METHOD FOR OPERATING A CONTAINER, AND CONTAINER

Abstract

A method for operating a container having a frame and a tank supported a distance from the ground by the frame so that a bottom side of the tank is accessible, includes connecting a protective gas line to a gas connection on the tank and applying pressure to the protective gas line before removing filling material from the tank so that protective gas can flow into the interior of the tank through a medium channel. A removal apparatus is connected to an opening of the tank and filling material present in the tank is removed from an interior of the tank through the opening. Data relating to a pressure of protective gas in the medium channel is detected by a pressure sensor at least during a time period of removing the filling material from the tank.

Claims

1.-21. (canceled)

22. A method for operating a container for flowable filling material, the container comprising a tank and a frame, the tank being supported by the frame at a distance from the ground so that a bottom side of the tank is accessible, the bottom side of the tank having opening through which the filling material can be conducted into an interior of the tank for filling the tank and through which the filling material can be removed from the interior, and the tank having a gas connection connectable with a protective gas line, wherein the method comprises the steps of: connecting a protective gas line to the gas connection and applying pressure in said protective gas line before removal of flowable filling material from the tank, so that a protective gas can flow into an interior of the tank through a medium channel when the flowable filling material is removed from the tank; connecting a removal apparatus to the opening of the tank, and removing the flowable filling material from the interior of the tank through the opening by the removal apparatus; and detecting, by a pressure sensor, data relating to a pressure of the protective gas in the medium channel during a time period of the removing the flowable filling material from the interior of the tank.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data detected by the pressure sensor relates to one of the group consisting of a static pressure and a dynamic pressure of the protective gas within the medium channel.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a flow of the protective gas in the medium channel is accelerated in at least one region so that a dynamic pressure of the protective gas increases.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the flow of the protective gas is accelerated by a constriction arranged in the medium channel.

26. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising the step of determining times at which removal of the filling material begins and ends based on the detected data, wherein a difference between the times is the time period of the removing of the flowable filling material.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising the step of determining a quantity of the flowable filling material that is removed from the tank based on the time period of removal.

28. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising the step of storing the data detected by the pressure sensor at least temporarily by a data logger.

29. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising the step of processing the data detected by the pressure sensor by an evaluation unit.

30. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising the step of transmitting the data by a wireless transmitter.

31. A container for transporting a flowable filling material, comprising: a frame configured to place the container on the ground; a tank for storing the filling material, the tank being supported by the frame at a distance from the ground so that a bottom side of the tank is accessible, the bottom side of the tank having opening through which the filling material is conducted into an interior of the tank for filling the tank and through which the filling material is removed from the interior, and the tank having a gas connection connectable with a protective gas line; a sensor device including an adapter element, which includes a gas connector and a medium channel, the sensor device being connectable to the gas connection of the tank by the adapter element, wherein the gas connector of the adapter element is connectable to a protective gas line when the sensor device is connected to the gas connection of the tank so that a protective gas is conductible through the gas connector and the medium channel of the adapter element and into the interior of the tank; and a pressure sensor interacting with the medium channel and detecting data relating to a pressure of protective gas prevailing in the medium channel.

32. The container as claimed in claim 31, wherein the sensor device releasably connectable to the gas connection of the tank by the adapter element.

33. The container as claimed in claim 31, wherein the medium channel has a constriction at which a cross section of the medium channel is reduced in relation to a cross section of the medium channel outside the constriction.

34. The container as claimed in claim 33, wherein the medium channel is widened in relation to the cross section of the constriction on either side of the constriction.

35. The container as claimed in claim 31, wherein the sensor device has a spur line that interacts in terms of flow with the medium channel of the adapter element.

36. The container as claimed in claim 33, wherein the sensor device has a spur line connected to the medium channel in the region of the constriction.

37. The container as claimed in claim 35, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged at an end of the spur line remote from the medium channel, so that pressure fluctuations within the spur line that occur as a result of protective gas flowing through the medium channel are detectable by the pressure sensor.

