Mobile System For Supplying A Client With A Fluid

Abstract

Mobile supply systems are used to supply clients with a fluid, in which a transport container and a fluid pump for discharging the transport container into a client's container or a client's pipeline system are mounted on a tanker truck. The fluid pumps are usually fitted with hydraulic or electrical drive and are supplied with energy from the drive assembly of the tanker vehicle during the discharging process. In order to lower noise emissions at the target location caused by the discharging process, according to the invention, an electrical pump drive is used which is supplied with power at least optionally from an accumulator. The charging of the accumulator occurs by means of the drive assembly of the tanker vehicle, but independently of the discharging process, and can occur, in particular, during travel and/or outside of the target location.

Claims

1. A mobile system for supplying a customer with a fluid, having a tanker vehicle, which is equipped with a vehicle drive unit and on which a transport container for storing a fluid and a fluid pump, driven by means of an electric pump drive, for discharging the transported fluid from the transport container are arranged, wherein the tanker vehicle has a generator, which is driven by the vehicle drive unit, and an accumulator, which can be electrically connected to said generator, and the accumulator can be electrically connected to the pump drive in order to supply power thereto.

2. The mobile system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the accumulator and/or the pump drive is equipped with connections for connection to an external power supply network.

3. The mobile system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generator can be electrically connected directly to the pump drive in order to supply power directly thereto.

4. The mobile system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tank for storing liquefied gases is provided as the transport container.

5. The mobile system as claimed claim 1, wherein the tanker vehicle is equipped with a control unit which enables the charging of the accumulator according to a specified program or depending on specified parameters.

6. The mobile system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tanker vehicle is designed as an articulated lorry having a tractor unit and a trailer, the transport container, the pump with the pump drive and the accumulator being mounted on the trailer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0021] An exemplary embodiment of the invention shall be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

[0022] The single drawing (FIG. 1) shows a schematic representation of a circuit diagram of a mobile system for supplying a customer with a fluid according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The mobile system 1 comprises a tanker vehicle 2, which, in the exemplary embodiment, is an articulated tanker lorry consisting of a tractor unit 3 and a tanker trailer 4.

[0024] A transport container 5 for storing a fluid, for example a tank for storing a cryogenic liquefied gas, is mounted on the tanker trailer 4. A fluid pump 6, which is installed in an outlet line 7 of the transport container 5, serves to discharge fluid from the transport container 5.

[0025] The fluid pump 6 is designed as an electric pump and is driven by an electric pump drive 8. According to the invention, to supply power to the pump drive 8, this latter is electrically connected to an accumulator 10 via a line 9.

[0026] The accumulator 10 is electrically charged via a generator 11 to which it can be electrically connected via a line 12. The generator 11 arranged in the tractor unit 3 in the exemplary embodiment shown here is driven by an engine 13, which is, in particular, the drive unit of the tractor unit 3. The generator 11 is, for example, the electric generator present as standard in the tractor unit 3; however, it can also be an electric generator with increased power compared to a pre-installed electric generator or a generator which is present in addition to the electric generator and is driven by the engine 13.

[0027] The accumulator 10 is preferably configured such that the power which can be drawn from it and the energy which it contains is sufficient to enable complete emptying of the transport container 5 into a customer tank or into a supply network of a customer even if the transport container 5 was previously filled completely. If a tanker vehicle 2 normally has to be driven to multiple customers in succession, it is, however, also conceivable to configure the capacity of the accumulator 10 to be somewhat smaller provided it is ensured that at least partial recharging of the accumulator 10 takes place during the journey to the next customer and is sufficient to be able to cover the supply of fluid to the next customer in each case.

[0028] During operation of the mobile system 1, a customer tank to be filled or a customer network (neither shown here) is connected to the discharge line 7 and fluid is emptied from the supply container 5 into the customer tank or the customer network by means of the fluid pump 6. The pump drive 8 draws the electrical energy required to operate the fluid pump 6 from the accumulator 10. During the discharging procedure, the operation of a generator ensuring the power supply to the fluid pump 6 is therefore not required, which is why the device 1 has significantly lower noise emissions compared to discharge devices according to the prior art.

[0029] Recharging of the accumulator 10 is required after the completion of a discharging procedure or a series of successively implemented discharging procedures. To this end, the accumulator 10 is electrically connected to the generator 11, which provides the required charging current through the operation of the engine 13. In this case, the charging of the accumulator 10 can take place independently of the discharging procedure; in particular, it takes place during the return journey of the tanker vehicle 2 from a customer in the empty state of the supply container 5.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, instead of supplying power to the pump drive 8 via the accumulator, this can also take place directly by means of the generator 11 via an electric line 14 which bypasses the accumulator 10; this mode of operation is recommended with regard to noise emissions in a non-critical environment since the losses in the accumulator are thus prevented.

[0031] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, as a further alternative for supplying power to the pump drive 8, this latter has a connection 15 for connection to an external power network (not shown here), for example the power network of a customer. The accumulator 10 likewise expediently possesses a charging connection 16, which also enables the charging of the accumulator 10 by means of an external power network when the engine 13 is switched off.

[0032] Moreover, the charging of the accumulator 10 can be regulated by means of an electronic control unit 17 according to a specified program or according to detected parameters, for example the charge status of the accumulator or the operating status of the tanker vehicle 2.

[0033] In particular, the control unit enables automatic charging of the accumulator 10 whilst the tanker vehicle 2 is being driven.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0034] 1 System [0035] 2 Tanker lorry [0036] 3 Tractor unit [0037] 4 Trailer [0038] 5 Transport container [0039] 6 Fluid pump [0040] 7 Outlet line [0041] 8 Pump drive [0042] 9 Electric line [0043] 10 Accumulator [0044] 11 Generator [0045] 12 Electric line [0046] 13 Engine [0047] 14 Electric line [0048] 15 Electrical connection [0049] 16 Charging connection [0050] 17 Control unit