Process and System

[001] Invention refers to the transportation system and to the preliminary preparation for the further processing of viscous materials, such as: acid tars, bitumen, slurry, sludge and other waste resulted from the petrochemical industry as well as from other industries.

[002] It is known (based on the article "ACID TAR - UTILISATION OR DISPOSAL?" written by §tefan ZOTA, Alexandrina ZOTA, §tefan CONSTANTIN, International Multidisciplinary Conference, 10th edition, Sebe§ 2010) that acid tar is one of the high-volume waste resulting from the activity of the coke units and from the oil refining processes. The quantity of acid tars resulting from the oil industry is much higher. The acidic tars are usually stored in large pits, called settlers or lagoons and are sources of environmental pollution. In order to recycle the acid tars, they must be transported and discharged in treatment plants under maximum safety conditions.

[003] Paper of Constantin, §t. and others, “Treatment of acid tar for utilisation”, Slobozia, 2009, presents an acid tar preliminary treatment technology for further dumping of the material in a hazardous waste landfill. This treatment technology is known as cement solidification/ stabilization technology.

[004] One can find in the patent literature the DE 3929731 A1 invention published in March 21 , 1991. It relates to a system for the transportation of contaminated waste in close/ sealed containers to a mobile or fixed discharge station, under extended safety conditions. The contaminated waste (contaminated soil, debris, sludge, abandoned products, etc.) is transported to the treatment facilities and it is completely isolated from the environment during transportation and when it is unloaded. The contaminated waste is loaded and sealed in a gas-tight and acid- resistant container. The container is provided with a device for fire extinguishing and the temperature/ pressure inside the container is monitored during the transportation towards the discharge station. The discharge station closes completely and seals the container.

[005] It is also known the invention RU2002120385 (A) which disclosed a method of carrying viscous oil products in transport containers comes to heating of oil products to temperatures providing high fluidity, delivering part of heated oil product into separate container and intensive mixing to provide medium viscosity with pumping of compressed air through oil product to change it into condition of dispersoid of low ratio. Then dispersoid is pumped through processing main line provided with spraying nozzles on end and is delivered in jets to inner surfaces of transport container on which dispersoid is cooled till complete thickening, and remaining mass of heated oil product is filled into transport container. After transportation and before draining all mass of oil product is agitated to wash out dispersoid.

[006] More over, it is known from patent RU 2 629 640 C1 , published on 30.08.2017, a method for transportation of oil products consists in heating the upper half of the tank by infra-red radiation and cooling its lower half by blowing cold air after filling oil product into the tank. If the initial temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the oil in a filled boiler exceeds 40°C, the oil product passes into the high-viscosity state only in a thin layer near the walls, forming a heat-insulating shell. A tank for transportation of viscous oil products, including a boiler mounted on carts with an upper filling hatch and a lower drain pipe, contains ribs installed on the outer surface of the lower half and on the inner surface of the upper half of the boiler walls. The ribs installed perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the boiler and crossing its welded seams, strengthen the boiler structure, enhance heat transfer and compensate for the thermal stresses of the boiler.

[007] Transportation system does not allow heating, mixing and / or homogenization of viscous materials.

[008] Hoisting system with chain winches equipped with gear wheels for chains is also well-known. Their sprockets can be replaced independently. The independent sprockets are made of a special wear-resistant steel and are assembled on the hub of the gear wheel.

[009] Technical problem solved by the invention is the safe handling and transportation of viscous materials as well as the increased efficiency of heating, mixing and / or homogenization.

[010] Process for transportation, handling and pre-treatment of the viscous materials system for their further treatment and recycling according to the invention consists in loading the viscous material on the production/ dumping site in a container installed on a motor vehicle, transporting the viscous material to a processing facility, discharging the container for preliminary preparation and unloading the viscous material into the processing facility; the particularities of the invention are the following: the pre-treatment of viscous materials is performed directly in specially designed transport containers, which are designed to allow the heating, mixing and / or homogenizing the viscous materials by lifting the container on the of four electric hoists/winches with chains, paired two by two that form two chain loops, and continuously swing/ balance the container at angles of less than 90°, as well as heat the viscous materials in the containers, controlling the viscosity of the material by measuring the power consumed by the electric hoists when swinging the tank, transporting the container, providing a uniform load without impact over the electric hoists during the lifting operations of the container in order to discharge the viscous material into the processing facility. It allows the accurate discharge of the material from the special container, both in terms of coordinates plane and in terms of flow of material being discharged directly into the processing facility and automatization of the entire viscous material processing chain.