38. The container as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a pitot tube with an opening cross section arranged within the medium channel, the opening cross section being oriented in relation to the flow direction of the protective gas in the medium channel in such a way that a portion of the protective gas enters the pitot tube, and the pitot tube connecting the opening cross section in a fluid-conducting manner to the pressure sensor.

39. The container as claimed in claim 38, wherein the opening cross section is oriented perpendicularly to a flow direction of the protective gas in the medium channel.

40. The container as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a data logger that at least temporarily stores data detected by the pressure sensor.

41. The container as claimed in claim 31, further comprising an evaluation unit that processes the data detected by the pressure sensor.

42. The container as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a transmitter that wirelessly transmits the data.

Description

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0029] The container according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in the figures, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1: shows a schematic side view of a container according to the invention,

[0031] FIG. 2: shows a perspective view of a lid of the container according to FIG. 1,

[0032] FIG. 3: shows a vertical cross section through a sensor device of the container according to FIG. 1,

[0033] FIG. 4: shows a detail of the sensor device according to FIG. 3,

[0034] FIG. 5: shows a detail of an alternative sensor device,

[0035] FIG. 6: shows a perspective view of a lid for a container according to FIG. 1, but with an alternative sensor device,

[0036] FIG. 7: shows a vertical cross section through the sensor device according to FIG. 6,

[0037] FIG. 8: shows a detail of the sensor device according to FIG. 7, and

[0038] FIG. 9: shows a pressure profile curve during removal of filling material from a container according to the invention.

[0039] An exemplary embodiment, which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, comprises a container 1 according to the invention which comprises a tank 4 and a frame 2. The frame 2, in turn, comprises a plurality of legs 42 by means of which the container 1 stands on the ground 3. The tank 4 is mounted at a distance from the ground 3 by means of the frame 2 in such a way that a bottom side 6 of the tank 4 is accessible from below. In particular, a deepest point 43 of the tank 4 is located at a distance 5 from the ground 3. Said deepest point 43 interacts with an opening 7 through which an interior 8 of the tank 4 can be charged with filling material or said filling material can be removed from the interior 8. To this end, the tank 4 interacts with a connection pipe 30 which has an angle of 90, so that a cross section of the opening 7 is oriented in a vertical manner. Here, the opening 7 interacts with a connection piece, so that a filling material hose can be coupled to the opening 7, it being possible for filling material to be removed from the tank 4 or, conversely, for filling material to be filled into the tank 4 by means of said filling material hose.

[0040] The container 1 according to the invention has a lid 19 on a top side 18, a gas connection 9 and a pressure-relief valve 31 being formed on said lid. This gas connection 9 serves to interact with a protective gas line, not illustrated in the figures. A protective gas line of this kind creates the possibility of feeding a protective gas, for example carbon dioxide, to the interior 8 of the tank 4. A protective gas of this kind is important in order to fill a free volume which is available in the tank 4 and is not filled with a respective filling material. In particular, there is often a requirement to prevent the filling material from coming into contact with oxygen, whereupon the filling material would oxidize. The protective gas prevents reactions of this kind and therefore contributes to a long shelf life of the filling material within the tank 4. The protective gas line is typically connected to a pressure source by means of which the respective protective gas is made available in a pressurized manner. This ensures that, during the course of removal of the filling material from the tank 4, protective gas accordingly directly subsequently flows into the released volume in the tank 4.

[0041] In the example shown, the gas connection 9 interacts with a gas connector 17 which is suitable here for interacting with a quick-action closure 32 of the protective gas line. In this way, it is particularly easily possible to connect the protective gas line to the gas connection 9 without tools and to establish a connection in terms of flow to the interior 8 of the tank 4. Conversely, it is likewise easily possible to remove the protective gas line from the gas connection 9 again.

