Delivery system for high melting point oils in a tank
United States Patent 1191 1111 3,874,399 Ishihara [4 Apr. 1, 1975 DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR HIGH MELTING 1,978,015 10/1934 Erdman 134/24 POINT OILS IN A TANK 2,415,729 2/l947 Dana 134/5 X [75] Inventor: Koichi Ishihara, Osaka, Japan v [73] Assignee: Fuji Oil Company, Limited, Osaka, Primary EXaminerAlan Cohan Japan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-=Wenderoth, Lind &amp; Ponack [22] Filed: June 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,890  
 . [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 3, 1972 Japan 47-66541 An oil delivery System wherein, in Order to effect the discharge of solidified or semi-solidified oil remaining 52 11.5. C1 137/13, 137/15, 137/571, in a tank eftet P t delivety ef the bulk of the 137/334 7 5 134/5, 134/24, 7 3 therefrom, a nozzle is inserted in the free space within [51 1111. C1 B08b 3/10 the tank, eil the Same kind as the Oil in the primary Fi ld f S h 137/1 13 15 5 3 57 delivery is heated and directed through the nozzle 137/341, 334, 339; 134/5, 24 8 onto the residual oil, which is thereby melted, and rendered easily movable.  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures [06,740 5/l93l Butterworth 134/24 t PATENIEBA 1 I915 FIG.  
 FIG. 2  
  l DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR HIGH MELTING POINT ()lLS IN A TANK The present invention relates to an oil deliverry sys tem for oils having a high melting, and more particu larly to an oil delivery system for the discharge of solidified or semi-solidified oil, which is ofspccial advantage in secondary. or final evacuation of high melting point oils. or similar substances, held in a solidified, or semisolidified state in a tank. and wherein a nozzle, or nozzles are inserted into a tank, or similar container holding residual, solidified or semi-solidified oil which it is desired to discharge, and oil that has been previously discharged from the tank, or the same type of oil from another source, is projected through the nozzle, or nozzles onto the residual oil. whereby the residual oil is melted and made easily removable from the tank.  
  Bulk transport of oil is normally effected by ships that are equipped with suitable tanks, and oil is generally delivered therefrom by being pumped out. When oil in a tank is solidified or semi-solidified, as is often the case with beef tallow. coconut oil, or highly viscous mineral oils. it is general practice to first melt the oil by means of a heater provided in the tank. and then pump the oil out. However. this method of delivering solidified or semi-solidified oil is only effective for mammoth tankers, or similar large vessels with double bottoms, and is not feasible for coastal vessels used for oil transport, which are mostly single-bottomed. When oil is piped from these smaller vessels, at considerable amount of oil. which has&#39;been cooled by the surrounding water, remains solidified in the tank especially on the bottom of the tank and the sides of the tank between the bottom and the water-line, and the only way this residual oil can be removed is by buckets, shovels, and manual labour. This method of removal of residual oil is obviously undesirable from the point of view of health of persons employed in this task, since the work is rendered arduous by the fact that the internal contour of the oil tank, that is, the ship&#39;s hold, comprises many projections. and since the inside of the tank is malodorous and hot. Also, the method has considerable administrative and economic disadvantages, since it is not alvvays easy to assemble the required labour force, and labour costs of a force assembled for this purpose are disproportionately high compared with labour costs of normal staff. Another disadvantage and undesirable feature of this conventional method is that it is extremely difficult to effect removal of the entiretry of the residu&#39;al oil, and even after manual cleaning of the tank. there is still some oil left, which is discharged into the sea after final washing ofthe tank, thus contributing to environmental pollution.  
  Furthermore, in relation to oil delivery, it is also to be noted that there have been known many inventive systems for cleaning the oil tanks of tankers or bulk cargo vessels which essentially involve spraying the insides of tanks with sea water, cleaning water, superheated steam, or treated oil. In the employment of these conventional systems, secondary unloading (that is. discharge of residual oil left in a tank after primary unloading of&#39;the bulk of the oil) is generally not effected, but the residual oil is washed out during the cleaning process and ejected into the sea. Even though this residual oil is only a certain fraction ofthe total oil held in a tank, it neverthelessrepresents an unjustifiable waste and economic loss, and an intolerable pollution of the sea. I  
  A solution to this problem has become more and more urgent in view of the increased concentration of industry on the sea-board and the daily increase in oil requirements.  
