Mobile Glycol Heater for Iso Tank Container Heating

The present disclosure claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/567,562, having a filing date of Mar. 20, 2024, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure related to a portable heater for an iso container tank. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a glycol heater system that circulates heated glycol through coils surrounding an iso tank container to maintain contents of the iso tank container at a desired temperature.

The aspects, features, details, utilities and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from reading the following description and claims, and from reviewing the accompanying drawings.

ISO tank containers are built based on ISO standards (International Organization for Standardization) and are designed to carry liquids in bulk, both hazardous and non-hazardous. ISO containers are typically made of steel (e.g., stainless) and may be surrounded by various types of protective layers. Based on the cargo type, different skins can be used. The containers can include a manhole on the top along with various valves for filling and emptying the tank. Often, such ISO tank containers are shaped like a cylinder surrounded by a frame. Since ISO tanks are built based on ISO standards, the frame which the tank sits in typically measures about 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high and vary in size and type and can carry between about 7,000 and 10,000 gallons of liquid. Such ISO containers are often utilized in chemical plants for delivery (e.g., by rail or truck) of finished chemicals.

Referring initially to, an ISO tank containeris illustrated. The tank containercomprises a storage vesselsurrounded by and supported by a frame. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage vesselmay be of stainless-steel construction and comprises a generally cylindrical outer wall closed at opposite ends by a hemispherical front-end wall and a hemispherical rear end wall. A manhole lid (not shown) covers an opening in the top of the storage vessel. A valve boxsurrounds various inlet and outlet valves. In an embodiment, the storage vesselmay be surrounded by a layer of insulation. Further, cooling or heating conduits (not shown) may be disposed between the insulation layer and an outer surface of the tank.

The framemay be of steel construction and includes a rear top rail, a rear bottom rail, and opposite rear side rails secured as by welding in a generally square configuration of about 8 feet high and 8 feet wide to form a rear endof the frame. The framesimilarly includes a front top rail, a front bottom rail, and opposite front side rails also secured in a square configuration to form a front endof the frame. The front and rear ends,of the frameare connected by opposite top side rails,and opposite bottom side rails(only one shown), in a rectangular prism configuration. A plurality cross supports may extend between the various rails. A ladder may connect to the rear top and bottom rails. A grating may be provided on the top of the framefor allowing an operator access to the top of the storage vessel. In the illustrated embodiment, the tank containeris ISO compliant with the frame and vessel dimensions generally being as described above. This basic structure of the ISO tank containeris well known. The ISO tank container frameenables the tank containerto be stacked with other tank containers. Additionally, the tank containercan be transported on a trailer or rail car.

ISO tank containers are often utilized at chemical manufacturing plants to store finished chemicals prior to transport. In some instances, chemicals stored in such ISO containers need to be maintained at a desired temperature or within a desired temperature range. For instance, it may be desirable that the chemicals stored in an ISO container do not fall below a predetermined threshold while awaiting transport. Transport vehicles for transporting such stored chemicals typically include environmental control systems that allow for maintaining the chemical within the ISO container within a desired temperature range. For instance, such vehicles may circulate fluid through coils surrounding the storage vessel. However, such environmental control systems may not be available while the ISO container is awaiting transportation. In some instances, chemical plant operators have attempted to run steam, which is commonly available in chemical manufacturing plants, through the heating coils of ISO containers to prevent chemicals therein from falling below a lower temperature threshold. The use of such steam, while effective in preventing the chemical from falling below a lower temperature threshold, can result in other problems. Such problems include overheating of the chemicals due to limited controls on the steam flow and/or scorching of chemicals in the ISO container proximate to the coils carrying the steam due to often elevated temperatures of the steam.

Aspects of the present disclosure are based on the realization that it would be more effective to utilize an intermediate fluid maintain the temperature of chemicals within the ISO containers. More specifically, it has been recognized that, due to the availability of steam in many or most chemical manufacturing plants, steam could be utilized to heat an intermediate fluid such as glycol. The heated glycol may then be circulated through the ISO containers. More importantly, control systems may be implemented such that the steam heats the glycol to a predetermined temperature or within a predetermined temperature range that provides effective temperature control (e.g., heating) for chemicals in an ISO container without potentially overheating (e.g., scorching) the chemicals in the ISO container. That is, use of the intermediate fluid may provide an increased temperature control for ISO container temperature maintenance.

illustrate a mobile glycol heating unitin embodiment. As illustrated, the glycol heating unitis mounted within trailer. Accordingly, the glycol heating unitmay be moved to locations where ISO container heating is required. That is, trailermay be towed to a location where one or more ISO containers are stored awaiting transportation.

Referring to, the glycol heating unitincludes several active components disposed within the interior of trailer. In the exemplary embodiment, the glycol heating unitincludes a steam bulkheadthat provides an entry point into the trailer an exit out of the trailer for steam inlet and outlet lines,. When connected to the source of steam by the bulkhead, steam enters the trailerand passes through a steam heat exchanger. The steam heat exchangeris fluidly coupled to a tank or reservoirwhich holds a supply of glycol or other heat transfer fluid. In an embodiment, the reservoirhas a 180-gallon capacity. Other capacities are possible within the scope of the present disclosure.

