Modular tank unit for ship, barge and rail transportation

Abstract

A modular tank unit for utilizing vessels of opportunity to serve as carriers for transportation and handling of specialty liquids or flowable particulate products or to serve as a terminal ashore receiving and dispensing to truck, rail, barge or other receiving facilities. The modular tank unit has a rectangular intermodal framework of predetermined dimension and tare weight permitting its transportation by cargo vessel, hopper barge and by rail for positioning inland or at shore facilities. A tank may be adapted for other modes of transportation and may be removably secured within the rectangular framework. The modular tank unit in its smaller dimension can be transported empty by rail and can be positioned in the field by portable crane. The modular tank unit defines a pump compartment having a pumping and draining manifold and portable pump and valve assembly for fluid handling, enabling the modular tank unit to be “active” for power energized pumping or “passive” for gravity discharge.

1 . A modular tank unit comprising:
 a generally rectangular intermodal tank framework defining a plurality of upper and lower corners and having a standard intermodal width and length, and a maximum intermodal height of substantially 17 feet and having sufficient structural integrity for lifting and movement of said generally rectangular tank framework by crane, fork-lift and other container handling apparatus, said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework defining a tank receptacle;   international standard intermodal lifting and locking fittings being fixed at said plurality of upper and lower corners of said generally rectangular tank framework; and   a tank being located within said tank receptacle and being supported by said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework.   
   
   
       2 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 fork-lift receptacles being defined by said generally rectangular tank framework and having sufficient structural integrity to permit handling of said generally rectangular tank framework and a tank by a fork-lift truck; and   said tank being composed of a plurality of tank panels mounted within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and causing said tank to have a generally rectangular configuration.   
   
   
       3 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of tank supports being located within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework; and   said tank being removably supported by said plurality of tank supports and being adapted for other modes of transportation.   
   
   
       4 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a tank support structure being secured within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and having tank support members configured for supporting a tank of a particular geometry; and   a plurality of lifting and locking socket fittings being mounted to said tank support structure and facilitating locked retention of said tank support structure within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework.   
   
   
       5 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework having the general form of a parallelepiped having bottom wall framework members;   said tank being defined by tank panels fixed to said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and defining at least one sloping bottom wall of said at least one tank and being in supported engagement with said bottom wall framework members;   a sump arranged to receive liquid residue within said tank and being collected from said sloping bottom wall; and   a controllable tank filling and discharge mechanism supported by said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and being in fluid handling communication with said tank and said sump.   
   
   
       6 . The modular tank unit of  claim 5 , comprising:
 said controllable tank filling and discharge mechanism being releasably mounted to said tank framework.   
   
   
       7 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said tank being defined by a plurality of substantially flat panels each being fixed to one another and being supported by said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework; and   
   
   
       8 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a pump receptacle being mounted on generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and being located externally of said tank; and   a pump and manifold system being located in said pump receptacle and being selectively operated to pump fluid into said tank and being selectively operated to discharge fluid from said tank.   
   
   
       9 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and said tank being supported on a truck bed for highway transportation; and   said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and said tank having an intermodal height, together with the height of the truck bed, not exceeding 13 feet and having an intermodal width of substantially 8 feet, permitting highway transportation thereof.   
   
   
       10 . The modular tank unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 said tank being supported in removable assembly with said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework; and   fluid inlet and discharge conduits being provided for said tank and permitting filling and discharge thereof.   
   
   
       11 . The modular tank unit of  claim 10 , comprising:
 tank supports being located within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and receiving a rail car tank in releasably supported relation and permitting intermodal transportation thereof.   
   
   
       12 . A modular tank unit for intermodal transportation and for land based terminating, comprising:
 a generally rectangular intermodal tank framework having the footprint of a standardized cargo container and defining upper and lower corners and a maximum intermodal width of 8 feet, an intermodal length, and a maximum intermodal height of 17 feet, said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework defining a tank receptacle and having sufficient structural integrity for lifting and movement thereof by crane, fork-lift and other conventional container handling apparatus;   a tank located within said tank receptacle and together with said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework having a tare weight permitting transportation thereof by cargo vessels, waterway hopper barges and rail cars; and   lifting and locking sockets being mounted to said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and receiving lifting devices permitting lifting and handling of said modular tank unit by crane, permitting locking of stacked modular tank units and permitting modular tank units to be locket together on block.   
   
   
       13 . The modular tank unit of  claim 12 , comprising:
 a pump and manifold assembly being removably mounted to said tank framework and being selectively positioned in releasable fluid pumping connection with said tank and being operated to selectively discharge fluid from said tank and pump fluid into said tank   
   
   
       14 . The modular tank unit of  claim 12 , comprising:
 said tank being composed of a plurality of tank panels fixed to said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and defining top, bottom, side and end walls forming a tank configuration of substantially rectangular parallelepiped form, said bottom wall having sloping bottom surfaces sloping to a sump,   
   
   
       15 . The modular tank unit of  claim 12 , comprising:
 said tank and said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework defining a pump compartment within said tank framework and externally of said tank; and   a pump and valve controlled manifold assembly being mounted within said pump compartment and being connected in pumping communication with said tank.   
   
   
       16 . The modular tank unit of  claim 12 , comprising:
 tank supports being located within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and receiving a rail car tank in releasably supported relation and permitting intermodal transportation thereof.   
   
   
       17 . The modular tank unit of  claim 12 , comprising:
 a tank support structure being positioned within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and having a plurality of tank supports of a configuration corresponding to the configuration of said tank and having a plurality of lifting and locking sockets establishing selective locking of said tank support structure within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework; and   said tank being a railway car tank removed from its railway wheel assembly and being positioned within said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework and in supported relation with said plurality of tank supports and being secured to said generally rectangular intermodal tank framework by said plurality of lifting and locking sockets and retainer members.   
   
   
       18 . The modular tank unit of  claim 12 , comprising:
 a power energized fluid handling system having fluid connections for filling and discharge connection with said tank; and   said power energized fluid handling system having a mounting framework containing a motor driven pump, a pump control system and pump conduits and having mounting devices for mounting thereof externally of said tank framework.   
   
   
       19 . The modular tank unit of  claim 17 , comprising:
 said plurality of multidimensional metal panels being corrugated metal panels.   
   
   
       20 . The modular tank unit of  claim 17 , comprising:
 said plurality of multidimensional metal panels being flat metal panels cooperatively defining smooth internal tank wall surfaces and defining a tank structure suitable for storage and transportation of food products; and   a plurality of fillet panels being connected with said multidimensional metal panels at top, bottom and side walls of said tank structure and defining smoothly curved surfaces facilitating ease of tank cleaning.