Method of cleaning a pressurized container

• US 6,443,166 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tunney, Joseph P., Buchan, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUDHRY, SAEED T
• Application Number:
  US09/689,386
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 134/22.1, 134/22.15, 134/22.18, 134/31, 134/34, 134/37, 134/40, 134/42
• US Class Current: 134/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/08 Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/058 portable (<30 l)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0379 Manholes or access openings for human beings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/014 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/033 Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/035 Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/044 by purging
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0439 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0452 Concentration of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/037 Handling leaked fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/038 Detecting leaked fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/044 Avoiding pollution or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0171 Trucks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0178 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 7/04 with change of state, e.g. vaporisation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of cleaning a pressurized container having at least one chemical contained therein. The pressurized container may be any type of container able to store chemicals under pressure. Preferably, however, the container may be a rail tank car. Generally, the method begins with inspecting the container, testing for leaks in the container and verifying the contents of the container. Cleaning the container entails injecting the container with an amount of heated nitrogen gas to commingle with the chemical contained therein. The nitrogen gas/chemical mixture is then fed to a flare for incineration of the chemical. This may be repeated a plurality of times to completely clean the container or reduce the concentration of the chemical therein to a predefined amount. After cleaning with heated nitrogen, the container may be steam-cleaned and opened to remove debris.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a container having at least one chemical therein, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a container having an amount of at least one chemical contained therein wherein the container has a plurality of valves for adding material to the container or removing material from the container;

adding an amount of heated nitrogen gas to the container to mix with the chemical creating a nitrogen gas/chemical mixture;

providing a flare to incinerate the nitrogen gas/chemical mixture; and

venting the nitrogen gas/chemical mixture to the flare.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the chemical is in a gaseous state at standard temperature and pressure and further wherein the chemical has a pressure within the container.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

measuring the pressure within the container prior to adding the heated nitrogen gas; and

venting the nitrogen gas/chemical mixture to the flare.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

inspecting the container for leaks.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

sampling the hazardous material to verify the identity of the chemical.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

attaching a pipe to one of the valves and connecting the pipe to the flare prior to venting the residual pressure of the chemical.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a housing having sideports wherein the housing is disposed over the valves; and

sampling the gas within the housing for leaks via the sideports of the housing while inspecting the container.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

providing a lid on the housing;

opening the lid; and

inspecting the valves in the housing for damage to the valves.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the heated nitrogen gas is between about 100°

F. and about 300°

F.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

attaching a pipe from the nitrogen gas to the inlet valve of the container.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

filling the container with heated nitrogen gas;

venting the heated nitrogen gas from the container; and

repeating the filling and the venting a plurality of times until the concentration of the chemical therein reaches a predefined amount.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

adding heated nitrogen gas until the pressure within the container is between about 5 psi and about 50 psi.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

grounding the container prior to inspecting the container.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a means to access the inside of the container; and

opening the means to access the inside of the container to gain access to the inside of the container.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing steam in a steam tank;

connecting a pipe from the steam tank to the inlet valve of the container;

adding the steam to the container to pressurize the container with the steam; and

maintaining the pressure of the steam within the container for an amount of time.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

measuring a residual pressure of the chemical within the container with a pressure gauge prior to adding the amount of heated nitrogen gas; and

venting the residual pressure of the hazardous material to the flare.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

adding a quantity of heated nitrogen gas if the residual pressure within the container is about zero psi.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the container is a rail tank car.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the container has a plurality of chemicals contained therein.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing a control panel having a plurality of controls for controlling the cleaning method; and

controlling the cleaning method via the control panel.