Ships – Building – Freighters
Utility Patent
1999-05-26
2001-01-02
Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3617)
Ships
Building
Freighters
C220S901000
Utility Patent
active
06167827
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the composite tank arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with maritime chemical tankers having composite storage tanks for use in transporting and storing liquid organic and inorganic chemicals, and will be described with particular reference thereto. The present invention also finds application in conjunction with composite iso-tank containers for use in transporting and storing liquid organic and inorganic chemicals on maritime container ships, railroad cars, and roadway semi-trailers.
Seaborne trade in liquid organic and inorganic chemicals has grown tremendously over the past decade. This growth is accompanied with the ever present dangers of massive ecological damage should any of the present tanker ships have a chemical spill due to collision with another ship or ship breakup due to internal corrosion and/or rough seas.
With the growing demand for the transportation of hazardous chemicals by sea, new designs, safety equipment, and containment procedures have been developed. One such design is full, double-hulled ships with the port and starboard wings being used to carry less hazardous cargoes. Further, due to the inability of present coatings to resist the corrosive effects of the more aggressive cargoes, more and more chemical tanker's cargo tanks are being built of stainless steel. However, the cost for the stainless steel tanks can, on larger chemical tankers, cost as much as the rest of the ship, including the steel hull, engine room equipment and outfitting.
A major problem facing maritime chemical tanker operators and owners is the time spent in port which remains very long in relation to time spent at sea. Chemical tanker owners and operators face a port time of their entire fleet of deep-sea tankers of around 40%. This causes a tremendous loss in charter revenue. This port time is, in part, due to the requirement of washing and cleaning the cargo tanks prior to loading the next cargo. With present tanker designs, which incorporate integral rectangular stainless steel cargo tanks, large hard to reach surfaces have to be washed down with chemicals to remove the residue of the previous cargo. This takes an excessive amount of time plus it produces large quantities of hazardous waste water, typically referred to as “slops”. Slops have to be treated and neutralized before being pumped overboard, or have to be pumped ashore for treatment. In either case, washing known rectangular stainless steel cargo tanks is a very costly and time consuming process.
It has been proposed to build cylindrical stainless steel tanks which are easier to clean. The use of cylindrical stainless steel cargo tanks reduces the amount of slops required to clean the cargo tanks, reduces the time spent in port cleaning the tanks, and reduces the costs associated with neutralizing the slops that are produced. However, it is more expensive to manufacturer cylindrical stainless steel cargo tanks. Thus, the use of cylindrical stainless steel cargo tanks increases the manufacturing cost of the ship, reduces carrying capacity of the cargo tanks due to loss of area of a cylinder versus that of a rectangle, and increases the weight and length of the ship in order to carry the same volume of cargo as a ship having rectangular cargo tanks.
Also, the transportation of liquid organic and inorganic chemicals by rail and over-the-road presents numerous hazards to humans, animals, and the environment.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved composite storage tank for transporting and storing liquid organic and inorganic chemicals, which meets the above-stated needs and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a maritime vessel is disclosed. The maritime vessel includes a hull and at least one cargo tank associated with the hull and having a multi-layered side wall construction. The side wall construction includes a first layer providing a corrosion barrier for the cargo tank, a second layer providing structural integrity for the cargo tank, a third layer providing impact energy absorption and buoyancy properties for the cargo tank, and a fourth layer providing fire-resistant properties for the cargo tank.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an iso-tank is disclosed. The iso-tank has a multi-layer sidewall construction including a first layer providing a corrosion barrier for the iso-tank, a second layer providing structural integrity for the iso-tank, a third layer providing impact energy absorption and buoyancy properties for the iso-tank, a fourth layer providing fire-resistant properties for the iso-tank, and a protective super-structure surrounding the iso-tank.
One advantage of the present invention is the provision of a lighter tonnage chemical tanker which incorporates multi-layer composite cargo tanks.
Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a faster chemical tanker which can carry more cargo at the same draft in a smaller ship relative to stainless steel tank ships.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a chemical tanker having 50% less shore time than stainless steel tank ships.
Still further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3325037 (1967-06-01), Kohn et al.
patent: 3502239 (1970-03-01), Worboys et al.
patent: 3830180 (1974-08-01), Bolton
patent: 3927788 (1975-12-01), Zinniger et al.
patent: 4378403 (1983-03-01), Kotcharian
patent: 5368184 (1994-11-01), Fay et al.
Fay Sharpe Fagan Minnich & McKee LLP
Guaranteed Advanced Tank Technologies International Ltd.
Sotelo Jesus D.
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