A pumppumps fluid from the reservoirthrough the steam heat exchangerwhile steam is passing through the heat exchanger. This results in the glycol or other heat exchange fluid being heated as it passes through the heat exchanger. From the heat exchanger, the heated fluid may pass through outlet tubingand through a glycol outlet hose held on an outlet reel. The glycol outlet hose carrying heated glycol may be fluidly connected to the inlet of a heating coil(s) of an ISO container (not shown). Likewise, return hose held on and inlet reelmay be attached to the outlet of the coil(s) of the ISO container. The inlet hose is likewise connected to return tubingfluidly coupled to the reservoir. This regard, a heating fluid loop is formed from the reservoirthrough the heat exchanger, through a connected ISO container (not shown) and back to the reservoir. Alternatively, each reel,may include both an outlet tubing and inlet tubing. In such an embodiment, each reel,may be connected by an inlet manifold (not shown) allowing each reel to receive heated glycol form the pump. Accordingly, each reel,may include valves (not shown) allowing a heating circuit through the reel to be opened and closed. In such an arrangement, the steam heating circuit of the mobile heating unitmay simultaneously heat two ISO containers. Further it will be appreciated that more or fewer inlet/outlet tubes and/or reels are possible.

In the illustrated embodiment, the glycol heating unitincludes an optional parallel heating loop. This parallel heating loop includes a circulation heaterand a pump. In this heating loop, the circulation heatermay be an electrical heater. In embodiment, the circulation heatermay be Tempco industrial circulation heater rated 42 kW at 480 volts 3 phase. Other heaters are possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. Like the prior discussed heating loop, a pumppumps fluid from the reservoirthrough the circulation heaterand through outlet tubingto at least hose hold by one of at least one reel,, through an ISO container, and back through return tubingto the reservoir. When utilizing both steam and electrical heating, either or both heating loops may be utilized depending on availability of heating sources (e.g., steam or electricity).

As noted above, use of the intermediate fluid for heating an ISO container allows for improved control of the temperature of the fluid provided to the ISO container. Such control may prevent, for instance, scorching of chemicals within the ISO container, which may be caused by direct steam heating.

illustrates a diagram of a control system of the heating unit, in an embodiment. As illustrated, a control panelis operatively connected to various components within the heating unit. More particularly, the control panel, which may include various controllers, microprocessors user display and input devices is operatively interconnected to the pumpsand/orof the heating loops. The control panelis operative to control the speed of the pumpsand/orto control the flow of the heating fluid through their respective heatersand/or.

In embodiment, control panelis interconnected to temperature sensorsand/orconfigured to monitor the temperature in outlet lines,exiting from the heaters,. Further it will be appreciated that the control panel may allow a user to set the outlet temperature of either heating loop to a desired temperature. Accordingly, the control panel may operate the pumps to achieve an outlet temperature that is desired to be input to one or more ISO containers. Additionally, the control panelmay be connected to a temperature sensorthat monitors the interior temperature of the reservoir. This temperature may be indicative of the temperatures within one or more ISO containers.

In further arrangements, the control panelmay be operative to control the operation of the electric circulation heaterand/or control the flow of the steam into the heat exchangervia an actuator-controlled regulator. However, it will be appreciated that the regulatormay be manually set. In addition, temperature sensors (not shown) may provide information regarding the temperature of steam entering and/or exiting the steam heat exchanger. This information may likewise be used to control the system. In any embodiment, the regulatorregulates the flow of the steam passing through the heat exchanger. Once steam passes through the heat exchangerand exchanges thermal energy with the heating fluid from the reservoir, the steam exits the heat exchanger, passes through a steam trapand may be vented through a blowdown which may be located below the trailer.

In a further embodiment, each output lineand/ormay additionally include flowmeter,operatively coupled to the control panel. The flowmeters,monitor the rate of flow through their respective output lines,allowing the control panel to adjust the speed of the pumps,to achieve the desired flow in addition or alternatively to control speed of the pumps based on the temperature fluid in the output lines. It will be appreciated that the heating loops may be operated independently.

illustrates one nonlimiting embodiment of a tube-in-tube heat exchangerfor use in exchanging thermal energy between the incoming steam and the heating fluid. In an embodiment the heat exchangeris a B300S 2 Pass Steam to Liquid Exchanger produced by Standard Xchange of Buffalo NY. However, it will be appreciated that other heat exchangers may be utilized. In an embedment, the steam heat exchangerincludes a steam inletand a steam outlet. The steam passes into the steam inlet and travels through a plurality of U-shaped steam pipes (not shown) disposed in a housing of the heat exchanger. While steam is passing through the heat exchanger, glycol is pumped into a glycol inletpasses though the interior of the heat exchanger around the steam pipes, where it is heated, and exits through a glycol outlet.

All directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the any aspect of the disclosure. As used herein, the phrased “configured to,” “configured for,” and similar phrases indicate that the subject device, apparatus, or system is designed and/or constructed (e.g., through appropriate hardware, software, and/or components) to fulfill one or more specific object purposes, not that the subject device, apparatus, or system is merely capable of performing the object purpose. Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materials does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.