 . This problem is not of course limited to sea-transport of oil, but is also present with regards to inland transport and storage of oil. g  
  It is accordingly an object of the present inventionto provide an oil delivery system offering economical, rapid, and total evacuation of oil from a bulk storage or transport tank, or similar container and delivery thereof to another container.  
  lt is a further object of the invention to provide an oil delivery system that, unlike conventional systems, does not demand recourse to manual labour for the removal of residual oil in a tank. a I  
  Another object of the invention is to eliminate a factor of environmental pollution that is conventionally inherent in oiling stations. v V  
  A still further object of the invention istQ provide an oil delivery system wherein only the oil it is desired to dischage and obtain for later use is evacuated from a tank and wherein the employment of sea water. washing water, treated oil, or similar substances is not required, thereby rendering unnecessary both the expenditure of excessive energy and the separation of theoil it is desired to discharge from sea water, washingiwater; or treated oil.  
  Yet another object of the invention is to present an oil delivery system that offers particular advantages relating to sea-board industries havinga centralized coritrol system of mass-production. i  
  A still further object of the invention is to provide an oil delivery system of simplified design.  
  ln achieveing these and other objects there is provided according to the present invention an oil delivery system wherein, in order to effect the dischargeof solidified or semi-solidified oil remaining in a tank after primary delivery ofthe bulk of the oil therefrom, a nozzle, or nozzles are insertedin the free space within the tank, a certain portion of the oil previously discharged in the primary delivery, or oil of the same kind, but from another source, is heated and directed through the nozzle or nozzles onto the residual oil, which is thereby melted, and rendered easily removable. The system of the present invention offers advantages in that the residual heat of previously discharged oilmay be used to effect the removal of residual oil in a tank, that there is no waste of oil, since a tank may be perfectly emptied, and that no extra labour force is required.  
  Types of oil, for the delivery of which the system of the present invention finds application, are such oils as become solidified or semi-solidified. go into a jelly-like condition, or exhibit highly viscous flow characteristies, at ambient temperatures around an oil tank, that is, ambient air temperature, or water temperature. whichever is lower. Example of such oils, or oily substances, are the animal or vegetable fats or oils such as beef tallow (melting point 35-5()C), pork lard (melting point 2848C) palm oil (melting point 27-5()C), palm kcrnal oil (melting point 25-30C), coconut oil (melting point 2(l28C), or hardened oils or fractionated oils whose melting point temperatures lie in a similar range. Among the mineral oils, for which the system 3 ofthc invention is particularly useful, there may-be cited high -viscos ity crude oils; heavy oils, vaselines, etc. The system is not of courscalimitcd to&#39;applicati&#39;on for the delivery of oil,- but may also be used for other non-oily substances possessing&#39; high viscosity and liable to form sludges. such as black-strap -molasses. Nozzles employed for the projection of oil in the system of the present invention are not limited to being any special type, but should preferably have good heat and pressure resistance characteristics. As examples of nozzles that may be employed, there can be cited&#39;nozzles as used in known oil tank cleaning-means such as the Butterworth&#39;Tank Cleaning Machine Toko Mini- Jet Washer, Victor Pyrate Automatic Tank Washer, Maersk-Clean, Toftejorg Tank Cleaning Machine, or  
 Cu&#39;pper Nozzle, all of which are trade names of products ayailahle commercially. A cleaning means such as cited above and having either fixed or portable nozzle portions is provided in a tank, in the vicinity of the tank, or on a jetty. or other&#39;unloading point. it is particularly advantageous. but not essential, to mount the cleaning means on a jetty, and to provide portable nozzles, so that any number of vessels may be dcalt with from the same point. Also. if the nozzle portions provided are rotatable eccentric nozzle type com prising two or more nozzles inclined in different directions, there is not ced to provide a special support rod, or&#34;simil ar means, for positioning the nozzles in a tank, but the&#39;nozzles may simply b e suspended freely inside the tank. and h&#39;catedoil projected therefromcvenly melts the residual oil. The most suitable number of nozzles for. melting residual oil in a tank depends, of course. on the size of the tank. Also. it is evident that the use of rotatable. eccentric nozzles is not essential to thc system of the present invention, for it islcqually possible to c1nploy,for example, fixed nozzles directed vertically downwards.  
