Cleaning installation for the internal cleaning of mobile loading tanks

Abstract

 Cleaning installation for the cleaning of mobile loading tanks (3) consisting of a stationary column (1) with a rotating spray head (2) at an angle of 35 to 55 degrees to the horizontal plane; a floor (4) on which the loading tanks (3) are placed and which can be tilted; this floor runs parallel with the spray column when the loading tank is put on it and is fitted at such a level that the loading tank on the floor, which is guided at the sides, slides with its filling opening over the spray head (3) with internal nozzles.

Description

[0001] The invention concerned is an installation for the internal cleaning of mobile loading tanks.

[0002] In the chemical and dairy industries small mobile loading tanks with a capacity of 20-100 1. are widely used. These tanks are often made of synthetic material. The cleaning of the tanks is made difficult by the small filling openings (40-60 mm.) , on account of which this work is laborious and labour-intensive. For this reason cleaning is in many cases omitted and consequently the tanks are only used once, which is not conducive to an economic use of equipment.

[0003] The invention aims at givdng an economically acceptable solution to the cleaning of the above-mentioned loading tanks. The cleaning is done by'means of a number of powerful jets of water ejected by a rotating spray head.Because the spray head has to be inserted through the relatively small opening, it is provided with internally fittea nozzles. developed by our firm. The spray head and the column to which it is attached are stationary. The loading tanks to be cleaned are placed over the spray head in such a way that the spray head is about in the middle of the tank.

[0004] During cleaning operations the tank is firmly fixed by a locking frame in order to absorb the reaction force of the water jets. Adaptation of the installation to loading tanks of various sizes can simply be done by fitting a counterjig , adapted to the loading tank in question, on the locking frame.

[0005] During cleaning operations the loading tanks are placed in such a way that the filling opening is in the lowest possible position, allowing the rinsing water to run out of the tank automatically in order to be collected and removed further to a biological sewage treatment plant for instance.

[0006] Seperate cleaning installations of this kind are very suitable to be turned into one battery, so that an installation with a large cleaning capacity can be built up in a confined space.

[0007] There are installations for the cleaning of tanks, which are based on the cleaning of fouled surfaces by means of powerful water jets, e.g. patent specifications NL-C-164766 and NL- C- 165955.

[0008] These are essentially mobile cleaning installations which are placed inside the tanks to be cleaned, without the normal position of the tanks in relation to the horizontal plane being changed.

[0009] In all these installations the nozzles are fitted externally on the spray heads.

[0010] In this invention, as opposed to the above-mentioned installations, the cleaning installation is stationary and the loading tank is placed over it in the most suitable position.

[0011] The invention will be explained further on the basis of drawings, which include a practical example.

Figure 1 shows the installation without the loading tank having been put into position.

Figure 2 shows the installation at the moment the loading tank is put into position.

Figure 3 shows the installation during cleaning operations.

Figure 3a shows how a smaller tank is fixed by a counterjig, which is fitted on the locking frame.

Figure 4 shows the column with the spray head.

Figure 5 shows an example of an internal nozzle.

[0012] The column (1) to which the rotating spray head (2) is attached makes an angle of approx. 45 degrees to the horizontal plane. The loading tank ( 3) is put on a floor ( 4) which runs parallel with the spray column (1) at that moment. In addition the tank (3) is guided on the sides(5) , which enables the spray head (2) to slide inside automatically through the filling opening. The floor ( 4) can be tilted round a pivot(6) and is attached to the locking frame (7) by two strips (5) on both sides of the loading tank(3).Towards the floor these strips ( 5) are provided with slotted holes (8). The locking frame(7) can be tilted round a pivot ( 9) and is operated by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder(11) by means of a lever(10). When the locking frame(7) is in its highest position the loading tank(3) can be put into place. When the locking frame ( 7) is lowered the three components, that is the locking frame (7), the loading tank(3) and the floor (4), move downwards simultanuously. As soon as the floor ( 4) is joined to the underlying construction the bottom of the loading tank(3) is at an angle of approx. 30 degrees to the horizontal plane and the spray head (2)is about in the middle of the tank (3).

[0013] When the locking frame(7) is moved further the loading tank(3) is encased completely, which prevents it from being moved by the reaction force of the water jets.

[0014] Loading tanks which are not of the maximum size for which the installation is designed can be cleaned by fitting a counterjig(12) on the locking frame ( 7). In this case the spray column (1) will have to be moved lengthwise to ensure that the spray head (2) comes about in the middle of the tank.If the centre distance from the filling opening to the side of the loading tank should also be different, it will have to be adjusted too. These adjustments can easily be realized with constructions known from mechanical engineering.

[0015] As the tanks will mostly be cleaned in larger numbers the installation will have to be adjusted to tanks of different sizes only a few times a day.

[0016] Because of the small filling openings ( dia 40-60 mm.) of the loading tanks concerned the rotating spray head must be of a smaller size too. The spray head, which rotates perpendicular to as well as parallel with the spray column, must have the same extent in every position. As this is not the case with the conventional types, the nozzles of the istallation at issue have been integrated in the spray head.

[0017] For fitting and removing these nozzles(14), of which one is depicted in fig. 5, they are provided with an inside hexagon(15), so that there are no projecting parts after fitting. The sprayer orifice(16) of this nozzle is adjustable to the pressure and the amount of water. By widening or reducing the inlet cone ( 17) the spray width is adjustable too.

[0018] With a similar installation it proved possible to clean a 60 1. tank, which had been fouled with calcium chloride deposits, in 60 seconds, of which'the cleaning took forty seconds and the loading, unloading and emptying of the- tank 20 seconds. The cleaning took 28 1. of water, which was injected through the spray head under a pressure of 140 bar.

Claims

1. Cleaning installation for the cleaning of mobile loading tanks consisting of a stationary column with a rotating spray head at an angle of 35 to 55 degrees to the horizontal plane; a floor on which'the loading tanks are placed and which can be tilted; this floor runs parallel with the spray column when the loading tank is put on it and is fitted at such a level that the loading tank on the floor, which is guided at the sides, slides with its filling opening over the spray head.

2. Installation as described under 1, provided with a spray head with internal nozzles.

3. lnstallation as described under 1 and 2 of which the floor and the loading tank placed on it can be tilted back to such an extent that the spray head is about in the middle of the tank.

4. Installation as described under 1,2 and 3 with the loading tank being fixed by a locking frame.

5. Installation as described under 1,2,3 and 4 with loading tanks of smaller size being fixed by light counterjigs , which are attached to the locking frame.

Drawing