head of the cargo tank;

and

wherein the plurality of access ports includes the manway and the cleaning port.

3. The cargo tank assembly of claim 2, wherein the cleaning port is configured to receive a telescoping cleaning system.

4. The cargo tank assembly of claim 1, further comprising a housing with an outer jacket that is spaced apart from the cargo tank;

wherein the cabinet is arranged to provide ground-level access to within the outer jacket;

wherein the vapor recovery system includes a vapor-recovery port at a top end of the cargo tank and vapor-recovery piping that extends outside of the cabinet between the vapor-recovery fitting and vapor-recovery port; and

wherein the outer jacket encloses the vapor-recovery piping and the vapor-recovery port.

5. The cargo tank assembly of claim 4, wherein the outer jacket includes an at least partly non-cylindrical profile.

6. The cargo tank assembly of claim 5, wherein a top portion of the at least partly non-cylindrical profile includes a first arcuate portion having a first radius of curvature and a second arcuate portion having a second radius of curvature greater than the first radius of curvature.

7. The cargo tank assembly of claim 4 wherein the outer jacket at least partly defines a closed compartment at the top end of the cargo tank, with the vapor-recovery port enclosed within the closed compartment.

8. The cargo tank assembly of claim 7 wherein the closed compartment further encloses a pressure relief valve for the cargo tank.

9. The cargo tank assembly of claim 7 wherein the outer jacket is supported by a plurality of foam ribs, at least two of which at least partly define the closed compartment.

10. The cargo tank assembly of claim 1, wherein none of the plurality of access ports include a breakable seal;

and

wherein the cabinet includes a breakable seal to seal the cabinet when the cabinet is closed, the cabinet thereby providing the only breakable seal for access to the interior of the cargo tank via the plurality of access ports.

11. A cargo tank assembly comprising:

a cargo tank configured for transport of pressurized materials;

a plurality of access ports for the cargo tank, including a manway and one or more of an inlet port to fill the cargo tank, an outlet port to empty the cargo tank, a cleaning port, and an inspection port; and

a cabinet with a breakable seal, the cabinet being arranged to enclose the plurality of access ports to provide ground-level access to the plurality of access ports;

with none of the plurality of access ports including a breakable seal, so that the cabinet provides the only breakable seal for access to the interior of the cargo tank via the plurality of access ports.

12. The cargo tank assembly of claim 11, wherein the breakable seal for the cabinet is disposed on a closeable door of the cabinet.

13. The cargo tank assembly of claim 11, wherein the plurality of access ports includes the manway and the cleaning port.

14. The cargo tank assembly of claim 13, wherein the cleaning port is configured to receive a telescoping cleaning system.

15. The cargo tank assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

a vapor recovery system, including a vapor-recovery fitting configured to attach to an external conduit to discharge vapor from the cargo tank to an external system;

wherein the cabinet provides ground-level access to the vapor-recovery fitting.

16. The cargo tank assembly of claim 15, further comprising a housing with an outer jacket that is spaced apart from and substantially surrounds the cargo tank;

wherein the vapor recovery system includes a vapor-recovery port at a top end of the cargo tank and vapor-recovery piping that extends outside of the cabinet between the vapor-recovery fitting and the vapor-recovery port; and

wherein the outer jacket encloses the vapor-recovery piping and the vapor-recovery port.

17. The cargo tank assembly of claim 16, wherein the outer jacket includes an at least partly non-cylindrical profile;

and

wherein the outer jacket at least partly defines a closed compartment at the top end of the cargo tank, with the vapor-recovery port enclosed within the closed compartment.

18. A method of manufacture for a cargo tank assembly, the method comprising:

forming a cargo tank with an internal area;

forming a plurality of access ports for the cargo tank, including a manway and one or more of an inlet port to fill the cargo tank, an outlet port to empty the cargo tank, a cleaning port, and an inspection port; and

disposing a cabinet to enclose the plurality of access ports so that the cabinet provides ground-level access to the plurality of access ports.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

forming a breakable seal for the cabinet, to seal the cabinet when the cabinet is closed;

wherein none of the plurality of access ports include a breakable seal, so that the cabinet provides the only breakable seal for access to the interior of the cargo tank via the plurality of access ports.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

attaching a vapor recovery system to the cargo tank; and

forming a housing with an outer jacket for the cargo tank;

wherein the vapor recovery system includes a vapor-recovery fitting configured to attach to an external conduit to discharge vapor from the cargo tank;

wherein the vapor-recovery fitting is enclosed by the cabinet, with the cabinet providing ground-level access to the vapor-recovery fitting; and

wherein the outer jacket is configured to enclose the vapor recovery system outside of the cabinet.