STACKABLE CAST STONE COMPOSITE FERMENTATION AND STORAGE TANK

Abstract

A liquid storage vessel having a base with a bottom and an interior floor; a continuous side extending vertically from the base and having an interior surface, the bottom and continuous side each including an internal layer and an external layer separated by a material barrier, and configured such that the interior layers form an inner containment liner, and the external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing the inner containment liner. A top is affixed to the continuous side and has an interior ceiling. Access to the tank interior is provided by one or more manways. Mounting and connecting structures enable the tanks to be stacked directly atop one another and then structurally connected. The exterior structural shell is fabricated from high performance fiber reinforced concrete, and the inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

Claims

1. A stackable liquid containment vessel, comprising: a base having a bottom with an interior floor; a continuous side extending generally vertically from said base and having an interior surface; said bottom and said continuous side each including an internal layer and an external layer configured in such a way that said interior layers form a continuous inner containment liner defining an interior liquid storage volume, and said external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing said inner containment liner; a vessel top disposed atop said continuous side and having an interior ceiling; at least one access manway located on said top or on said continuous side of said vessel; and mounting structure on said base for placement on ground so as to create a ground clearance underneath said bottom; wherein said exterior structural shell is fabricated from a high performance fiber reinforced concrete, and said inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

2. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said high performance fiber reinforced concrete is glass fiber reinforced concrete.

3. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said geopolymer concrete blend includes milled dry earth components having low loss on ignition, low organic and low heavy metal content.

4. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said dry earth components are milled to a range of approximately 200 mesh to approximately 450 mesh.

5. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said geopolymer concrete blend includes dry earth components, alkaline reactive components, solutions of inorganic alkaline salts, silica sand, and water.

6. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said dry earth components of said geopolymer concrete blend include volcanic pumice, diatomaceous earth/siliceous shale, volcanic ash, calcium carbonate, silica, kaolinite clay, ultra-fine fired clay bisque, soda lime glass, calcium sulfate hemihydrate, and lime kiln dust.

7. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said dry earth components further include type F fly ash, type C fly ash, rice hull ash, and blast furnace slag.

8. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, including a manway disposed on said top, and wherein said mounting structure comprises pair of legs having a height dimension sufficient to accommodate forklift forks and to provide clearance for opening said manway on a lower vessel when a second vessel is stacked atop the lower vessel.

9. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 8, wherein said legs are reinforced to approximate the interface between said legs and floor or a supporting stackable liquid containment vessel below.

10. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, further including at least one access port disposed on said continuous side.

11. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, further including upper and lower embedded threaded receivers disposed on upper and lower portions of said vessel sides to accept threaded fasteners and to serve as anchor points for connecting stacked vessels to one another with coupling plates and securing said vessel to the floor with tie-down plates.

12. The stackable liquid containment vessel of claim 1, wherein said vessel ceiling slopes upward to minimize head space above the stored liquid.

13. A stackable wine storage tank, comprising: an inner containment liner made from a wet cast geopolymer concrete blend and forming an interior storage volume; an exterior structural shell enclosing said inner containment liner so as to form a two-layered vessel including a front side, right and left sides, a rear side, and a bottom side, said exterior shell made from a fiber reinforced concrete; a base integral with said bottom side; a top disposed on said vessel and having a sloped interior ceiling; a manway disposed on said top or on said front side; a drain port disposed on a front side proximate said bottom side of said vessel; and coupling structure for connecting stacked vessels.

14. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, further including a racking port disposed in a front side of said tank allowing access to said port after tank is stacked.

15. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, further including a plurality of accessible ports for the insertion of liquid sensors, probes and flavor submersibles, and for the removal of liquid from, or introduction of liquid into, said vessel after being stacked with other vessels

16. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, wherein said fiber reinforced concrete is glass fiber reinforced concrete.

17. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, wherein said geopolymer concrete blend is a combination of milled dry earth components, alkaline reactive components, solutions of inorganic alkaline salts, silica sand, and water.

18. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 17, wherein said dry earth components include volcanic pumice, diatomaceous earth/siliceous shale, volcanic ash, calcium carbonate, silica, kaolinite clay, fired clay bisque, soda lime glass, calcium sulfate hemihydrate, and lime kiln dust.

19. The stackable wine storage tanks of claim 18, wherein said dry earth components further include type F fly ash and type C fly ash, rice hull ash, and blast furnace slag.

20. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 19, wherein said dry earth components are milled to a range of approximately 200 to approximately 450 mesh components and comprise: 0-15% volcanic pumice; 0-15% diatomaceous earth/siliceous shale; 0-15% volcanic ash; 0-25% calcium carbonate; 0-50% silica; 0-50% kaolinite clay; 0-20% fired clay bisque; 0-35% soda lime glass; 0-20% calcium sulfate hemihydrate; and 0-20% lime kiln dust.

21. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 20, wherein said dry earth components are milled to a range of 200 mesh to 450 mesh minus and comprise: 0-15% volcanic pumice; 0-15% diatomaceous earth/siliceous shale; 0-15% volcanic ash; 0-25% calcium carbonate; 0-50% silica; 0-50% kaolinite clay; 0-20% fired clay bisque; 0-35% soda lime glass; 0-20% calcium sulfate hemihydrate; and 0-20% lime kiln dust.

22. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 20, wherein said alkaline reactive components comprise base solutions selected from sodium silicate solutions, sodium hydroxide solutions, potassium hydroxide solutions, and colloidal silica solutions.

23. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, further including legs disposed under said base so as to provide ground clearance and tank clearance between stacked tanks for forklift and stored product access.

24. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 23, wherein said legs are reinforced and approximate the interface between said legs and floor or supporting stackable wine storage tank below.

25. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, further including at least one access port disposed on one of said vessel sides.

26. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, further including connection structure to couple stacked tanks to one another.

27. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 26, wherein said connection structure comprises upper and lower embedded threaded receivers disposed on upper and lower portions of said vessel sides with which to connect stacked vessels using coupling plates.

28. The stackable wine storage tank of claim 13, wherein said manway includes a cover pivotally attached to said top so as to pivot on a horizontal plane onto and away from the manway hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0046] FIG. 1A is an upper right front perspective view of an embodiment of the stackable geopolymer-based fermentation and storage vessel of the present invention;

[0047] FIG. 1B is the same view showing a top side manway partially opened;

[0048] FIG. 2 is a front view in elevation of the vessel of FIG. 1A;

[0049] FIG. 3 is a right side in elevation thereof, showing interior features in phantom;

[0050] FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof;

[0051] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation, showing a plurality of flavor imparting oak staves suspended from the top manway;

[0052] FIG. 6 is a rear view in elevation of the vessel of FIG. 1A;

[0053] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation thereof;

[0054] FIG. 8 is an upper left perspective view showing two sets of unit-on-unit stacked vessels;

[0055] FIG. 9 is a front right cross-sectional view showing the interior features and sensor system of an embodiment of the vessel;

[0056] FIG. 10 is the same view showing oak staves suspended from the top manway;

[0057] FIG. 11 is an embodiment of a visual map showing data gathered from system sensors disposed in the stacked vessels in a wine production cellar;

[0058] FIG. 12A is a table comparing the compression strength of two novel geopolymer blends employed in embodiments of the storage vessel of the present invention with the compression strength of a Portland cement control and a fly ash geopolymer control;

[0059] FIG. 12B is a table comparing pH elevations in wines stored long term in vessels having interior walls composed of the geopolymer blends of the present invention against the above-identified controls;

[0060] FIG. 12C is a table showing pH elevations in tartaric acid wine solutions at a beginning pH of 3.3 and comparing the elevations in solutions stored in the vessels of the present invention as against the above-identified controls;

[0061] FIG. 12D is a table showing mass loss for mortar cubes made from the geopolymer formulas used in the present invention as against mass loss in identically sized mortar cubes made from standard Portland cement and a control fly ash geopolymer after sustained exposures to tartaric acid wine solution with a pH range of 3.3 to 4.1; and

[0062] FIG. 13 is a table showing the heavy metal content of the geopolymer blends of the present invention as compared to the heavy metal content of standard Portland cement and a fly ash geopolymer.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0063] Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 11, wherein like reference numerals refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated therein a new and improved stackable geopolymer-based fermentation and storage tank, generally denominated 10 herein.

[0064] FIGS. 1-4, 6-9 illustrate an embodiment of the stackable cast stone fermentation and storage vessel as described herein. Collectively, these views show that in an embodiment the vessel may be generally cuboid in shape, perhaps having a height dimension slightly exceeding its width and depth dimensions. For both structural and ornamental purposes, the sides may include a slight outward medial (belly) bulge, thereby providing an elegant departure from a tedious and exclusively utilitarian straight-line geometry.

