Corrosion-Resistant Mobile Storage Tank with Floating Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current large-scale mobile storage tanks made of carbon steel or stainless steel are prone to corrosion when exposed to chemicals, leading to breakdown and decay, and lack safety features to prevent drainage of contents, while also being heavy and costly.
Innovation Solution
A corrosion-resistant mobile storage tank constructed from copolymer polypropylene with a 'u' shaped mid-mixing pipeline and an apex 'v' shaped top and bottom, featuring steel reinforcements and a floating design that allows for expansion and contraction, and includes safety features to prevent complete drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If steel storage tanks are coated with paint or rubber to prevent corrosion, then corrosion resistance is improved, but the tank becomes non-homogenous and unable to withstand corrosive chemicals, causing coatings to wear and breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining copolymer polypropylene with steel reinforcements. The copolymer polypropylene provides corrosion resistance and chemical stability, while the steel reinforcements provide structural strength. This composite structure eliminates the need for external coatings while maintaining both corrosion resistance and structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between corrosion protection and material homogeneity.
2Strength
If steel storage tanks are used to ensure strength and durability, then structural strength is improved, but the tanks become heavy and prone to corrosion from chemicals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where copolymer polypropylene serves as the primary material providing corrosion resistance and chemical stability, while steel reinforcements are strategically placed to provide structural strength. This eliminates the need for heavy solid steel construction while maintaining required strength properties, thereby reducing overall tank weight and improving mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The steel reinforcements are applied locally at critical stress points and structural interfaces rather than throughout the entire tank structure. This localized reinforcement approach provides necessary strength where needed while minimizing overall weight, allowing the tank to be lighter than conventional steel tanks while maintaining structural integrity.
3Device complexity
If a straight-line mid-mixing pipeline is used in steel storage tanks, then pipeline simplicity is improved, but safety is worsened as the entire tank contents can drain if a valve fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pipeline into multiple sections with strategic positioning of high-point drains and low-point drains. This segmentation creates isolated zones within the pipeline system, so that a valve failure or leak in one section does not result in complete tank drainage. The segmented approach maintains operational simplicity while significantly improving safety.
4Ease of manufacture
If storage tanks are designed with flat tops to maintain geometric continuity, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but rainwater and snow accumulation is worsened in harsh climates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the tank top geometry from flat to curved, creating a dome-shaped or arched structure. This curvature prevents rainwater and snow accumulation by allowing water and snow to naturally shed off the surface. The curved design maintains manufacturing feasibility while eliminating the harmful effect of water and snow accumulation that would occur with flat tops in harsh climates.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides for an above-ground mobile storage tank that can be used in a variety of different commercial applications. In one embodiment, the storage tank may comprise a tank shell, wherein the tank shell further comprises at least one floor wall, at least one top wall, and at least four side walls. The side walls may each be affixed to the floor wall and the top wall to from an interior tank space. Each of the wall panels may comprise a copolymer polypropylene material. The storage tank may also comprise a plurality of steel reinforcements, wherein each reinforcement is configured to encapsulate the tank shell. Each reinforcement may be affixed to a trailer, which is configured to transport the tank shell. The storage tank may also comprise a plurality of slip plates located on the trailer to enable the tank shell to “float” above the trailer.