Method and arrangement for inspection and requalification of lined vehicles used for transporting commodities and/or hazardous materials

• US 6,597,973 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Railcar Services Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Daniel M. Barich, Michael Yeung, Timothy Donahue
• Inventors: Yeung, Michael, Donahue, Timothy, Barich, Daniel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US09/672,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29-30, 701/33, 701/35, 701/36, 701/45, 335/62--63, 335/65--67, 705/400, 705/404, 705/1, 705/20, 702/33-36, 702/182-185, 702/155-158, 731/181
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/06 characterised by multi-articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/088 of optical fibres; Mechanical features associated with the optical testing of optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/37 in which light is projected perpendicularly to the axis of the fibre or waveguide for monitoring a section thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A test procedure for inspecting a vehicle adapted to transport commodities. This procedure includes the steps of inspecting a lining disposed in a tank of a tank car and comparing crack, blister, and corrosion conditions on the liner with predetermined models. These predetermined models convey a discrete range of severity levels of cracks, blisters, and corrosion conditions and permit determination of a severity level for the compared condition(s). The severity level for the condition is then documented. Standardization of inspection findings facilitates trending analysis of each tank car or vessel lining to determine when requalification of a given lining should be carried out, thus improving the safety with which commodities (including regulated hazardous materials) are shipped and stored.

Claims

1. A test procedure for inspecting a vehicle adapted to transport commodities, comprising the steps of:

inspecting a lining disposed in a tank of a tank car;

comparing at least one prescribed defect condition on the liner with predetermined models, said predetermined models conveying a discrete range of severity levels of said at least one prescribed defect condition;

determining, based on the comparison, a severity level for the at least one prescribed defect condition;

recording the severity level for the at least one prescribed defect condition;

cross-referencing the prescribed defect condition severity level with indices indicative of the corrosiveness of a commodity to be transported in the tank to determine if lining repair is required prior to a next scheduled lining inspection; and

assigning one of an accept or repair disposition to the lining if any one of prescribed defect conditions exceed a predetermined minimum threshold for a specified commodity corrosiveness.

2. A test procedure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the commodity has a predetermined product purity level;

modifying the repair status to one indicating repair in the event that the commodity has a predetermined product purity level and any one of the prescribed defect conditions exceeds a minimum threshold value.

3. A test procedure for inspecting a vehicle adapted to transport commodities, comprising the steps of:

inspecting a lining disposed in a tank of a tank car;

comparing at least one prescribed defect condition on the liner with predetermined models, said predetermined models conveying a discrete range of severity levels of said at least one prescribed defect condition;

determining, based on the comparison, a severity level for the at least one prescribed defect condition;

recording the severity level for the at least one prescribed defect condition;

determining a percentage of lining complete extended life cycle for a lining inspected; and

associating, for the determined percentage of complete extended life cycle, the combined defect severity levels of a plurality of said prescribed defect conditions to one of a plurality of discrete lining condition values.

4. A test procedure as set forth in claim 3, wherein said plurality of said prescribed defect conditions comprise at least one of cracks, blisters, and corrosion conditions.

5. A test procedure as set forth in claim 4, wherein said plurality of said prescribed defect conditions comprise at least one of dry film thickness and discoloration conditions.

6. A test procedure as set forth in claim 5, wherein a location of the most severe of each of said plurality of said prescribed defect conditions is recorded.

7. A test procedure as set forth in claim 5, wherein a location of each of said plurality of said prescribed defect conditions exceeding a minimum threshold is recorded.

8. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities, comprising the steps of:

defining at least one defect type;

defining a plurality of defect severity'"'"'s within said at least one defect type; and

generating a pattern or graphical model of each of said defect severity'"'"'s within said at least one defect type;

correlating each pattern or graphical model to a corrosiveness of a transported commodity to determine a repair disposition of the lining in relation to said pattern or graphical model to determine if lining repair is required prior to a next scheduled lining inspection.

9. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of defect types including at least one member selected from the group of cracks, blisters, corrosion, dry film thickness, and discoloration.

10. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities according to claim, wherein at least one pattern or graphical model comprises a physical model or electronic model.

11. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities, comprising the steps of:

defining at least one defect type;

defining a plurality of defect severities within said at least one defect type; and

generating a model of each of said defect severities within said at least one defect type;

correlating a lining condition to one of a plurality of distinct combinations of models of one defect type and severity with models of another defect type and severity.

12. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities according to claim 11, wherein said correlation step further comprises relating said plurality of distinct combinations of models of one defect type and severity with models of another defect type and severity to a percentage of liner completed extended life cycle.

13. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of defect types including at least one member selected from the group of cracks, blisters, corrosion, dry film thickness, and discoloration.

14. A method of standardizing a test procedure for inspecting a vessel adapted to contain commodities according to claim 13, wherein said models comprise at least one of physical models, graphical models, and electronic models.

15. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions enabling a computer having at least one processor to facilitate inspection of a vessel adapted to contain commodities, the instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to carry out the steps of:

prompting for selection of one of a plurality of indicated defect types;

displaying a plurality of patterns or graphical models of the selected defect type, said plurality of patterns or graphical models defining a corresponding plurality of defect severity levels;

prompting for selection of one of said patterns or graphical models substantially corresponding to an inspection result;

performing at least one of storing the selected pattern or graphical model and defect type and outputting a signal corresponding to the selected pattern or graphical model and defect type; and

comparing the selected pattern or graphical model to a stored index of acceptance criteria values for the corresponding defect type, said acceptance criteria values relating to at least one of a commodity integrity, a vessel lining integrity, and a vessel integrity, over a predetermined periodic inspection interval.

16. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions enabling a computer having at least one processor to facilitate inspection of a vessel adapted to contain commodities, the instructions, when executed by a computer, in accord with claim 15, comprising:

comparing the output signal to a corrosiveness of a transported commodity to determine a repair disposition of the vessel lining in relation to a predetermined relationship between said plurality of patterns or graphical models and a plurality of commodity corrosiveness values to determine if lining repair is required prior to a next scheduled lining inspection.