[0042] According to the invention, the container 1 according to the invention comprises a sensor device 10 which comprises an adapter element 11 and a telemetry module 12. The adapter element 11 comprises a medium channel 14 and a gas connector 13. Furthermore, the adapter element 11 has a connection section 44 which is designed in a complementary manner to the gas connector 17 of the gas connection 9 of the tank 4. In this way, the sensor device 10 can be fixed to the gas connector 17, wherein the sensor device 10 can be plugged onto or is plugged onto the gas connector 17 in a certain manner. In this case, the gas connector 17 has a sealing ring 34 by means of which the adapter element 11 can be sealed off from the gas connection 9. The mechanism between the connection section 44 and the gas connector 17 is, in principle, identical to that by means of which a protective gas line can be connected to the gas connector 17. In this way, it is particularly easily possible to fix the sensor device 10 to the container 1, wherein the sensor device 10, by means of its adapter element 11, is detachably plugged onto the gas connector 17 only without tools and without destruction, and is latched in there.

[0043] At an end which is averted from the lid 19 of the container 1, the adapter element 11 has the gas connector 13 which interacts with a quick-action closure 32 in the example shown. The quick-action closure 32 is sealed off from the gas connector 13 of the adapter element 11 by means of a sealing ring 33. Here, the gas connector 13 is particularly advantageously designed to be compatible with the gas connector 17 of the tank 4. In particular, the gas nozzle 13 of the adapter element 11 reproduces the gas nozzle 17 of the gas connection 9 in an at least substantially, preferably completely, identical manner. This ensures that a respective protective gas line can be directly connected to the gas connector 13 of the adapter element 11, instead of to the gas connector 17 of the gas connection 9, without any need for adaptation or change. In this way, the container 1 according to the invention can continue to be used without any conversion, even though the actual gas connection 9 of the container 1 is now used for fixing the sensor device 10 to the container 1. The gas connector 13 of the adapter element 11 interacts in terms of flow with the medium channel 14 of said adapter element, so that, after a protective gas line is connected to the gas connector 13 (here using the quick-action closure 32), the respective protective gas can flow directly through the medium channel 14 to the gas connection 9 of the tank 4 and finally into the interior 8 of the tank 4.

[0044] In the example shown, the telemetry module 12 of the sensor device 10 comprises a plurality of sensors 15 and a transmitter 16. In particular, the telemetry module 12 has a geoposition sensor 41, an acceleration sensor 25, a temperature sensor 28, a data logger 26 and an evaluation unit 27. These components of the telemetry module 12 are accommodated together in a housing 29 which protects said components against external influences, in particular moisture and dirt. The sensors 15 are suitable for detecting data relating to at least one state parameter of the container 1 and/or a state parameter of the filling material which is stored in the container 1. Said data can be transmittedpossibly after being buffer-stored in the data logger 26 and possibly after being processed by means of the evaluation unit 27by means of the transmitter 16, so that said data can be called up remotely in a wireless manner. For example, it is conceivable to detect an absolute position of the container 1 by means of the geoposition sensor 41 and to transmit said absolute position by means of the transmitter 16. In this way, it is possible, for example, for a customer who has purchased a respective filling material to monitor a location of the container 1 and in this way estimate when the container 1 can be expected at his premises. In the same way, it is conceivable to permanently monitor a temperature of the filling material, as a result of which quality assurance is simplified. The detected data can be stored by means of the data logger 26, so that not only can respectively current data records additionally be called up, but rather a history can also be evaluated in particular. Furthermore, acceleration states of the container 1 can be detected by means of the at least one acceleration sensor 25, wherein, for example, it can be inferred that there has been an accident in the case of sharp fluctuations.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiment shown according to FIG. 3, the medium channel 14 of the adapter element 11 comprises a constriction 20 in the region of which a cross section 21 of the medium channel 14 is reduced in relation to a cross section 22 outside the constriction 20. In particular, the constriction 20 is designed in such a way that the medium channel 14 widens on either side of the constriction 20. In this way, the medium channel 14 is designed in the form of a Venturi nozzle in the region of the constriction 20. The reduction in the cross section of the medium channel 14 leads to the protective gas flowing through the medium channel 14 being accelerated in the region of the constriction 20. Accordingly, a flow rate of the protective gas 20 in the region of the constriction 20 is greater than in a region outside the constriction 20. This leads to a dynamic pressure of the protective gas increasing in the region of the constriction 20, as a result of which a static pressure, which presses hydrostatically on a wall of the medium channel 14, conversely decreases.