 &#39; 550F111; variation in temperature to which oil for melting residualoil is heated, depending on the typesofoilandon, ambient conditions. For the abovec&#39;ited fats and oils like beef tallow and pork lard. a suitable temperature is generally 7() 9()C. The temperatttreselected shouldbe one which is economically attained saffici ently lowers the viscosity of the oil, and which has ,beenseleeted after consideration of possible deteriorationofthe. characteristics of the oil, and. .of&#39; course, safety factors. especially in the ease of low flash-point oils. I  
  {According to the systemotthe present invention, nozzles for the ejection of heated oil are provided on a normal &#39;tankfir, or similar vessel. from which oil is to be delivered. A storage. tank. pumps, a heaterLor heaters. strainers. and other conventional items of equipment are provided at the oiling station to which the oil s and storagetank son lahd may he equippcdas required with filters. straihfers&#39;fet&#34; for theelimination of undesirable matter from the pipe&#39;doil. Also. a heater and pump, for heating and pumping oil fo r meltinglresiduaL&#39;i&#39;hay be provided lon&#39;ay &#34;&#39;selinsteatl of-on-larid. and only astorage &#39;tank&#39; provided&#34; o&#39;h la&#39;na, ll &#39;it&#39; is not possible, :(flf lS&#39; diffiCtllt for tankrsftoappr&#39;oach oranch&#39;or near an oiling ation, there may bep&#39;rovided barges equipped with&#39; heaters and intermediate&#34;storagetanks for relaying oil front-tankers to s torag&#39;etanks on land ln all cases, attention should be given-to the preve&#39;ntion of heat losses by the provision of adcquate&#39;piping insulation in the form&#39;of asbestos or other suit&#39;able material. There shouldalso be equipment such as suitably located oil gages to make it possible to measure and compare the qu antities pumped out from a tanker, pipedto a storage tank. and piped back to the tanker.  
  Preferred embodiment of the present-invention will now be dcscribed.-by way of example.- with reference to the attached drawings; in which;  
 FIG. 1 isa-schematic diagram showing connection of components employed iii an oil delivery system accordis tobe delivered,.and the equipme&#39;nt is linked by&#39;suitable piping ln the sintplcstarrangement. the&#34; bulk of the oiltronta tanker is pipcdto a storage tank Em land. and then a portion of this delivered oil is heated and l&#39;orceifedback through pipes connecting to nozzles pro-1 vided inftheships. hold as described above. The oilis then directed onto andmelts the residual oil, and the whole. that is. the residual oil and the oil thathas&#39;been fed hackzis pumped out by the ships&#39;pumps to the stor age tank on land. Alternatively, the oil pumped outin; the secondary delivery (the residual oil and a portihn of theprimary delivery oil) may be supplied to a secon&#39;tlf storage tank on -land. Also.- the piping between ships&#34; ing onc embodiment of &#34;the present invention,  
  FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view, onan enlarged scale, showing a portion of FIG. Land 5 t FIG. 3 is a similar view of FIG. 1.-but showing another embodiment of the present invention. v Before describing the specific embodiments of the present invention, it is to be noted that like parts are: designated by like&#34; reference numerals throughou&#39;tthe several views of the accompanying drawings: It is also to be noted that the concept of the? applica tion as well as the application canalso bc applied toany&#39; fluid delivery systemother than ship&#39;s oil tankrforiexample. to oil firm on land or the like. i Referring nowto&#39; FlGS. l and 2. there-are provided a first storage tank 10 provided-on-land 1..&#34;aships oil tank 11 equipped in a vessel Son seaandascc&#39;ond storage tank&#39; 12 provided on land Liln the-free space within. both the lst&#39;storage tank 10 and ship&#39;s oil tank 1.1 thereare suspendedwith hoses 14, 14 jet-eleancr nozzles 13. 13 of the cceentricdouble nozzle type&#39;which arefrcely rotating by&#39;means of pressured oil supplied through the hoses 14.14 for.directing&#39;pre-heatedmil upon; residual solidified or. semi-solidified oil. in thetanks 11 t -1.2..The hoses 14. 14 are respectively connected withpipes15. 15 which meet at ajunction. connected-to. a supplying pipe 16. which leads to the lower portion of-the second storage tank. 12. and in which is. Pl&#39;OVll-lfld&#39;pi} supply pump. 17. a prekheater 1.8 and a check valv.e&#34;1{9 The. i n-, termediateportion ofeaeh hose 14 is. as&#39;shownin FIG. 2. suspended detachably ona disc hanger20 of a saddle 21 provided movably-on theuppendcek of vesselSon on the ceiling oftank 1-0 while thepumplTand heater 18 are providedon land L. The-hanger.ZQwith-hQS 1 isirotated on-occaslonnby a motor M protiidctl o l fi 10., 1 l to melt oil, as provided-ma ltxmyentionalsystcn of this kind. The; suction pipe.22.o f. the ship o l tank &#39;11 is connected with. a delivery pump 24=prs ll d9d f1, the low. dee&#39;k otiv ssel Sand; thcn with-a flex b P1P? 5 &#39;whtchl a&#39; t ann x.pirtionat hes en?. 5 age tank l2. through ayeheck valve zifi ewhile the other suction pipe 22 ofthe first storage tank I0 is connected with a delivery pump 24 provided on land L and, then, with the flexible pipe 25. Between the delivery pumps 24 and the check valve 26, the flexible pipe 25 is connected through a pipe 27 having a check valve 28 to the supplying pipe 16 desposed between the supplying pump 17 and the check valve 16.  