[011] According to the invention, the viscous materials/ acid tars transportation, handling and pre-treatment system comprises: a metal vessel/reservoir (tank or container) made of a cylindrical wall with two covers welded at the ends and their diameter is higher than the diameter of the cylindrical wall of the container. The end covers are provided in the circular crown corresponding to the diameter difference with threaded holes. The container is provided with a lidded inlet/ outlet for storing the viscous materials/ tar acids during the transportation and each end cover is equipped with a gear wheel with sprockets mounted uniformly over the entire circumference of the wheel hub. In the opposite side of the tank, the wheel hub is provided with a cylindrical roller track running surface and in front - with smooth surfaces/ end plates for gliding. The container is also provided with legs for horizontal positioning, so that it can be placed on the saddle/ platform of a motor vehicle; a multipurpose ramp representing a metal structure with individual compartments, each compartment being equipped with two pairs of chain electric hoist which can engage with the gear wheels of the container for its lifting and swinging/ balancing around the horizontal axis. There are also a heat carrier outgoing/ incoming receiver, a volatile substances suction receiver, an automatic fire extinguishing system on the upper end of the ramp; an unloading ramp representing a compartment equipped with two pairs of chain electric hoist (chain winches) which can engage with the gear wheels of the container turning it at the same time, in order to discharge the content in a processing facility, on a running track made of two pairs of curved rails with rollers that come into contact with cylindrical rolling surfaces of the two gear wheels. The rolling track/ roller rails are provided with end plates attached on a clamping system. The end surfaces of the gear wheels’ slide on the end plates. They act as limiting devices for the container’s axial displacement during its movement along the rolling track; and a means of transport carrying the full container between the multipurpose ramp and the unloading ramp and back - the empty container.

[012] The following advantages are achieved by applying the invention:

increasing the efficiency of the viscous material heating, mixing and homogenization stages, including by measuring its viscosity;

optimizing the construction costs; optimizing the technological process;

a wide range of possibilities to handle the container carrying the viscous materials.

[013] These advantages and other objects and characterizing features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 , heated tank, according to the invention: 1 a) side view, 1 b) rear view;

Fig. 2, cylindrical container: 2a) side view, 2b) rear view;

Fig. 3, heated tank’s housing: 3a) side view, 3b) rear view;

Fig. 4, cylindrical container’s housing: 4 a) side view, 4 b) rear view;

Fig. 5, gear wheel with chain sprockets: 5a) side view, 5b) front view;

Fig. 6, roller rails on which the tank or container moves;

Fig. 7, multipurpose ramp;

Fig. 8, unloading ramps with rolling tracks for tanks/ containers.

[014] Process of transportation, loading and pre-treatment for the processing and/ or recycling of viscous materials, as well as acidic tars, bitumen, sludge, and other waste generated by the petrochemical industry and/ or other industries, is consisting of material loading on the production/ storage site into a metal vessel (tank or container), its transportation by a vehicle to the pre-treatment facility, unloading of the vessel containing the material, pre-treatment and unloading in the reprocessing facility. [015] More specific the method comprises the following steps:

• pre-treatment of viscous materials is carried out directly in specially equipped transport vessel, which allow mixing and / or homogenizing and / or heating the viscous materials in vessel equipped with two sprocket wheels for chain located on the ends by lifting the container on chains and continuously turning/swinging the vessel around its longitudinal axis under an angles less than 90 degrees using four electric hoist/winch with chain, paired two by two as to form two chain loops;

• controlling the viscosity of the material by measuring the power consumed by the electric motors of the hoist when turning around the longitudinal axis of the tank;

• transportation of the vessel;

• accurate unloading of material from the vessel, both in terms of coordinates plane, and in terms of the accuracy of material dosing during unloading directly into the processing unit;

• full automation (including robotization) of the whole chain of viscous materials preparation and transportation.

