Method and apparatus for transporting commodities, especially liquid commodities, at temperatures above their congealing point in tanks or tank containers, as well as a method and apparatus for cleaning the tanks or tank containers

US5133041A · kind A · utility

Inventors

• Gerhard Richter · Kreuztal, DE
• Heinz-Herbert Lindenau · Sterkrade, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 5, 1989
• Grant date: Jul 21, 1992
• Expiry date: Sep 5, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60P3/2295
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for transporting commodities, especially liquid commodities above their congealing temperature in a tanks or tank containers. At least a partial flow of hot exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine of a tank vehicle or tank container vehicle flows through a heat exchanger through which passes the heat transfer oil in a closed cycle and yields heat to the heat transfer oil and an electrically heated heat exchanger yields heat to the heat transfer oil and the heat transfer oil transfers heat to the commodity through a tank or tank container wall heat exchanger. The heat transfer oil is conducted in a closed cycle in a regulation circuit including the heat exchanger through which the exhaust gas passes and the electrical heat exchanger. The temperature of the heat transfer oil is controlled as a function of a variable reference and the variable reference is preset as a function of the temperature of the commodity to be transported and contained in the tank or tank container, so that the variable reference is always higher than a specified temperature of the commodity to be transported.