[0065] In an embodiment, the vessel includes a front side 12, a right side 14, a left side 16, a rear side 18, a top 20, a bottom 22, all forming contiguous and continuous walls, both interiorly and exteriorly. A base 24, of which the bottom 22 is an integral part, is disposed under the vessel bottom and has spaced apart pairs of right and left legs 26, 28, respectively, defining a space 30 under the vessel to accommodate the forks of a forklift. For added structural integrity, the legs may be reinforced with deformed welded wire mesh (not shown, but known in the art).

[0066] The vessel further includes a top manway 32 and a sidewall manway, preferably a front side manway 34, providing access to the vessel interior. The top manway 32 includes a stainless steel circular manway cover 36 coupled to a bracket (or swing arm) 38 to provide a hygienic closure when clamped tightly in a closed position. The closure includes an open-toe clamping assembly 40 which has a swing bolt assembly 42 at the outboard end of the bracket so that the swing bolt can be pivoted out of the open toe of the bracket 38. The opposite end 46 of the bracket 38 is pivotally coupled to the vessel top on a pivot pin 46 so that when the swing bolt is loosed and removed from the bracket, the manway cover can be slightly lifted and then opened by swinging (pivoting) the cover away from the manway opening. In this way, the manway cover is pivotally attached to the top in such a way as to pivot on a horizontal plane onto and away from the manway hole. Thus, access to the vessel can be achieved even when there is little clearance above the vessel, such as when it the lower vessel in a stacked configuration (see, esp. FIG. 1B).

[0067] Small cylindrical access ports 50, 52, may be provided at the front of the vessel for installing product sensors, introducing a sample extractor (such as a wine thief), or for adding or removing product from the vessel interior. The ports may be capped when not in use.

[0068] Coupling elements, such as upper and lower embedded threaded receivers 54, 56, respectively, may be disposed on the upper and lower portions of the vessel right and left sides to serve as anchor points and coupling plate connection points. These enable the vessel to be secured to the floor with tie-down plates 58 and stacked upon one another with coupling plates 60.

[0069] Looking now at FIG. 3 in particular, it may be seen that the vessel floor 62 (i.e., the interior side of the tank bottom) is sloped gently toward the vessel front so that liquids will fully drain through a drain port 64 disposed at the base and front of the vessel when so desired. The ceiling 66 (i.e., the interior side of the top) of the vessel interior 68 slopes upwardly from the rear to the front, such that when filled with liquid to the ceiling, the access port is also filled to the edge of the vessel, thereby limiting oxygen exposure.

[0070] The top 20 of the vessel is bonded (e.g., with cement epoxy) to a perimeter ledge 70 formed in the contiguous front, right, rear, and left sides of the vessel.

[0071] The walls of the vessel structure (front, sides, rear, top, and bottom) are a binary composite envelope comprising, first, an exterior structural outer layer of high performance GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete), wherein the bottom and side walls form a continuous and contiguous exterior structural shell 72 of high flexural, tensile and compression strengths. The exterior protective layer or shell is preferably sprayed and consolidated in layers over the interior containment liner, next described.

[0072] The binary composite envelope next includes an interior containment liner 74 of wet cast concrete fabricated with one of the geopolymer concrete formulas set out below. The outer and inner layers are separated by a layer of fiberglass mesh 73 disposed between the exterior structural shell and the interior containment liner. Other types of material barriers may be employed to separate and segregate the structural portions of the shell.

[0073] When employed in wine production, the shell may include penetrations other than the above-identified access ports. For instance, an optional racking port 76 may be included.

[0074] And referring now to FIGS. 7 and 9, in an embodiment a protective tube 90 (stainless steel mesh) may be placed in one of the access ports so as to extend down into the stored liquid. A level sensor strip 92 and a temperature probe 94 may disposed in the protective tube and coupled to a sensor transmitter 96 having an internal circuit board and wifi radio antenna so as to transmit data concerning product conditions to a receiving system (e.g., a server computer). The server includes software that provides a visual display 100 of the data by vessel location and presents alerts 102 when product conditions warrant attention (see FIG. 11).

