Surge Suppression Apparatus for Railroad Tank Car

Abstract

A surge suppression apparatus configured to be installed inside a railroad tank car and diffuse (or suppress) pressure surges caused by sloshing waves (liquid) within the railroad tank car is described herein. The surge suppression apparatus may comprise a main body defining a fluid path extending between a first end and a second end of the apparatus and having louver openings in sides of the main body that are formed by louver portions that are bent and extend inwardly away from the sides of the main body. These openings may include sets of openings on opposite sides of the main body. The apparatus may be mounted inside the railroad tank car such that the sides of the apparatus having openings are perpendicular to a direction of travel for the railroad tank car (i.e., such that the openings face the direction of the sloshing liquid).

Claims

1. An apparatus for use inside a railroad tank car to diffuse pressure surges caused by sloshing liquid within the railroad tank car, the apparatus comprising: a main body having an inner surface defining an interior space extending between a first opening at a first end of the main body and a second opening at a second end of the main body, wherein the main body is substantially rectangular; a first set of openings in a first side of the main body, wherein the first set of openings are defined by a first set of louver portions bent and extending inwardly away from the first side; a second set of openings in a second side of the main body opposite the first side, wherein the second set of openings are defined by a second set of louver portions bent and extending inwardly away from the second side, wherein the apparatus is mounted inside a railroad tank car at the second end of the main body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior space defines a fluid path extending between the first opening and the second opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main body includes a flanged portion at the second end, wherein the apparatus is mounted to an interior side of the railroad tank car via the flanged portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is mounted inside the railroad tank car at a position corresponding with an opening in an interior side of the railroad tank car.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein to mount the apparatus inside the railroad tank car, the apparatus is welded to an underside of a fitting flange.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is welded to an underside of a fitting flange having a minimum weld throat of inch.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of openings are a uniform shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of openings are a uniform size.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of openings and the second set of openings are a uniform shape and/or size.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of openings and the second set of openings are a different shape and/or size.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is mounted inside the railroad tank car such that the first side having the first set of openings and the second side having the second set of openings are each perpendicular to a direction of travel for the railroad tank car.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first louver portion of the first set of louver portions is larger in size than each of the one or more other louver portions of the first set of louver portions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the one or more other louver portions of the first set of louver portions is the same size.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first louver portion extends inwardly from the first side at angle different from each of the one or more other louver portions of the first set of louver portions.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein an opening of the first set of openings corresponding to the first louver extends to an edge of the first side of the main body at the first end of the main body.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of louver potions extends inwardly from the first side at a uniform angle.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two of the first set of louver potions extends inwardly from the first side at different angles.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of louver portions are cut from the first side of the main body, and wherein the second set of louver portions are cut from the second side of the main body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 depicts perspective view of an example surge suppression apparatus for a railroad tank car, according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0011] FIG. 2A depicts a perspective view of an example railroad tank car in which a surge suppression apparatus may be installed, according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0012] FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of an example surge suppression apparatus installed in the railroad tank car depicted in FIG. 2A according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0013] FIG. 3 depicts a side view of an example surge suppression apparatus, according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0014] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional front view of an example surge suppression apparatus, according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0015] FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional top view of an example surge suppression apparatus, according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0016] FIGS. 6-8 depict various views of a particular example of a surge suppression apparatus, according to one or more aspects described herein; and

[0017] FIGS. 9-12 depict various views of another particular example of a surge suppression apparatus, according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0018] These drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or example embodiments. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the disclosure. For clarity and case of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In the following description of various examples of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example structures, systems, and steps in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, structures, example devices, systems, and steps may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the terms top, bottom, front, back, side, and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention.