  The arrangement so far described is operated such that, when the valves 19, 26 are opened but the other valve 28 is closed, and the pumps 17. 24 and pre-heater 18 are driven, oil from the second storage tank 12 is pumped through the pipe 16 by the supply pump 17, h ated by the pre-heater l8, and supplied through the pipes l5. 14 to the nozzles 13. from which it is sprayed onto residual oil in the first storage tank and ship&#39;s oil tank II. The residual oil is thereby melted, andtogether with the oil sprayed thereon by the nozzles 13., is pumped out by the delivery pump 24 through the pipes 22, 25 to the second storage tank 12. On the other hand. when the valves 19, 26 are closed and the valve 28 is opened, oil being pumped out from both the first storage tank 10 and ships oil tank 11 by the delivery pumps 22 is recirculated through the pipes 22, 25, 28. l6. l5, l4, supply pump 17 and pre-heater 18 to the nozzles 13 in the tanks 10, ll, thus resulting in greater efficiency in the recirculation of relatively high temperature oil. With reference to temperatures&#39;and pressures for different oils or fats delivered by the system abovementioned, in case of beef tallow, for example, the internal temperature of the second storage tank 12 is suitably 60C, the supply pump 17 pumps at a pressure of 10 kg/cm and the pre-heater l8 raises the temperature of the tallow to 85C.  
  H0. &#39;3 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which the first storage tank 10 of the previous embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided in the vessel S having the first oil tank lla and a second oil tank 11h. thereby to obtain a system for effecting simultaneous primary and secondary deliveries of oil from a plurality of vessels or from a plurality of tanks in one vessel. In HO. 3 there is shown a tanker S and two separate oil tanks llu, llh therein. It is supposed that the bulk ofthe oil in tank 11/; is still to be delivered by a pump 24a, and that primary delivery of the oil in tank I la has been effected, but that secondary delivery of residual oil therein is still to be effected. In this embodiment the piping, valves and other equipment are the same as described in reference to FIG. 1, except that there is only one jet cleaner nozzle 13., which is suspended in the tank Ila, above the residual oil therein, and so the two pipes l5, 15 are unnecessary.  
 ing in a tank.  
  The present invention has been fully disclosed by way of the preferred embodiments thereof. However, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications thereof are apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description with or without reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, these and other changes and modifications should be construed as included within the scope of the present invention unless otherwise departing therefrom.  
 What is claimed is:  
  1. A system for removing melted and unmclted high melting point oils from a first tank comprising,  
 removal means for removing melted high melting point oil in the first tank,  
 storage tank means having a capacity at least equivalent to said first tank, connected to said removal means for receiving said melted oil delivered by said removal means from the first tank, nozzle means inserted into an open space within said first tank above any unmclted high melting point oil in said first tank for directing oil under pressure onto residual unmclted oil in said first tank, and I supply means connected between the storage tank means and the nozzle means, said supply means comprising a pump and a heater for heating oil to a temperature such that the residual unmclted oil remaining in the first tank is melted by the heated oil directed through said nozzle means, whereby the high melting point oil in the first tank is melted so as to be removed by the removal means.  
  2. A system as claimed in claim I in which is provided distribution means for directing the oil removed from the first tank by the removal means to either the storage mcans or to the supply means without first going into the storage means.  
  3. A method for removing high melting point oils contained in a tank comprising the step of providing a portion of the same type of oil as is to be removed and which is at such a temperature that it will melt unmclted oil remaining in the tank,  
 the step of directing said heated oil under pressure onto residual unmclted oil remaining in the tank, whereby the unmclted oil remaining in the tank is melted, and  
 the step of removing melted oil from the tank, and  
 continuously repeating said steps until the unmelted residual oil in the tank is wholly melted and removed from the tank.  
  4. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which the step of providing a portion of oil the same as the type of unmelted oil to be removed comprises obtaining said portion from a source of supply and heating said portion to such a temperature that it will melt the unmclted oil remaining in the tank.  
  5. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which the step ofproviding a portion of oil the same as the type of unmclted oil to be removed comprises using the melted oil removed from the tank in the removing step either mixed or unmixed with oil from a source of supply.