[0075] In embodiments, the interior (inner containment) layer may have a composition as follows:

[0076] Geopolymer Blend #1:

[0077] (a) 1 part dry earth components dried and milled from 200 mesh to 450 mesh minus and chosen from specific sources for low loss on ignition (LOT) and low heavy metal content, in the following mineral descriptions in noted percentage ratios: (a1) 0-15% volcanic pumice; (a2) 0-15% diatomaceous earth/siliceous shale; (a3) 0-15% volcanic ash; (a4) 0-25% calcium carbonate; (a5); 0-50% silica; (a6) 0-50% kaolinite clay; (a7) 0-20% fired clay bisque; (a8) 0-35% soda lime glass; (a9) 0-20% calcium sulfate hemihydrate; (a10) 0-20% lime kiln dust; (b) (0.4-0.6 parts) alkaline reactive components, comprising specific base solutions selected from: (b1) 60-80% sodium silicate solution 40-60% solids, and (b2) 20-40% sodium and/or potassium hydroxide solution 40-60% solids; (c) (1-2 parts) silica sand; and (d) (0.2-0.3 parts) water.

[0078] In an alternative blend, referred to herein as geopolymer blend #2, the composition may include the following:

[0079] Geopolymer Blend #2:

[0080] (a) 1 part dry earth components dried and milled from 200 mesh to 450 mesh minus and chosen from specific sources for their low LOI and 9 out of 14 of the following components chosen for their low heavy metal content; in the following mineral descriptions in noted percentage ratios: (a1) 0-10% volcanic pumice; (a2) 0-10% diatomaceous earth/siliceous shale; (a3) 0-10% volcanic ash; (a4) 0-25% calcium carbonate; (a5) 0-20% silica; (a6) 0-40% kaolinite clay; (a7) 0-10% fired clay bisque; (a8) 0-20% soda lime glass; (a9) 0-10% calcium sulfate hemihydrate; (a10) 0-20% lime kiln dust; (a11) 0-30% type F fly ash; (a12) 0-20% type C fly ash; (a13) 0-25% rice hull ash; (a14) 0-10% blast furnace slag; and (b) (0.4-0.6 parts) alkaline reactive components, comprising specific base solutions selected from: (b1) 60-80% sodium silicate solution 40-60% solids; (b2) 20-40% sodium and/or potassium hydroxide solution 40-60% solids; (c) (1-2 parts) silica sand; and (d) (0.2-0.3 parts) water.

[0081] The properties and performance characteristics of mortar cubes made from the foregoing two geopolymer blends (formulas #1 and #2) were compared to the properties and characteristics of mortar cubes made from two controls, including one made from a fly ash geopolymer and the other from standard Portland cement. The test and fly ash control cubes were cast in cubes measuring uniformly two inches on each side and were cured at 120 to 160 degrees F. for 24 hours. They were tested at 14 days. The standard Portland cement control cubes were identically sized cubes and cured using an ASTM industry standard 27-day cure and subjected to testing at 27 days. Test results are shown in the tables of FIGS. 12A-12D, 200, 210, 220, and 230, respectively.

[0082] The control cube compositions included the following:

[0083] Fly Ash Geopolymer Mortar Cube: (a) 1 part dry earth components comprising: (a) ASTM C618 compliant SCM's of the following industrial waste material descriptions in the ratios of 67% Class F fly ash and 33% Class C fly ash; (b) 0.4-0.6 parts alkaline reactive components, comprising specific base solutions selected from 60-80% sodium silicate 40-60% solids, and 20-40% sodium and/or potassium hydroxide 40-60% solids; (c) 1 to 2 parts silica sand; and (d) 0.1 to 3 parts water.

[0084] Standard Portland Cement Mortar Cube: (a) 1 part ASTM Type II-V cement; (b) 1 to 2 parts silica sand; and (c) 0.4 to 0.5 parts water.

[0085] Looking next at the cross-sectional views in elevation of FIG. 5 and FIG. 10, when the vessel is used for storing wines, flavor imparting oak staves 80 (or other flavor imparting substances) may be immersed in the wine and left to steep for a period of time by suspending the staves on a hanger hooked to the top manway 32.

[0086] Accordingly, and as will be appreciated from the foregoing detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in its most essential aspect the present invention is a liquid storage vessel, especially well-adapted for use in wine storage, and includes a base with a bottom and an interior floor. A continuous side extends vertically from the base and has an interior surface. The bottom and the continuous side each include an internal layer and an external layer separated by a material barrier. The layers are configured such that the interior layers form a continuous inner containment liner, and the external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing the inner containment liner. A top is bonded to the continuous side and has an interior ceiling. One or more manways provide access to the tank interior. Mounting and connecting structures enable the tanks to be stacked directly atop one another and then structurally connected. A preferred material for the exterior structural shell is a high performance fiber reinforced concrete. The inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

[0087] The foregoing disclosure is sufficient to enable those with skill in the relevant art to practice the invention without undue experimentation. The disclosure further provides the best mode of practicing the invention now contemplated by the inventor.