[016] Referring to fig. 1 , 3 and 5, the metal vessel is made in the shape of a metal tank is used to store the viscous materials/ acid tars during transportation is made in the shape of a cylindrical tank with two walls - a stainless steel inner wall 1 and a carbon steel outer wall 2. Its height is L1. Some legs 3 are installed on the bottom side of the outer wall and they allow the tank to be installed in a horizontal position on the platform. The ends of the tank are closed with two round stainless-steel end covers 16 welded to the walls of the tank, as shown in detail (Fig. 3). A diameter D4 of the end covers 16 is higher than the D1 diameter of the outer cylindrical wall 2, as can be seen in Fig.3. The end covers 16 are provided with holes 17 located in the annulus D4-D1 (region bounded by two concentric circles having diameters D4 and D1 ), said holes being equidistant from each other and from the axis, and which allowing fixing a gear wheel (i.e. sprocket-wheel with exchangeable teeth) 4 for the chain to each end cap 16. It is a U-shaped profile in section and forms a steel circle. The backside of the gear wheel facing the tank is provided with holes 20, corresponding to the holes 17 of the end covers 16 for fastening screws 24. The chain sprockets (individual exchangeable teethes) 5 are evenly set/mounted around on the gear hub (the entire circumference of the outer diameter of the wheel) of both gear wheel , said sprockets being shifted towards the side with holes (Fig. 5a). Thus, a working surface 6 appears on the outer diameter (of the hub) of the gear wheel 4 to move on a guide rollers 21 for guiding the vessel up to the processing unit; a side surface 7 (fig .1 and 2a) of the gear wheel 4, opposite to the one provided with holes, is a surface for sliding on end plates 22 (as it is show in Fig.6). The tank is equipped with a loading/ unloading cylindrical opening 8, a volatile gas inlet 9 and a solvent outlet 13. The tank can be heated by a heat carrier that circulates between the outer wall 2 and the inner wall 1. The heat carrier is fed into the inlet 10 located on the lower side of the outer wall 2 and the heat carrier is discharged through the outlet 11 located on the upper side of the outer wall 2. The cylindrical hole 8 is also used to inspect and maintain the internal surfaces of the tank. Before starting the works, the inner side of the tank is steamed and cleaned. During transportation and preliminary preparation of viscous materials, the cylindrical hole 8 is covered with an airtight cap.

[017] In another embodiment, with reference to (Fig. 2, 4 and 5), the metal vessel is made in the shape of a container consisting of carbon steel cylindrical wall 14. It is also provided with legs 3 allowing the tank to be positioned in a horizontal position on the platform. The ends of the container are also covered with two round steel covers 16 having diameter D4 higher than diameter D1 of the container’s cylindrical wall 14, as shown in Fig.4.

[018] End covers 16 are provided with holes 17 between the diameters of the D4-D1 marks (the annulus D4-D1 ), which are equidistant from each other and from the axis, and which allow fixing a gear wheel 4 for the chain to each end cover 16. The hub of the gear wheel 4 is a U-shaped profile in section and forms a steel circle (i.e. a flattened cylindrical crown (annulus) which is hollow inside). The side of the gear wheel facing the tank is provided with holes 20 corresponding to the holes 17 of the end covers 16 for fastening screws 24. The chain sprockets 5 are evenly set/mounted around the entire circumference of the outer diameter of the wheel, shifted to the side with holes (Fig. 5a). Thus, the outer diameter of the gear wheel 4 forms a working surface 6 to move along the guide rollers 21. The side surface of the gear wheel 4, which is opposite to the one provided with holes, is the surface 7 (fig .1 ) for sliding on the end plates 22. The container is provided with a rectangular hole in the upper side and its length is 70% - 90% of the length L1 of the container body, whose section width corresponds to a central angle between 70° and 100° (sexagesimal degrees), for transported materials’ loading and unloading. The rectangular opening is provided with a cover 15 for closing the opening during the transportation of materials, said cover having the same shape as the container.

[019] System further comprises:

- a multifunctional ramp presented on (Fig. 7) is made of metal structure with separate compartments. Each compartment is equipped with, at least, two pairs of chain electric hoist /winch capable of gearing the gear wheels 4 of the vessel (tank or container) to lift and to swinging it (alternatively rotating of the vessel around its longitudinal axis in one direction and in the opposite one) under angles less than 90° (for instance 30° degrees). Multifunctional ramp has in addition at least a heat carrier supply and return collector, a gas exhaust collector, and an automatic fire extinguishing system on the upper edge of the ramp;. When working with the tank on the upper part of the multi-functional ramp, there will be used collectors for the supply and return of the heat carrier, which is connected to the inlet 10 and the outlet 11 of the tank, respectively, with the gas outlet collector, which is connected to the fitting 9, automatic fire extinguishing system;

- an unloading ramp (Fig. 8), which is a compartment equipped with two pairs of chain electric hoist capable of gearing the gear wheels 4 of the vessel to carry out, at the same time, the progressive lifting and turning of the vessel around its longitudinal axis, on a guide rails with rollers 21 up to an unloading point of the processing unit and to unload the materials into thereof. While lifting and lowering the tank/ container, it slides by the cylindrical working surfaces 6 of gear wheels 4 on the guide rollers 21. The ends of the lifting rails are provided with plates 22, on which the tank / container wheels 4 slide on the end surfaces 7, which serve as limiters for the axial movement of the container when moving along the guide rails.