[0046] Furthermore, the medium channel 14 interacts with a spur line 23, the longitudinal axis of which is oriented perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the medium channel 14. In other words, the spur line 23 meets the medium channel 14 in the region of the constriction 20 at an angle 48, here a 90 angle. At an end which is averted from the medium channel 14, the spur line 23 interacts with a pressure sensor 24. Said pressure sensor is suitable for detecting data relating to a static pressure within the spur line 23. According to the above explanation, said static pressure changes as soon as protective gas flows through the medium channel 14. A flow of this kind can accordingly be determined by means of a change in the pressure within the spur line 23, wherein said change is detected by means of the pressure sensor 24. In this way, it is possible to determine by means of the sensor device 10 immediately when protective gas flows through the adapter element 11. The latter, in turn, usually happens only when filling material is removed from the interior 8 of the tank 4, wherein a released volume within the tank 4 is filled with additional protective gas as a result. Accordingly, it is conceivable, for example, for the beginning of removal of filling material from the tank 4 to be identified in the form of a drop in pressure in a pressure profile curve which is created using data which is gathered by means of the pressure sensor 24.

[0047] This phenomenon can be identified, for example, on the basis of a pressure profile curve 45 which is illustrated in FIG. 9. Here, a peak 46 can be identified in particular, which peak initially identifies connection of a protective gas line to the container 1, as a result of which the static pressure at the pressure sensor 24 sharply increases. This is due to the protective gas line being connected to a pressure source, the pressure of which pressure source exceeds an internal pressure of the tank 4. At the beginning of removal of the filling material from the tank 4, a directed flow of the protective gas through the medium 14 then takes place, whereupon the static pressure at the pressure sensor 24 drops suddenly in accordance with the above explanation. The sharp drop in the pressure profile curve 45 in the region of the peak 46 can therefore indicate the beginning of removal of filling material from the tank 4. Furthermore, the pressure profile curve 45 can identify a further high point 47 from which the pressure profile curve 45 drops sharply. This point can be interpreted as the time at which the tank 4 is completely emptied, that is to say all of the filling material has been removed from the tank 4. A pump by means of which the filling material is removed by suction from the tank directly draws the protective gas at this time, so that the static pressure within the container 1 and analogously within the medium channel 14 and the spur line 23 decreases suddenly. Accordingly, said high point 47 can be interpreted as the time at which the tank 4 is completely emptied.

[0048] Continuous detection of the pressure by means of the pressure sensor 24 allows analysis of the filling level of the tank 4 with filling material by way of at least one time period 40 within which removal of filling material from the container 1 takes place being able to be detected. In the example shown in FIG. 9, removal takes place in such a way that the tank 4 of the container 1 is finally completely emptied. As an alternative, it is likewise conceivable for removal of the filling material to be at least temporarily ended before the tank 4 is completely emptied. End of removal would be identifiable in the pressure profile curve 45 on the basis of a sudden increase in the static pressure since, without removal of further filling material from the tank 4, a flow of protective gas through the medium channel 14 would become established and consequently the dynamic pressure decreases, while the static pressure increases. On the basis of the pressure profile curve 45, the time period over which filling material has been removed from the tank 4 can then finally be determined. Conversely, a statement can be made as a result about the filling level of filling material still present within the tank 4. Consequently, it is possible to monitor a filling level of the tank 4 of the container 1 by means of monitoring the pressure by means of a pressure sensor 24 of the sensor device 10.

