Tilting Tank Support for Complete Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial tanks, particularly Large Bulk Containers (IBCs) in the chemical and petroleum industries, often retain significant amounts of chemical products due to their configuration and drain valve location, leading to incomplete emptying and increased costs for treatment and recycling, with existing solutions failing to achieve complete drainage without manual intervention.
Innovation Solution
A tank support device with a movable element that pivots around an axis of rotation, utilizing elastic means to tilt the tank when the remaining product weight falls below a threshold, directing the drain valve towards the remaining fluid for more complete emptying, minimizing operator intervention and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the tank is placed flat on its support, then the tank is stable and easy to handle, but the tank cannot empty completely and retains 5-10% of product
Solution Approach 1:
The support device transforms from a static horizontal position to a dynamic tilted position automatically. When the tank weight decreases below a threshold (indicating near-empty state), the mobile support element pivots around an axis of rotation, causing the tank to tilt and directing remaining product toward the drain valve for complete emptying.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the tank's own weight as the triggering mechanism. As product drains and weight decreases, the elastic means (spring) automatically activates the tilting motion without external intervention, allowing the system to self-regulate and achieve complete emptying based on its own operational state.
2Quantity of substance
If manual intervention is used to empty the tank completely, then product retention is reduced, but operator intervention and treatment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support device autonomously detects when the tank is near-empty through weight measurement and automatically initiates the tilting emptying sequence. This eliminates the need for operator intervention while achieving complete product removal, as the system serves itself by using its own weight change as the trigger signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a weight measurement mechanism that provides feedback on the tank's current state. When the weight falls below a predetermined threshold, this feedback triggers the automatic tilting action, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures complete emptying without manual input.
3Quantity of substance
If the tank is tilted to empty completely, then product retention is minimized, but the tank structure and support complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than a permanently complex tilted structure, the invention uses a dynamic system where a mobile support element pivots only when needed. The majority of the time, the tank remains on a simple horizontal support. The complexity is activated temporarily and automatically only during the final emptying phase, minimizing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support system is divided into a fixed horizontal support element and a mobile tilting support element that pivots independently. This segmentation allows the simple fixed support to handle normal operation while the mobile element provides the tilting function only when weight threshold is reached, reducing overall system complexity.
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 device allows for nearly complete emptying of tanks, reducing residual product to less than 1 liter, minimizing environmental impact and operational costs, and automating the emptying process by tilting the tank as the product level decreases, ensuring efficient and economical product replacement.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elastic means capable of supporting at least part of the weight of the tank and of applying a thrust force so as to pivot the mobile element around the axis of rotation when the weight supported passes into position below a threshold due to the flow of fluid out of the reservoir
Implementation Method 2
a drain valve in its lower part
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a support device (1) for a tank comprising a drain valve in its lower part, said device comprising - at least one fixed element (2) and a movable element (4) mounted for rotation on said fixed element so as to be able to pivot about an axis of rotation, said movable element being arranged to receive the tank so that the drain valve is disposed on the same side as the axis of rotation, - at least one elastic means (8) able to support at least part of the weight of the tank and to apply a thrust force so as to rotate the movable element about the axis of rotation when the weight supported falls below a threshold.