Pressure tank

Subject of the invention is a pressure tank, especially extended and toroidal, especially for volatile and liquid pressure gases as well as liquids and theirs mixtures, air, used in road vehicles, rail-way vehicles, machines, stationary and mobile devices, as integral assembly element and/or independent assembly.

Known up to now designs of pressure tanks are limited to usage of symmetrical constructions as toroidal tanks (with equal length in all axis), cylindrical tanks, twins tanks being assembly of two cylindrical tanks connected by additional elements, doubled tanks (duo) - being the assembly of two cylindrical tanks with the same diameter or different diameters, with interpenetrating shells.

There is known from international patent application PCT No W09846443 a flat tank for liquid gas, where two connected shells, upper and lower, have centrally welded conical, upper and lower flanges, connected by a tube with holes equally spaced on circumference.

There is also known from the Polish patent application No P-354299 a tank for gas, especially liquid propane-butane, consisting of connected together, profiled lower and upper shells, and also profiled middle tube, whereas the middle tube has two through holes and two additional closing shells, where one of the shells has a connector pipe. The tank is characterized in that in one of additional shells there is a valve with pipe in vertical axle of the tank, having the height exactly defined in relation to the shell.

There is known from the Polish patent description No P-384134 and description of international application PCT No WO 2009082250 (Al) a four-shells tank, beneficially toroidal, containing connected together shells, equipped with connector pipes for tank fittings, brackets for tank and cover fixing, cover of tank fittings, central coupler with holes and middle bushing, characterized in that it consists of at least four tightly connected shells, where the outer, upper shell with outer lower shell create outer shell of the tank, whereas inner, upper shell connected with inner, lower shell by middle bushing and beneficially inner wall with holes, create coupler, containing additional work space.

A pressure tank, according to the invention, especially extended and toroidal, with different length in X, Y, Z axis, containing shells connected by at least one coupler, equipped with connector pipes for tank fittings, brackets for tank and cover fixing, tank fittings cover, inner shells, inner walls, partitions, is characterized in that the outer, upper shell together with outer, lower one create a tank outer shell with rectangular cross-sections, with rounded corners, whereas inner jackets are connected with inner shells and/or outer shells, beneficially inner shells connected with midd le tubes, creating inner couplers of the tank, beneficially separated by a partition. Connector pipes of tank fittings are welded to tank walls in this way that the thickness of connector pipe is 0,4 up to 1,8 of the thickness of tank wall. The inner jacket of the tank has beneficially form of seamed or seamless tube, or can be a bushing formed by rolling a metal sheet or connecting some sheets, or a cone or truncated cone, or a cylinder with or without the bottom, which may be flat or bent. Inner shells or shells for inner jackets and/or a partition, have beneficially form of sphere sections with different radiuses or more then one radius, and/or truncated cones with different base and top radiuses and different angle of side wall, with the top stamped or welded, or the top open, not closed by any surface, and/or the shells have form of a cylinder with flat or shaped bottom..

In the basic alternative of invention, extended toroidal tank is obtained by connecting outer, upper and lower shells, of appropriate design, together and with middle segments which have the form of couplers, consisting of inner jackets and/or connected inner shells, and/or middle tubes.

In the second alternative of invention, outer jacket is welded between outer shells: upper and lower, connected with more than one inner central coupler. Beneficially, inner shells and/or inner jackets and/or middle tubes of tank, create part of a tight chamber for second working media and/or space for placing pressure tank or vessel for storage of second media.

Beneficially, at least one inner central coupler is welded between outer shells: upper and lower.

In other alternative of invention, at least one central coupler is plugged tightly with covers on the top and bottom, creating tight chamber for second media. Equipment of the tank with fittings for one and/or two working media, installed in inner shell and/or inner jacket, does not exceed tank limiting outline defined by surfaces of outer, upper and lower shells and/or outer jacket.

Beneficially, in elements creating inner walls of the tank: inner jackets of couplers and/or inner partitions and/or inner shells, there are cup-shaped holes, creating channels, which have length bigger than wall's thickness.

Beneficially, middle tube consists of few coaxial tubes, fixed together.

Middle, multilayer tube comprises 2 up to n seamed or seamless, coaxial tubes, where the outer diameter of smaller tube is close to inner diameter of the bigger one, with tolerances which allow for placing the smaller tube inside of bigger one, and then they are fixed on the whole or part of circumference, on one or both ends.

In other alternative of invention, form of tank fittings housing corresponds to curvature of tank walls and the housing is connected to tank walls with screws and clips, and has a cover with seal.

Beneficially, the partition is equipped with holes of different shape and size, and/or movable partitions without and/or with holes of different shape and size.

Outer edges of partition, on the hole length or part of it, are connected with inner walls of the tank, to obtain in space of the tank minimum 2 chambers. In this way flow of working media in fluid phase, between partitions, at the height from tank bottom to closest edge in partition is made impossible. In other alternative of the tank, according to invention, it is equipped with a system for maintaining minimum levels, consisting of intermediary channels in form of tubes or hoses, connecting tank chambers, with adjuster and flow controller.

On other alternative according to invention, the tank is equipped with a system for quick disassembly of tank fittings, consisting of additional chamber, which contains at least one connector pipe for tank fitting, shut-off valve for working media from the tank to additional chamber and a controller for shut-off valve.

