System and method for insulating and shielding a heated tank car

Abstract

A railway tank car includes a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end. A plurality of heat transfer ducts operable to receive a heating fluid may be disposed on a lower portion of an exterior surface of the tank. A layer of ceramic coating may be disposed over exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts and at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tank.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A railway tank car, comprising: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end;    a plurality of heat transfer ducts disposed on a lower portion of an exterior surface of the tank and operable to receive a heating fluid; and    a layer of ceramic coating disposed over exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts.    
     
     
         2 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating extends over at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         3 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating extends over substantially the entire exterior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         4 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of the exterior surface of the tank is substantially free of the layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         5 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating extends over substantially the entire railway tank car.  
     
     
         6 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating is less than 0.2 inches thick.  
     
     
         7 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the layer of ceramic coating proximate the heat transfer ducts is approximately 0.1 inches thick.  
     
     
         8 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating is relatively thin such that the tank may have a larger diameter without exceeding regulated dimensions of the railcar.  
     
     
         9 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein portions of the layer of ceramic coating proximate the heat transfer ducts are thicker than other portions of the layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         10 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein a layer of paint is disposed over the layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         11 . The railway tank car of  claim 10 , wherein the layer of paint comprises epoxy paint.  
     
     
         12 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a protective covering disposed over the exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts such that the plurality of heat transfer ducts are disposed between the protective covering and the exterior surface of the tank; and    wherein an upper portion of the exterior surface of the tank is substantially free of the protective cover.    
     
     
         13 . The railway tank car of  claim 12 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating is substantially covered by the protective cover.  
     
     
         14 . The railway tank car of  claim 12 , wherein the protective covering is formed from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of steel alloys, aluminum alloys, ceramic materials, cermets, and fiber reinforced plastic.  
     
     
         15 . The railway tank car of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one support disposed between the exterior surface of the tank and the protective cover.  
     
     
         16 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one heat transfer member disposed on an interior surface of the tank proximate at least one of the plurality of heat transfer ducts; and    wherein the heat transfer member is operable to transfer heat from the heating fluid to an interior compartment of the tank.    
     
     
         17 . The railway tank car of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating is operable to protect people from being burned by the heat transfer ducts.  
     
     
         18 . A railway tank car, comprising: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder and having a first closed end and a second closed end;    a plurality of heat transfer ducts disposed on a lower portion of an exterior surface of the tank and operable to receive a heating fluid; and    a heat shield disposed over exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts and portions of the exterior surface of the tank adjacent the heat transfer ducts.    
     
     
         19 . The railway tank car of  claim 18 , wherein the heat shield is formed from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of steel alloys, aluminum alloys, ceramic materials, cermets, and fiber reinforced plastic.  
     
     
         20 . The railway tank car of  claim 18 , further comprising a layer of ceramic coating disposed between the heat shield and the exterior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         21 . A railway tank car, comprising: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end;    one or more heater panels having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a plurality of dimples;    each heater panel being coupled to an exterior surface of the tank by the plurality of dimples such that one or more ducts operable to receive a heating fluid are formed between the interior surface of each heater panel and the exterior surface of the tank; and    a layer of ceramic coating disposed on the exterior surface of each heater panel.    
     
     
         22 . The railway tank car of  claim 21 , further comprising a protective covering disposed over each layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         23 . The railway tank car of  claim 22 , wherein the protective covering is formed from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of steel alloys, aluminum alloys, ceramic materials, cermets, and fiber reinforced plastic.  
     
     
         24 . The railway tank car of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more heater panels are disposed over substantially the entire exterior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         25 . A railway tank car, comprising: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end;    one or more heater panels having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a plurality of dimples; and    wherein each heater panel is coupled to an interior surface of the tank by the plurality of dimples such that one or more ducts operable to receive a heating fluid are formed between the interior surface of each heater panel and the interior surface of the tank.    
     
     
         26 . The railway tank car of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more heater panels are disposed over substantially the entire interior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         27 . A method of shielding a railcar heating system, the method comprising: 
 providing a railway tank car including: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end; and  
 a plurality of heat transfer ducts disposed on an exterior surface of the tank and operable to receive a heating fluid; and  
   forming a layer of ceramic coating over exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising forming the layer of ceramic coating over at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising forming the layer of ceramic coating over substantially all of the exterior surface of the tank.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein forming the layer of ceramic coating comprises forming a layer of ceramic coating such that an upper portion of the exterior surface of the tank is substantially free of the layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating has a thickness of less than 0.2 inches.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the layer of ceramic coating has a thickness of approximately 0.1 inches.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein portions of the layer of ceramic coating proximate the heat transfer ducts are thicker than other portions of the layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein forming the layer of ceramic coating comprises spraying ceramic coating over exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising installing a protective covering over the layer of ceramic coating, wherein an upper portion of the tank is substantially free of the protective cover.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising installing at least one heat transfer member to an interior surface of the tank proximate at least one of the plurality of heat transfer ducts.  
     
     
         37 . A method of shielding a railcar heating system, the method comprising: 
 providing a railway tank car including: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end; and  
 one or more heater panels having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a plurality of dimples;  
 wherein each heater panel is coupled to an exterior surface of the tank by the plurality of dimples such that one or more ducts operable to receive a heating fluid are formed between the interior surface of each heater panel and the exterior surface of the tank; and  
   forming a layer of ceramic coating on the exterior surface of each heater panel.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising installing a protective covering over the layer of ceramic coating.  
     
     
         39 . A railway tank car, comprising: 
 a tank at least partially defined by a generally elongated hollow cylinder, a first closed end and a second closed end;    a plurality of heat transfer ducts disposed on a lower portion of an exterior surface of the tank and operable to receive a heating fluid;    a layer of ceramic coating disposed over exterior surfaces of the plurality of heat transfer ducts and extending over substantially all of the exterior surface of the tank;    wherein the layer of ceramic coating is less than 0.2 inches thick; and    wherein portions of the layer of ceramic coating proximate the heat transfer ducts are thicker than other portions of the layer of ceramic coating.