[0020] The invention described herein relates to a surge suppression apparatus configured to be installed on the interior of a railroad tank car and diffuse (or suppress) pressure surges caused by sloshing waves (liquid) within the railroad tank car. As a result, the surge suppression apparatus described herein is configured to protect rupture disc vents, pressure relief valves (PRV), vacuum relief valves (VRV), and/or similar components from opening due to instantaneous pressure spikes within a railroad tank car. In various embodiments, the surge suppression apparatus may comprise a main body having an inner surface defining a fluid path extending between a first opening and a second opening. The main body may include one or more louver portions that are bent and extend inwardly away from the inner surface and a louver opening. In some embodiments, the louver opening is an opening defined by the louver portion cut away from the outer surface of the main body. In various embodiments, the louver portions and corresponding openings may generate a flow within the fluid path that may suppress pressure surges caused by sloshing waves within the railcar.

[0021] While the surge suppression apparatus described herein is described for use within a railroad tank car, a person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the surge suppression device described herein could be used in any other applications to protect rupture disc vents, pressure relief valves (PRV), vacuum relief valves (VRV), and/or similar components where pressure surges caused by sloshing waves may cause said components from blowing due to instantaneous pressure spikes.

[0022] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a surge suppression apparatus 100, according to one or more aspects described herein. In various embodiments, surge suppression apparatus 100 may comprise a main body 110 having an inner surface 112 defining a fluid path (or an interior space) extending between a first opening 114 and a second opening 116. In various embodiments, the main body 110 may be configured to include louver portions 118 and louver openings 120. In various embodiments, the louver portions 118 extend inwardly from inner surface 112. For example, in various embodiments, the louver portions 118 may be configured to extend downward and away from inner surface 112. In some embodiments, the louver openings 120 defined by the portion of the main body 110 cut away and forming the louver portions 118. In various embodiments, surge suppression apparatus 100 and, more particularly, the louver portions 118 and louver openings 120 of main body 110 diffuse (or suppress) pressure surges caused by sloshing waves within the railroad tank car between the first opening 114 and the second opening 116 of surge suppression apparatus 100. As a result, surge suppression apparatus 100 may protect rupture disc vents, pressure relief valves (PRV), vacuum relief valves (VRV), and/or similar components from blowing due to instantaneous pressure spikes within a railroad tank car.

[0023] In various embodiments, surge suppression apparatus 100 may comprise a substantially rectangular main body 110 with a flanged portion 122 to mount the substantially rectangular main body to a side of a railcar or a mounting flange used on a railcar. In other words, the substantially rectangular main body 110 may comprise a rectangular shape when viewed from a horizontal cross-sectional view. In other embodiments, however, main body 110 may be circular, polygonal, triangular, oval or a combination of any appropriate shape to facilitate the aspects of surge suppression apparatus 100 described herein.

[0024] In some embodiments, main body 110 may include louver portions 118 and louver openings 120 on one or multiple sides of main body 110. For example, in some embodiments, main body 110 may include louver portions 118 and louver openings 120 on opposite walls of substantially rectangular main body 110. In some embodiments, the louver portions 118 and louver openings 120 may be a uniform shape and/or size on the same or different sides of main body 110. In other embodiments, the louver portions 118 and louver openings 120 may have a different shape and/or size on the same or different sides of main body 110.

[0025] FIGS. 2A and 2B depicts pictorial views of surge suppression apparatus 100 installed in a railroad tank car, according to one or more aspects described herein. For example, FIG. 2A depicts a perspective view of a railroad tank car 50 in which surge suppression apparatus 100 may be installed, and FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of surge suppression apparatus 100 installed in the railroad tank car 50 depicted in FIG. 2A according to one or more aspects described herein. As depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, surge suppression apparatus 100 may be affixed inside a railroad tank car 50 to a portion of railroad tank car corresponding with an opening. For example, surge suppression apparatus 100 may be affixed inside a railroad tank car 50 at the location of a nozzle. In various embodiments, surge suppression apparatus 100 may be welded (or otherwise securely affixed) to an underside of a nozzle's fitting flange. In such embodiments, a rupture disc device or PRV would then be affixed above the surge suppression apparatus 100 and/or the nozzle. In various embodiments, when affixed within the railroad tank car, surge suppression apparatus 100 may be positioned such that the solid sides of main body 110 (i.e., sides without louver portions 118 and louver openings 120) are configured to face the slosh direction (e.g., a longitudinal direction of railroad tank car 50). In some embodiments, surge suppression apparatus 100 may be welded directly to the railcar at a fitting flange with a minimum weld throat of inch.

