Storage Tank Isolation Valve for Vapor-Free Hatch Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Storage tank hatches often fail to maintain a seal due to wear and tear, leading to significant vapor leakage during maintenance or replacement, posing environmental and safety hazards, and requiring entire tanks to be discarded.
Innovation Solution
A storage tank isolation system with a vertical riser and valve assembly that allows for pressure relief and safe testing of fluid contents without releasing vapors, featuring a stem with a valve plate and seat, and a pressure relief valve that can be tested or replaced without draining the tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a traditional hatch with rubber gasket is used to access the storage tank, then the hatch can be opened for maintenance or replacement, but harmful vapors are released during the process and personnel are exposed to hazards
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediate connector is introduced between the storage tank and the hatch, creating an isolation system that allows the hatch to be opened for maintenance while preventing vapor release. The intermediate connector acts as a mediator that decouples the hatch operation from direct tank access, enabling safe maintenance procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into separate components: the storage tank, the intermediate connector, and the hatch assembly. This segmentation allows the hatch and intermediate connector to be maintained or replaced independently without affecting the entire tank system, while maintaining vapor containment throughout the process.
2Reliability
If the entire storage tank is discarded due to a faulty hatch, then the integrity of the storage system is compromised, but this results in significant loss of substance and increased cost
Solution Approach 1:
The faulty hatch and intermediate connector are extracted as separate replaceable components from the storage tank system. This allows maintenance or replacement of only the defective parts while preserving the main storage tank, preventing the need to discard the entire tank due to hatch failures.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the system into tank, intermediate connector, and hatch components, the patent enables selective replacement of only the faulty elements. The intermediate connector serves as a sacrificial component that protects the valuable storage tank from damage during hatch removal or installation.
3Ease of operation
If the storage tank is under pressure during hatch maintenance, then access can be maintained, but emissions loss becomes significant and environmental penalties may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate connector serves as a pressure-containing intermediary that allows the hatch to be operated or maintained while the storage tank remains pressurized. The intermediate connector is designed to withstand pressure and provide a sealed interface, enabling safe access procedures without releasing vapors even when the tank is under pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potentially harmful condition of pressurized tank access into a safe operation by using the pressure containment capability of the intermediate connector. The pressure that would normally cause dangerous vapor release is instead contained within the sealed intermediate connector system, allowing maintenance to proceed safely.
4Reliability
If a gasket-based seal is used at the hatch rim, then the hatch can be closed to prevent leakage, but the rim wear and pitting cause the gasket to fail and vapors to escape
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate connector introduces a new sealing interface that is separate from the worn hatch rim. Instead of relying on the degraded gasket at the original hatch location, the system creates a fresh seal at the intermediate connector-hatch interface, bypassing the wear and pitting problems of the original rim-gasket connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate connector is designed as a replaceable component that can be discarded and replaced when its seal deteriorates, rather than replacing the entire hatch assembly or relying on worn-out gaskets. This extends the service life of the overall system by allowing incremental replacement of sealing components.
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 the isolation and testing of storage tank contents without vapor release, reducing environmental impact and safety risks, and allowing for maintenance without discarding the entire tank.
Implementation Method 1
a valve plate moves with the stem from an open position in which the valve plate is held within the vertical riser at a position equal to or above the connection to the connecting member and a closed position in which the valve plate is on the valve seat to isolate the storage tank
Implementation Method 2
The storage hatch may include a pressure relief valve that releases vapors from the storage tank at a pressure threshold
Implementation Method 3
The intermediate connector and the vertical riser may be connected by one or more clamps that are configured to seal the flanges of the intermediate connector and the vertical riser
Data Source
AI summary
A storage tank isolation system for a storage tank includes a vertical riser attached to a top of the storage tank and having a cover with an aperture and a connecting member extending from a side of the vertical riser. A distal end of the connecting member is parallel to the top of the storage tank and attached to a storage hatch. The storage tank isolation system includes a valve assembly, which includes a stem extending through the aperture in the cover, a valve plate attached to the stem, and a valve seat sealed to the vertical riser at a position below a connection to the connecting member. The valve plate is moves with the stem from an open position in which the valve plate is held within the vertical riser at a position equal to or above the connection to the connecting member and a closed position.