Storage Tank Hatch Isolation Valve for Vapor-Safe Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Storage tank hatches often fail to maintain a proper seal, leading to vapor leaks during maintenance or replacement, posing environmental and safety hazards, and requiring complete tank drainage, which is time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A storage tank isolation system with a vertical riser and valve assembly that allows for testing and maintenance without releasing vapors, featuring a valve plate that seals against a valve seat to isolate the tank, and a pressure relief valve to manage tank pressure during repairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional rubber gasket seal is used on storage tank hatches, then the hatch can be easily installed and removed, but the seal fails over time due to rim wear and pitting, causing vapor leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary isolation valve system between the storage tank and the hatch. This valve assembly with a movable valve plate creates a secondary seal mechanism that compensates for the worn primary gasket seal, allowing the hatch to be removed and serviced without compromising tank integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is divided into two independent segments: the primary rubber gasket seal between the hatch and tank, and the secondary valve plate seal within the isolation valve assembly. This segmentation allows the primary seal to be easily replaced while the secondary seal maintains integrity, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability
2Ease of repair
If the storage tank is opened for hatch maintenance or replacement, then the hatch can be repaired or replaced, but harmful vapors are released into the environment and expose personnel to hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation valve assembly acts as an intermediary barrier that allows the hatch to be disconnected and maintained while the valve plate remains closed to contain vapors. This intermediary mechanism enables repair access without vapor release, resolving the contradiction between ease of repair and harmful factor control
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful function of vapor release is extracted from the hatch maintenance process by introducing the isolation valve system. The valve plate can be closed to isolate the tank interior, allowing the hatch to be removed and serviced externally without exposing personnel to harmful vapors
3Reliability
If the entire storage tank is discarded due to a faulty hatch, then the tank integrity is maintained, but significant time and resources are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation valve assembly serves as a protective intermediary that preserves tank integrity while enabling selective replacement of only the faulty hatch component. This approach maintains reliability by preventing vapor leaks through the closed valve plate while avoiding the time loss associated with replacing entire tanks
4Ease of operation
If the storage tank is drained completely before hatch maintenance, then safe access is provided, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation valve assembly provides a safer and more efficient alternative to complete tank drainage. By closing the valve plate, the system creates a contained environment that allows the hatch to be serviced without draining the tank, thereby maintaining safe access while eliminating the time-consuming drainage process
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
Enables safe and efficient testing and maintenance of storage tank hatches without releasing vapors, maintaining tank integrity and reducing environmental impact and downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a valve plate that seals against a valve seat to isolate the tank
Implementation Method 2
a pressure relief valve to manage tank pressure during repairs
Data Source
AI summary
A storage tank hatch isolation system for a storage tank having a vertical riser attached to a top of the storage tank and having a cover with an aperture, a connecting member extending from a side of the vertical riser, a distal end of the connecting member being attached to a tank hatch, and a valve assembly assessable through the aperture in the cover, the valve assembly configured to be moved from an open position in which flow through the vertical riser to the connecting member is not obstructed, and a closed position in which flow through the vertical riser to the connecting member is obstructed.