System and method for protection from radiant heat

Abstract

Systems and methods relating to the safety of railway cars carrying flammable materials. A rail tank car having an inner tank and an outer protective wall surrounding the inner tank is provided. The outer surface of the inner tank and the inner surface of the outer protective wall are separated by a gap. A low emissivity coating is applied to one or both of the outer surface of the inner tank and the inner surface of the outer protective wall. Existing rail tank cars with a similar construction can be retrofitted by spraying the low emissivity coating inside the gap to thereby coat at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface. Preferably, the low emissivity coating has an emissivity coefficient of, at most, 0.8.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A container for storing at least one material, said container comprising:
 an inner tank, said inner tank having an outer surface;   an outer protective wall surrounding said inner tank, said outer protective wall having an inner surface that faces said outer surface, said inner tank and said outer protective wall being separated by a gap, said gap being between said inner surface and said outer surface;   a surface coating having an emissivity coefficient of less than 0.8;   wherein said surface coating coats at least one of: said outer surface and said inner surface and wherein said at least one material is at least one of: flammable and hazardous.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said emissivity coefficient of said surface coating is, at most, 0.1. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said gap is an air gap. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance between said inner surface and said outer surface is between 1 and 4 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 4 , wherein said distance is 1 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said surface coating coats both of said inner surface and said outer surface. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said container is a railway car. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one material comprises at least one of:
 a flammable liquid and a hazardous liquid.   
     
     
         9 . A method of rendering a container for containing flammable material safer from an outside heat source, said container having an inner tank with an outer surface, said container having an outer protective wall surrounding said inner tank, said outer protective wall having an inner surface facing said outer surface, the method comprising:
 (a) inserting an applicator into an access point in said outer protective wall to thereby allow said applicator to access a gap between said inner surface and said outer surface;   (b) applying a substance with said applicator into said gap such that said substance coats at least one surface between said inner tank and said protective outer wall;
 wherein said substance has an emissivity coefficient of less than 0.8; and 
 wherein said at least one surface is at least one of: said inner surface and said outer surface. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said emissivity coefficient of said substance is, at most, 0.1. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said method is repeated multiple times to thereby cover most of said at least one surface. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said container is a rail tank car. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said gap is an air gap. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said gap is a vacuum gap. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said substance is a coating to be deposited on said at least one surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein prior to step a), said access point is created on said outer protective wall. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said surface-coating applicator is a sprayer. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the sprayer is one of: a hydraulic sprayer, a compressed air sprayer, a backpack sprayer, an electrostatic sprayer, a thermal fogger and a mechanical fogger.