Pressure tank, according to invention, thanks to appropriate design of shells and connecting them with more than one coupler (central tube), has different length of sides (in Z, Y and Z axis), what makes easier to efficiently use space for the tank. Storage of two working medias allows for usage in vehicles and other double-fuel devices, where up to now two separated tanks were necessary. Appropriate selection of thickness for particular tank elements (appropriate design of inner shells, coaxial tubes, design of connector pipes for fittings, cup- shaped holes, partitions) offers bigger volume increase at the tank blowout reached at smaller pressure, compared with similar special tanks (elliptic, twins tanks, duo, toroidal). The design of extended, toroidal tank, increases safety, thanks to bigger volume increase before blowout, that means bigger value of relation of proportional volume increase before blowout to pressure of blowout, allows for blowout pressure reduction and for reduction of material usage for a tank with similar outer dimensions, volume, work parameters and assignment.

By proper selection of shape and wall thickness of particular elements, presented design of extended, toroidal tank and other pressure tanks, allows for changing the value of relation of proportional volume increase before blowout to blowout pressure - that means volume increase obtained by defined blowout pressures, changes of blowout pressures depending on requirements for particular tank assignments and required volume increase before blowout and/or discharge of tank content.

Design of connector pipe, according to invention, used in pressure tanks, allows for elastic work of tank construction, especially at high pressures, close to blowout, allows for usage metal sheets and materials with lower thickness as up to now, what brings economic benefits. Thanks to connector pipe, according to invention, a bigger volume increase during blowout test is obtained, compared to current designs of connector pipes. Bigger volume increase at blowout test makes possible to extend series of types of pressure tanks and area of usage.

Increase of cross section for working media flow through holes in tank elements, which create walls between particular parts of the tank, located in inner jackets and/or in inner shells, as well as increase of walls strength, where the holes are, is obtained thanks to cup-shaped holes. Cup-shaped hole increases strength of tank element for tensile stresses, which are result of a pressure in closed tank, what allows for reduction of wall thickness in elements, where working media is moving.

Thanks to introduction of coaxial central tubes, thickness of the hole segment is reduced, decreasing the weight and increasing the strength. System of quick tank fittings disassembly, without the necessity discharging the working media stored at high pressure and/or decreasing the pressure.

A tank according to invention, can be installed with appropriate fittings in any plane, from horizontal to vertical, according to the needs and type of use. Subject of invention is presented in examples on figures, where fig. 1 presents cross section of extended, toroidal tank, fig. 2 - cross section of extended, toroidal tank as alternative with inner jacket, fig. 3 - view W from fig. 1, fig. 4 (A, B, C, D) - cross section of central part of the tank for alternative designs, fig. 5 - cross section through central part of the tank with multilayer tube and cup- shaped holes in inner jacket, fig. 6 - cross section of a tank with partitions, fig. 7 - side view of a tank in alternative with connector pipes for tank fittings and with housing for fittings, fig. 8 - view Z from fig. 7, fig. 9 - cross section of a tank with system for maintaining set up minimum levels of working media between chambers, fig. 10 - cross section of a tank with chamber for the second working media (B) in inner coupler, fig. 11 (A, B, C) - cross section through mounting of connector pipe to the tank, fig. 12 - system for maintaining required minimum levels between chambers, fig. 13 - system for quick disassembly of tank fittings, without discharging a tank content, and/or reducing the pressure.

Outer, upper shell 1 with outer, lower 2 create outer tank shell in form of a solid with rectangular cross sections, with rounded corners, whereas the inner jackets 6A, 6B are connected with inner shells 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B and/or outer shells 1, 2, beneficially connected with central tubes 7A, 7B, 7N, creating central couplers LI, L2 of the tank, and/or beneficially separated by partition 10. Connector pipes 9 of tank fittings are welded with tank shell in this way, that the thickness of pipe wall is equal 0,4 to 1,8 of the thickness of tank shell.

In the second tank alternative, there is inner jacket 3, welded between outer shells, upper 1 and lower 2, connected with more than one inner, central coupler. Inner shells (4A, 4B, 5A, 5B) and/or inner shells (6A, 6B) and/or inner jackets (6A, 6B) and/or middle tubes (7A, 7B, 7N) create part of a tight chamber for the second working media (B) and/or space for storage of pressure tank or container for the second working media (B).

Between outer shells, upper (1) and lower (2), at least one central coupler (LI, L2) is welded.

In the next tank alternative, at least one central coupler LI, L2 is plugged on the top with upper cover 5C and at the bottom with lower cover 4C, creating a tight chamber (Dl and/or D2 and/or D3 and/or D4) for the second working media B.

Beneficially, tank equipment with tank fittings for one and/or two working media A, installed on inner shell (4A, 4B, 5A, 5B and/or inner jacket 6A, 6B and/or covers 4C, 5C is comprised in outer limits of outer tank surfaces, defined by surfaces of outer, upper shells 1 and lower 2 and/or inner jacket 3.

In elements creating inner tank walls: inner jacket 6A and/or 6B of couplers LI and/or L2 and/or inner partitions 10 and/or inner shells 4A, 4B, there are cup- shaped holes 8A, 8B, which create channels, with a length bigger than wall thickness.

The middle tube 7N is multilayer tube, which consists of few, coaxially interconnected tubes.

The form of walls of tank fittings housing 11, fixed to the tank, corresponds to curvatures of tank shells. Tank fittings housing 11, equipped with cover 12, which has a seal 12A, is fixed to tank shell by screws and clips 13 and sealed with seal 11A.

Partition 10 is beneficially equipped with holes 15A and 15B, which have different shapes and sizes and/or movable partitions 16, without holes or with holes of different shapes and sizes.

In other alternative, the tank is equipped with a system for maintaining minimum levels in chambers, which contains intermediary channels 14, being tubes and/or hoses, connecting tank chambers, and/or with a setter 14B and/or flow controller 14A.

In the next alternative, tank is equipped with a system for quick disassembly of tank fittings, containing additional chamber 17, which has at least one connector pipe for tank fittings, shut off valve 19 for working media from the tank to additional chamber 17 and controller 18 for shut valve 19.