[0026] FIG. 3 depicts a side view of surge suppression apparatus 100, according to one or more aspects described herein. In various embodiments, the louver portion 118 may include a first suppressing louver 124 adjacent to the first opening 114 and one or more additional suppressing louvers between first suppressing louver 124 and second opening 116, as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. In some embodiments, one or more additional suppressing louvers between first suppressing louver 124 and second opening 116 may be smaller in size than first suppressing louver 124. In other embodiments, one or more additional suppressing louvers between first suppressing louver 124 and second opening 116 may be the same size and/or larger in size than first suppressing louver 124.

[0027] As discussed herein and depicted in FIG. 3, the main body 110 may include a flanged portion 122. In various embodiments, the flanged portion 122 may be used to securely attach surge suppression apparatus 100 to a railroad tank car 50. In various embodiments, flanged portion 122 may be fixedly mounted (e.g., welding) to an interior side of a railcar 50. In some embodiments, the flanged portion 122 may be mounted via a selectively detachable connection through a mounting hole. In other embodiments, flanged portion 122 may be configured to securely attach the surge suppression apparatus 100 to the railroad tank car 50 by any other fastening configuration. For example, a bolt or rivet fastening configuration may be utilized on a side of the railcar 50 to receive the flanged portion 122. In some embodiments, the position at which the bolts/rivets may be used to attach the flanged portion 122 may be moved relative to the railroad tank car 50 to accommodate points where the rupture disc vent, pressure relief valve (PRV), vacuum relief valve (VRV), and/or similar component(s) may be attached thereto. While a flanged surge suppression apparatus is described herein, it should be understood that any appropriate combination of features can also be used to attach surge suppression apparatus to a railroad tank car.

[0028] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional front view of surge suppression apparatus 100, according to one or more aspects described herein. Specifically, FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional front view of surge suppression apparatus 100 along a line A-A shown in FIG. 3. In various embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 3, first suppressing louver 124 may be configured to generate a third opening 126 along an axis perpendicular to a side of a railroad tank car. In various embodiments, main body 110 may include a suppressing profile 128 along the inner surface 112. The suppressing profile 128 may be configured to extend away from the third opening 126 along an axis perpendicular to a side of the railroad tank car, to which the surge suppression apparatus 100 is mounted. In some embodiments, the suppressing profile 128 may be adjusted to limit (or reduce) pressure to a rupture disc vent, a PRV, and/or a similar component caused by sloshing substances inside the railcar. In some embodiments, the suppressing profile 128 may be symmetrical in shape. However, in other embodiments, the suppressing profile 128 may be asymmetrical in shape.

[0029] FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional top view of surge suppression apparatus 100, according to one or more aspects described herein. As depicted in FIG. 5, in various embodiments, a narrowest opening of surge suppression apparatus 100 may comprise a third opening 126 defined by a pair of first suppressing louvers 124.

[0030] FIGS. 6-12 depict various views of particular examples of surge suppression apparatus 100, according to one or more aspects described herein. For example, FIGS. 6-8 depict additional views of a one particular example of surge suppression apparatus 100, wherein FIG. 6 depicts a side view, FIG. 7 depicts a cross-sectional front view, and FIG. 8 depicts a top view, according to one or more aspects described herein. In the particular example embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, a first suppressing louver 124 of surge suppression apparatus 100 may have a width of 3.25 inches and a height of 2 13/16 inches. In some embodiments, additional suppressing louvers may have a width of 2.5 inches and a height of 1.5 inches. In some embodiments, the additional suppressing louvers may comprise additional louver portions 118 (shown as louver portions 118a, 118b, and 118c in FIG. 6) on main body 110 that are equally spaced apart from one another vertically. For example, louver portions 118a, 118b, and 118c and the first suppressing louver 124 may be aligned along an axis perpendicular to a side of the railroad tank car to which the surge suppression apparatus 100 is mounted, defining a fluid path extending between the first opening 114 and the second opening 116. In particular embodiments, the louver portions 118 (which may include the first suppressing louver 124 and/or one or more additional suppressing louvers) may comprise rounded corners 130, for example, as depicted in FIG. 6.