[0049] In an alternative refinement of the adapter element 11, a change in the pressure within the medium channel 14 is not detected in accordance with the Venturi principle according to the above explanation, but rather by means of a so-called pitot tube 35. A corresponding refinement can be gathered with reference to FIG. 5. Said pitot tube 35 has an opening cross section 36 which is oriented perpendicularly to a flow direction of the protective gas and through which flowing protective gas can enter the pitot tube 35 and can finally be conducted to a pressure sensor 24. By means of an arrangement of this kind, the dynamic pressure in the protective gas within the medium channel 14 or a change in said dynamic pressure can be detected, so that it is also possible to determine with an arrangement of this kind immediately when a flow of protective gas through the medium channel 14 starts. According to the above explanation, the occurrence of a flow of this kind can be associated with removal of filling material from the tank 4, so that the beginning and the end of removal of filling material from the container 1 can be detected on the basis of data detected by the pressure sensor 24, wherein finally a conclusion can be drawn about the filling level of the filling material within the tank 4 by means of determining a time period over which removal has taken place.

[0050] An alternative embodiment of a sensor device 10, which is illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, comprises an adapter element 11 which is designed to be significantly smaller than the sensor devices 10 according to FIGS. 3 to 5. Said sensor device 10 is connected to the gas connection 9 of the tank 4 by means of a union nut 39. In the example shown, the gas connection 9 as such does not have a dedicated gas connector 17, so that connection of a protective gas line to the tank 4 is possible only via the gas connector 13 of the adapter element 11. The associated container 1 is accordingly designed in such a way that it depends on the arrangement of the sensor device 10 on the gas connection 9 in order to be used as intended. In contrast to the sensor devices 10 described above, in the alternative variant the medium channel 14 is oriented at least substantially horizontally, as a result of which the required installation space volume of the adapter element 11 is considerably reduced. Comparably to the construction described above, the sensor device 10 according to FIGS. 6 to 8 also has, in its medium channel 14, a constriction 20 in which the cross section 21 of the medium channel 14 is reduced in relation to the cross section 22 of said medium channel outside the constriction 20. The sensor device 10 also has a spur line 23 which is connected to the medium channel 14 so as to form an angle 48 in the region of the constriction 20, wherein the angle 48 is formed by a right angle here. In this way, analogously to the above explanation, a change in the static pressure within the medium channel 14 can be detected, wherein the spur line 23 is designed in the form of a bent pipe here, a flexible connecting line 37 being connected in a leaktight manner at the end of said pipe. Said connecting line 37 interacts with a pressure sensor 24 at an end which is averted from the adapter element 11, which pressure sensor is accommodated in the associated telemetry module 12 here.

[0051] Here, the latter has a cuboidal housing 29 which is connected in a force-transmitting manner to the lid 19 of the container 1 in principle independently of the adapter element 11, in particular by means of a screw connection. Here, the telemetry module 12 has an LED 38 by means of which a state of operation of the telemetry module 12 or of the sensors 15 located in said telemetry module can be optically indicated.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0052] 1 Container [0053] 2 Frame [0054] 3 Ground [0055] 4 Tank [0056] 5 Distance [0057] 6 Bottom side [0058] 7 Opening [0059] 8 Interior [0060] 9 Gas connection [0061] 10 Sensor device [0062] 11 Adapter element [0063] 12 Telemetry module [0064] 13 Gas connector [0065] 14 Medium channel [0066] 15 Sensor [0067] 16 Transmitter [0068] 17 Gas connector [0069] 18 Top side [0070] 19 Lid [0071] 20 Constriction [0072] 21 Cross section [0073] 22 Cross section [0074] 23 Spur line [0075] 24 Pressure sensor [0076] 25 Acceleration sensor [0077] 26 Data logger [0078] 27 Evaluation unit [0079] 28 Temperature sensor [0080] 29 Housing [0081] 30 Connection pipe [0082] 31 Pressure-relief valve [0083] 32 Quick-action closure [0084] 33 Sealing ring [0085] 34 Sealing ring [0086] 35 Pitot tube [0087] 36 Opening cross section [0088] 37 Connecting line [0089] 38 LED [0090] 39 Opening [0091] 40 Time period [0092] 41 Geoposition sensor [0093] 42 Leg [0094] 43 Deepest point [0095] 44 Connection section [0096] 45 Pressure profile curve [0097] 46 Peak [0098] 47 High point [0099] 48 Angle