[019a] Measures to be taken to ensure the safety of lifting/ unloading operations:

• During lifting/ unloading operations, the maintenance personnel and vehicles must be moved beyond the perimeter of the ramp area. • Unloading ramp is equipped with an emergency basin in the lower side of the frame. Its volume of 10 m3 is calculated for the amount of material that fills one tank/ container.

• Unloading ramp is equipped with an automatic foam extinguishing system with sprinkling of metal structures. The metal structures are covered with heat- insulating paints.

• If the chain breaks (because of the chain’s or hoist’s defect), the tank / container does not fall due to the following technical solutions: the tank remains suspended on the second chain and remains in a vertical position due to the tank’s wedging between the end plates of the guide rails.

• If two chains break (an almost impossible event) the tank/ container does not fall due to the following technical solutions: the rails are equipped with a tool- lock trigger mechanism; in case of loss of load on the electric hoists, when the tank moves along the guides, the brake mechanism is driven and the tank is compressed by means of the guides, which prevent it from falling. This is the similar principle used in passenger elevators.

• Electric breaks are also installed on the engines of the hoists.

- a vehicle transporting a full tank / container between the multipurpose ramp and the unloading ramp and carrying an empty tank/ container in the opposite direction.

[020] According to the invention, this viscous materials/ acid tars transportation, handling, and pre-treatment system performs this process, consisting of the following steps/ phases:

• transportation of viscous materials/ acid tars from the dumping/ production site to the processing site;

• unloading of vessels (containers) on the preliminary preparation site;

• storage on the preliminary preparation site;

• heating the viscous material in the tank;

• mixing and / or homogenization in the tank;

• determining the viscosity of the material by measuring the power consumed by the electric motors of the hoists when the tank is turned on the chains;

• Metered unloading of material into the processing unit.

[021] Functions performed by roller guides: a) ensuring a uniform shock-free load on hoist engines during lifting; b) ensuring the lifting and movement of the tank/ container to the unloading point c) preventing the destruction of the tank if the chain is defective or breaks.

[022] Specifically, the following technical solution is used: at the bottom of the section of the route, two rails that are located on the concave side and arched in the direction of the cistern are provided with a trigger mechanism; in case of loss of load on electroplates, when the cistern is on the route, the trigger mechanism is activated and the tank or cistern is pressed by the roller rails.

[023] As for the algorithm of the hoist controlled by the electric motor. The engines are equipped with speed/ rotation sensors. During the tank’s lifting, the engines of the hoists rotate synchronously in one direction. A speed sensor controls the tank lifting heights on the chains.

[024] To turn the tank at a certain angle, the left and right engines must rotate in different directions. The speed sensor controls the angle of the tank’s tilt.

[025] This chain haulage algorithm is applied both on the multipurpose ramp and on the unloading ramp.

[026] Invention of the solution to use chain electric hoist, roller guides, gear wheels on the ends of the tank in order to grip by chains differs from the existing technical solutions for equipping the tanks/ containers meant to transport and prepare the viscous material for the treatment process.

[027] The following is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 1 and 3 show a double-walled tank that is heated by the heat carrier fed between the outer and inner walls. The tank has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter D1 = 1.5m and a length L1 = 2.4 m. The inner walls 1 have the diameter D2 = 1 .4m and the end covers 16 are made of stainless steel. The outer wall 2 is made of carbon steel and is designed to ensure the safety and transportation of waste and to form a jacket in the tank for heating the contents, by circulating the heat carrier between the two walls 1 and 2 . The tank is equipped with legs 3 for its installation in horizontal position. The gear wheel 4 equipped with chain sprockets 5 is attached to the end covers of the tank by means of screw connections 24. The outer surface of the wheel 4 has a sliding surface 6 along roller guides. In addition, the gear wheels have sliding surfaces on the end plates located on the ends of the roller rails that limit the axial movement of the tank.