[0031] In some embodiments, louver portions 118 may each extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at a uniform angle. In other embodiments, louver portions 118 may extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at different angles. For example, and as depicted in FIG. 7, a pair of first suppressing louver 124 (shown as first suppressing louvers 124a and 124b in FIG. 7) may extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at an angle of roughly 45 degrees relative to the outer surface of main body 110. In the same example embodiment, additional suppressing louvers (such as louver portion 118 depicted in FIG. 7) may extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at an angle of roughly 30 degrees relative to the outer surface of main body 110. Main body 110 may have a uniform or varying wall thickness. In an example embodiment, main body may have at least an outer surface with a wall thickness of roughly 0.25 inches. In an example embodiment, a third opening 126 defined by a pair of first suppressing louvers 124 may have a maximum gap of roughly inches. As depicted in FIG. 8, the main body 110 of surge suppression apparatus 100 may have a generally square vertical cross-sectional shape. Accordingly, the first opening 114 and the second opening 116 may comprise generally square openings. In an example embodiment, the main body 110 of surge suppression apparatus 100 may have a generally square vertical cross-sectional shape with sides measuring roughly 4.5 inches wide.

[0032] FIGS. 9-12 depict additional views of another particular example of surge suppression apparatus 100, wherein FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view, FIG. 10 depicts a side view, FIG. 11 depicts a cross-sectional front view, and FIG. 12 depicts a top view, according to one or more aspects described herein. In the particular example embodiment depicted in FIG. 10, a first suppressing louver 124 of surge suppression apparatus 100 may have a width of 1.25 inches and a height of 1 27/64 inches. In some embodiments, additional suppressing louvers may have a width of 1.25 inches and a height of inches. As discussed herein, the additional suppressing louvers may comprise additional louver portions 118 (shown as louver portions 118a, 118b, and 118c in FIG. 10) on main body 110 that are equally spaced apart from one another vertically.

[0033] In some embodiments, louver portions 118 may each extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at a uniform angle. In other embodiments, louver portions 118 may extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at different angles. For example, and as depicted in FIG. 11, a pair of first suppressing louver 124 (shown as first suppressing louvers 124a and 124b in FIG. 11) may extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at an angle of roughly 45 degrees relative to the outer surface of main body 110. In the same example embodiment, additional suppressing louvers (such as louver portion 118 depicted in FIG. 11) may extend inwardly from an outer surface of main body 110 at an angle of roughly 30 degrees relative to the outer surface of main body 110. In an example embodiment, main body may have at least an outer surface with a wall thickness of roughly 0.25 inches. In an example embodiment, a third opening 126 defined by a pair of first suppressing louvers 124 may have a maximum gap of roughly inches. As depicted in FIG. 12, the main body 110 of surge suppression apparatus 100 may have a generally square vertical cross-sectional shape. Accordingly, the first opening 114 and the second opening 116 may comprise generally square openings. In an example embodiment, the main body 110 of surge suppression apparatus 100 may have a generally square vertical cross-sectional shape with sides measuring roughly 2.5 inches wide, with a diagonal measurement of 3.25 inches across.

[0034] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth herein. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention.

[0035] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by this description.

[0036] Reference in this specification to one implementation, an implementation, some implementations, various implementations, certain implementations, other implementations, one series of implementations, or the like means that a particular feature, design, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation is included in at least one implementation of the disclosure. The appearances of, for example, the phrase in one implementation or in an implementation in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation, nor are separate or alternative implementations mutually exclusive of other implementations. Moreover, whether or not there is express reference to an implementation or the like, various features are described, which may be variously combined and included in some implementations, but also variously omitted in other implementations. Similarly, various features are described that may be preferences or requirements for some implementations, but not other implementations.

[0037] The language used herein has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Other implementations, uses and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification should be considered exemplary only, and the scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the following claims.