Programmable Tank Cleaning Nozzle with Hydraulic Pan-Tilt Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cleaning oil and tar, or hazardous liquid, solid, or sludge waste from tanks are inefficient, hazardous, and often require manual operation, leading to prolonged cycle times and incomplete cleaning due to limited visibility and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
A semi-automated system utilizing fluid jets with two degrees of freedom (pan and tilt) and hydraulic actuation, integrated with a hydraulic power unit and control station, allowing for remote operation and intelligent path planning to efficiently break up and liquefy waste, even in hazardous environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If handheld water nozzles are used for cleaning tanks, then cleaning can be performed manually, but the process is slow, tedious, and exposes personnel to hazardous conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle system performs self-positioning and self-adjustment through automated feedback mechanisms. The system automatically adjusts nozzle orientation and position based on real-time monitoring of cleaning effectiveness, reducing the need for constant manual intervention while maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical nozzle handling with an automated robotic system that uses sensors, actuators, and control algorithms to position and orient nozzles. This substitution eliminates manual exposure to hazards while significantly increasing cleaning speed and consistency.
2Power
If handheld blast nozzles are used, then cleaning power is high, but operator fatigue and injury risk increase due to high thrust forces
Solution Approach 1:
The hazardous function of withstanding and controlling high thrust forces is extracted from the human operator and transferred to the robotic system. The robot's rigid structure and automated control mechanisms handle the high forces generated by blast nozzles, completely eliminating operator exposure to these dangerous forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system acts as an intermediary between the high-power blast nozzle and the operator. It provides precise control of the nozzle while isolating the operator from the hazardous thrust forces, allowing full utilization of cleaning power without safety risks.
3Ease of operation
If remotely operated cameras are used for visibility, then operator safety is improved, but cleaning efficiency decreases due to limited viewing area and obstructed view
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system integrates multiple functions including cleaning, navigation, and multi-modal sensing capabilities. It combines various sensor types (optical cameras, infrared sensors, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) to achieve comprehensive environmental perception, eliminating the limited viewing constraints of single-camera systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts sensing parameters such as sensor orientation, field of view, and detection ranges based on real-time conditions. This allows the robotic system to optimize its perception capabilities for different cleaning scenarios, maintaining high efficiency while ensuring operator safety through remote operation.
4Area of stationary object
If rotating or oscillating nozzles are used, then coverage area is maximized, but resource wastage increases and cycle time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic nozzle system applies cleaning resources locally and selectively to areas that actually require cleaning. Using sensors to detect waste location and characteristics, the system concentrates cleaning effort only where needed rather than uniformly treating the entire tank surface, thereby reducing water and energy consumption while maintaining effective coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its motion patterns and nozzle orientation based on real-time sensor feedback about waste distribution. Rather than following fixed rotating or oscillating patterns, the robotic system adjusts its trajectory and cleaning parameters on-the-fly to match the actual contamination map, optimizing both coverage and resource efficiency.
5Extent of automation
If set and go cleaning systems are used, then automation level is high, but cleaning completeness decreases when waste patterns vary
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic cleaning system incorporates continuous sensor feedback loops that monitor cleaning effectiveness in real-time. Sensors detect remaining waste, cleaning progress, and environmental conditions, feeding this information back to the control system which dynamically adjusts cleaning parameters to ensure complete removal of waste regardless of pattern variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary mapping and waste detection before initiating the cleaning process. By pre-scanning the tank environment and identifying waste locations and patterns, the robotic system can plan optimal cleaning paths and adjust parameters in advance, ensuring thorough cleaning while maintaining high automation throughout the operation.
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 significantly reduces cycle times, enhances safety by allowing remote operation, and ensures thorough cleaning by using intelligent path planning and precise fluid jet manipulation, minimizing resource usage and operator exposure to hazards.
Implementation Method 1
utilize fluid jets to break up, liquefy, and motivate tank material
Implementation Method 2
a single low pressure, high flow fluid jet operating at pressures up to, but not limited to, approximately 5000 psig
Implementation Method 3
A secondary degree of freedom is provided by a hydraulic actuator that manipulates the nozzle assembly
Implementation Method 4
fluid jets to break up, liquefy, and motivate tank material
Data Source
AI summary
Manual, automated, or semi-automated programmable tank cleaning nozzle systems, devices and methods for providing safe and efficient methods for breaking up oil, tar, chemical, radioactive, hazardous, or any other liquid, solid, or sludge waste inside storage tanks, ballast tanks, floating roof tanks, void tanks, rail tank cars and the like with nozzles which utilize fluid jets to break up, liquefy, and motivate tank material. The programmable tank cleaning nozzle incorporates two degrees of freedom and can be mounted to existing booms, robotic arms, gantry systems, rigid beams, manways, or any other rigid structure. The programmable tank cleaning nozzle can be a standalone, independent unit or integrated into new designs and/or existing systems. Simplified programming and user interface allowing an operator to remotely operate the system without the need for a camera system. The system is hydraulically controlled and can work in the presence of flammable vapors and dust.