Transportable Waste Processing Tank

Abstract

A transportable and interchangeable tank for collecting and disposing of mud, slurry or other fluid waste material adapted to be transported on a transport vehicle having an air evacuation connection specially adapted to connect directly to and seal with a complementarily connection of a vacuum pump on the vehicle, whereby the connective dead space between the tank and the pump is substantially minimised in order to improve the efficiency of evacuating air from and thus filling the tank.

1 . A transportable tank for collecting and disposing of fluid waste material able to be moved between a tank filling position and a tank emptying position on a transport vehicle, the tank having an air evacuation connection specially adapted to connect directly and hermetically seal with a connection of a vacuum pump located on the transport vehicle in the tank filling position, such that connective dead space between the tank and the pump is substantially minimized. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The tank of  claim 1  wherein as air is evacuated from the tank by the vacuum pump, waste material is caused to flow into the tank via the waste inlet, and wherein when full, the tank is unloaded from the vehicle and replaced with an empty tank such that a substantially continuous collection of waste material is enabled by the use of a plurality of empty interchangeable replacement tanks. 
     
     
         4 . The tank of  claim 1  which is transported on a specially adapted transport vehicle with tank loading and unloading means and tank moving means. 
     
     
         5 . The tank of  claim 4  wherein the tank loading and unloading means comprises a hydraulically or pneumatically operated lifting crane mounted on the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The tank of  claim 4  wherein the tank moving means comprises a hydraulically operated telescopic ram specially adapted to tilt the tank when it is directly supported by the chassis of the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The tank of  claim 4  wherein, the tank is separately located on a tipping tray or bed of the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The tank of  claim 1  wherein the tank loading and unloading means, tank moving means and the vacuum pump are fixtures of the transport vehicle and whereby the air evacuation and vacuum pump connectors are caused to be joined when the tank is loaded on and moved into the tank filling position on the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The tank of  claim 1  wherein the waste material collected is disposed of by transporting the filled tank to an approved waste disposal site wherein the tank is tilted into the tank emptying position on the transport vehicle and waste is pumped out through the waste outlet or a fully opening rear door. 
     
     
         10 . A method of collecting and disposing of fluid waste material using the tank of  claim 1  including the steps of:
 (a) evacuating air from the tank on the transport vehicle by the vacuum pump, wherein waste material is caused to flow into the tank via the waste inlet, 
 (b) unloading the tank from the vehicle when full and replacing the tank with an empty tank; 
 (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) such that a substantially continuous collection of waste material is enabled by utilizing a plurality of interchangeable replacement tanks; 
 (d) transporting the filled tanks to a waste disposal site and emptying the tanks of their contents; and 
 (e) reusing the emptied tanks as interchangeable replacement tanks for step (c). 
 
     
     
         11 . A transportable and interchangeable tank for collecting and disposing of mud, slurry or other fluid waste material, produced by a water lance excavation vehicle, including in combination:
 an enclosed hollow vessel for collecting the waste material,   the vessel adapted to be loaded on and unloaded from and transported on a transport vehicle;   the vessel including a waste inlet, a waste outlet and an air evacuation connection;   the vessel able to be moved between a tank filling position and a tank emptying position on the transport vehicle; and   the air evacuation connection specially adapted to connect directly to and hermetically seal with a complementarily configured connection of a vacuum pump on the transport vehicle in the tank filling position, such that connective dead space between the tank and the pump is substantially minimized in order to improve the efficiency of evacuating air from and thus filling the tank.   
     
     
         12 . The tank of  claim 11  wherein as air is evacuated from the tank by the vacuum pump, waste material is caused to flow into the tank via the waste inlet, and wherein when full, the tank is unloaded from the vehicle and replaced with an empty tank such that a substantially continuous collection of waste material is enabled by the use of a plurality of empty interchangeable replacement tanks. 
     
     
         13 . The tank of  claim 11  which is transported on a specially adapted transport vehicle with tank loading and unloading means and tank moving means. 
     
     
         14 . The tank of  claim 13  wherein the tank loading and unloading means comprises a hydraulically or pneumatically operated lifting crane mounted on the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The tank of  claim 13  wherein the tank moving means comprises a hydraulically operated telescopic ram specially adapted to tilt the tank when it is directly supported by the chassis of the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The tank of  claim 13  wherein, the tank is separately located on a tipping tray or bed of the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The tank of  claim 11  wherein the tank loading and unloading means, tank moving means and the vacuum pump are fixtures of the transport vehicle and whereby the air evacuation and vacuum pump connectors are caused to be joined when the tank is loaded on and moved into the tank filling position on the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The tank of  claim 11  wherein the waste material collected is disposed of by transporting the filled tank to an approved waste disposal site wherein the tank is tilted into the tank emptying position on the transport vehicle and waste is pumped out through the waste outlet or a fully opening rear door. 
     
     
         19 . A method of collecting and disposing of fluid waste material using the tank of  claim 11  including the steps of:
 (a) evacuating air from the tank on the transport vehicle by the vacuum pump, wherein waste material is caused to flow into the tank via the waste inlet, 
 (b) unloading the tank from the vehicle when full and replacing the tank with an empty tank; 
 (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) such that a substantially continuous collection of waste material is enabled by utilizing a plurality of interchangeable replacement tanks; 
 (d) transporting the filled tanks to a waste disposal site and emptying the tanks of their contents; and 
 (e) reusing the emptied tanks as interchangeable replacement tanks for step (c).