[028] Tank is equipped with:

• a throat 8 having a diameter of about 800 mm for loading and unloading viscous materials and for inspecting the inner side of the tank;

• two gear wheels 4;

• inlet and outlet 10, 11 for the heat carrier;

• an opening 12 allowing the insertion of a steaming device provided on one of the end covers 16 (Fig. 1 ), to clean the inner side of the tank in terms of checking the corrosion of walls 1 and end covers 16;

• an opening 13 for solvent feeding;

• an opening 9 for gases discharge from the internal volume of the tank (inside the stainless-steel cylinder).

[029] Measures to be taken to ensure the maintenance of the tank. Due to the fact that some types of viscous materials are corrosive, the surfaces of the tanks coming into contact with them are subject to corrosion. Therefore, the design of the tank allows the replacement of the inner cylindrical surface 1 and of end covers 16 and the reuse of the outer wall 2 equipped with legs 3 and gear wheels 4 mounted on the ends of the tank.

[030] Figure 2 and 4 show a cylindrical container made of carbon steel. It is equipped with legs that are welded to the bottom of the container and allow its installation in a horizontal position. The container has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter of D1 = 1.5 m and a length of L1 = 2.4 m. The gear wheel 4 equipped with chain sprockets 5 is attached to the end covers of the tank by means of screw connections 24. The outer surface of the wheel 4 has a sliding surface 6 along roller guides. In addition, the gear wheels have sliding surfaces on the end plates located on the ends of the roller rails which limit the axial movement of the tank.

[031] Container is equipped with a cover 15 made in the form of a carbon steel cylindrical segment 14 and two identical gear wheels 5, as shown above. [032] Multifunctional ramp is a metal structure with four separate compartments. Each compartment is equipped with four electric hoist with chain, paired two by two paired two by two as to form two chain loops. There are a heat carrier supply and return collector, a gas exhaust collector, power cable lines and control and measuring devices & automatic equipment lines and an automatic fire extinguishing system at the upper edge of the ramp.

[033] The following technological operations are performed sequentially on the multi- functional ramp (Fig. 7):

• Tank unloading from the vehicle and its hanging on the chains (Fig. 7a).

• Connecting the high-pressure hoses with heat carrier and gas exhaust hose (Figure 7b);

• Heating of tank.

[034] When the tank is heated, it is rotated continuously (around its axis in opposite directions) to an angle of 30 degrees (Fig. 7c and 7d) by means of twin chain electric hoist. This movement ensures the homogenization of the viscous material. At the same time, the measurement of the electric current of the engines allows the identification of the material’s viscosity. The volatile matter is collected by the suction collector and is sent for disposal.

[035] When the required viscosity is reached, the tank stops turning, the high- pressure hoses are disconnected, and the tank containing dried waste is placed on a robotic electric trolley. For example, the KoM UTV-2 E575 7000 robotic trolley (Mobile robotics_KUKA omniMove UTV-2) can be used, but there are also other manufacturers. The tank is carried by the robotic trolley to the waste treatment facility.

Empty tank is returned by the robotic trolley to the multi-purpose ramp by the chain electric hoist and is loaded on a vehicle, which takes it to viscous materials/ acid tars dumping/ production site.

[036] Referring to the unloading ramp shown in fig. 8. This compartment is 12m high, is equipped with two pairs of double chain electric hoist that can (while interacting with the gear wheels 5 of the container) lift it along the path of the roller guides 21 and rails, and incline for unloading. The roller guides hold by cylindrical surfaces 6 the slipping of two gear wheels 4. The roller guide rails 21 are equipped with end plates 22 fixed on a mounting system 23 designed in the shape of a metal sheet. The end plates 22 slide along the end surfaces 7 of the gear wheel 4 and serve as limiters for the axial movement of the tank/ container while moving along the guides;

[037] Lifting trajectory of the tank is determined by the shape of the roller guide rails and guide rails. The trajectory (the curvilinear part of the trajectory) is described by a polynomial mathematical function, which in the case of 12 m high unloading ramp is: y = 0.0002X ⁵ - 0.0031 x ⁴ - 0.0086x ³ + 0.2267x ² - 0.1108x - 1.5.

[038] Viscous materials transportation, handling and preliminary preparation process for their processing, and the system according to the invention, allow:

• transportation of the viscous materials/ acid tars from the dumping/ production site to the processing site in the tank/ container;

• unloading and storing the tank/ container on the processing site;

• connection of high-pressure hoses to the heat carrier for the heating of the viscous materials contained in the tank;

• homogenizing/ mixing in the tank;

• determining the viscosity of a viscous material in the tank by measuring the power consumed by the hoist engines;

• metered unloading of the viscous materials into the processing unit.

[039] While the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.