Large Bore Vacuum System for Remote Ground Tank Sediment Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for cleaning large ground tanks are ineffective, slow, environmentally adverse, and pose health and safety risks due to the use of small bore vacuum lines that limit suction force and flow volume, leading to reduced tank capacity and operational inefficiency in industries like oil and gas.
Innovation Solution
A large bore vacuum system with nozzles and adapters made of lightweight materials, equipped with rollers and wiper blades, allows for remote operation inside the tank, using a pressurized liquid to dislodge and collect sediment and liquids, maintaining operator safety and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional small bore vacuum lines are used for ground tank cleaning, then operator safety is maintained through direct access, but cleaning effectiveness is reduced due to limited suction force and flow volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional small bore mechanical vacuum systems with a large bore vacuum system that uses a combination of vacuum suction and pressurized water injection. This substitution enables remote operation through a single wall penetration point while achieving effective cleaning of heavy sediments, resolving the contradiction between operator safety and cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs pneumatic vacuum forces combined with hydraulic water pressure to dislodge and remove heavy sediments from the tank. The large bore vacuum line delivers both vacuum suction and pressurized water injection, enabling effective remote cleaning without requiring operator entry into the tank.
2Device complexity
If conventional cleaning methods are used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but cleaning speed and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The large bore vacuum nozzle serves multiple functions: it delivers vacuum suction, injects pressurized water, and collects debris through a single device. This multi-functionality enables rapid cleaning operation while the modular design maintains relative equipment simplicity through standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by injecting pressurized water to dislodge heavy sediments before vacuum collection. This pre-loosening action significantly accelerates the cleaning process compared to vacuum-only methods, while the overall system remains relatively simple in configuration.
3Ease of operation
If operators physically enter the ground tank for cleaning, then direct control is achieved, but health and safety risks increase due to exposure to hazardous materials
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the operator from the hazardous tank environment by performing cleaning operations remotely through a single wall penetration point. The large bore vacuum line allows the operator to control the cleaning process from outside the tank, eliminating exposure to hazardous materials while maintaining direct control through the flexible hose.
4Weight of moving object
If small bore vacuum systems are used, then equipment portability is maintained, but tank capacity restoration is insufficient due to limited removal capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the combined power of pneumatic vacuum suction and hydraulic water pressure to remove large quantities of heavy sediments efficiently. The large bore vacuum line provides sufficient capacity to handle high volumes of debris while the modular design maintains equipment portability for field deployment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively increases tank capacity by efficiently removing sediments and liquids without exposing operators to hazardous materials, reducing environmental contamination, and enabling continuous operation with mobile holding tanks.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum source configured to create a negative pressure environment
Implementation Method 2
a pressurized fluid system in communication with the vacuum line configured to deliver a pressurized liquid to the vacuum nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
A large bore mobile vacuum system is used with special large bore vacuum adapters to enable a method and system for cleaning ground tanks used to store wastewater. The ground tank cleaning method and system may be safer and more efficient that conventional methods by enabling a human operator to physically remain outside of the ground tank, while preventing the contents of the ground tank from being exposed to the environment during the ground tank cleaning.