RU2520957C1 - Method for control of railroad tank cars loading in process of filling with oil-products - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: method for control of railroad tank cars loading in process of filling with oil-products is characterised by following actions: prior to start oil-loading, tank loading control level H₁ is fixed using flexible ruler placed on outer side of tank cylindrical surface which level is set lower than required tank loading level H₂, then oil-loading is performed during which point is controlled using thermal imaging device when actual tank loading level reaches tank control level H_t.

EFFECT: diversification of technological tools, intended for control of railroad tank cars loading in process of filling with oil-products, higher accuracy of loading level determination due to real-time control of current level of tank loading in process of filling with oil-products thus lowering probability of underfill or overfill with oil products being loaded.

3 cl, 3 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The claimed invention relates to methods for monitoring the correct loading of railway tanks with oil products and can be used to control the level of loading of railway tanks directly in the process of loading oil products, for example fuel oil, on loading racks to exclude (prevent) overflow or underflow of tanks.

State of the art

A known method for remote detection of commercial marriage of oil tank cars of rail transport, which consists in inspecting them on the train, in which the tank filled with oil products are moved in the field of view of the thermal imager, get their thermal image, compare the outline image of the tank with its scale image from the database, on the thermal image detect the level of filling the tank, compare it with the required, and then judge the presence of overflow or underfilling of petroleum products [patent RU 2340946 C1 publ. 06/10/2006].

Also known is a method for detecting improper loading of tanks of railway rolling stock, which consists in obtaining a thermal image of the surface of the tank on the train and determining the level of loading at which the thermal imaging device is set so that its optical axis is at an angle to the diametrical plane of the tank in vertical and horizontal planes, and the tank is entirely in its field of view, record the thermal image of the tank at its predetermined position in In view of the thermal imaging device, the image of the surface of the loading mirror is observed, the height of the location of the surface of the loading mirror from the rail head is measured, for which purpose a thermal image is placed of the perpendicular located in the plane of the surface of the surface of the loading mirror to the side border of the loading mirror at a distance from the edge of the side surface of the tank equal to the distance from the vertical plane passing through the edges of the side surface of the tank to the vertical measuring ruler located at the side surface tank, and the point of intersection of the image of the specified perpendicular with the image of the measuring ruler determines the level of filling, identifies the tank by its characteristics, for example, by the side number, determines the type of tank, from the railway database or accompanying documents (or field sheet) determine the type and the weight of the bulk cargo, taking into account the type of tank, calculate the level of filling and compare it with the thermal imaging image defined above [application RU2009 115 366 publ. 10/27/2010].

A disadvantage of the known methods is that with their help it is possible to control only the actual level of oil products immersed in railway tanks that are already ready for transportation. These methods can be used, in particular, by the security services of oil refineries in order to suppress the theft of petroleum products. It is also possible to identify inconsistencies between the data on the quantity of the shipped product indicated on the consignment notes and the actual quantity shipped. Using the proposed device can "facilitate" the claim work when receiving fuel in tanks, since information about underfilling will be obtained before opening the tanks, which is important when considering a claim in the future. Moreover, the error in determining the level of loading is quite large, since during the movement of controlled tanks the liquid level fluctuates. The quality of the thermal image is also affected by the uneven heating of tanks, glare of the sun, and precipitation. In addition, if there is an incorrect loading of tanks that have already been formed into the composition for further shipment, in particular overflow, which leads to exceeding the permissible load capacity of the tanks, it is necessary to uncouple them, which requires additional expensive shunting.

Thus, the known methods do not solve the problem of determining the degree of loading of tanks, since this can only be controlled during the loading of oil products.

Information confirming the implementation of the invention

The problem to which the invention is directed, is to create a method for controlling the level of loading of railway tanks, which can be used in the process of loading oil products.

The technical result achieved by the implementation of the claimed invention is to expand the arsenal of technical means designed to control the level of loading of railway tanks in the process of loading oil products, increasing the accuracy of determining the level of loading by monitoring the current level of loading of the tank in real time during the loading of oil products, which reduces the likelihood of underfilling or overfilling of loaded petroleum products.

The claimed technical result is achieved due to the fact that the method of controlling the level of loading of railway tanks during the loading of oil products is characterized by the fact that before starting loading of oil products using a flexible ruler located on the outside of the cylindrical surface of the boiler tank, the level H _{1 of the} monitoring of the loading of the tank is fixed, which set below the level of N _{2 the} required tank load, then carry out the loading of petroleum products, during which the inspector is using a thermal imaging device comfort is the moment at which the actual tank loading level reaches the tank loading control level H ₁ .

In addition, in the particular case of the invention, the flexible ruler is made in the form of a ribbon of banner fabric fixed to the outer side of the cylindrical surface of the boiler tank using magnetic vinyl tape.

In addition, in the particular case of the invention, the length L of the flexible ruler is calculated by the formula:

$$L=\frac{\arccos \left(\frac{H2-(R+A)}{R+A}\right)}{360}\cdot 2\pi (R+A),$$

where L is the length of the flexible ruler, cm;

H2 - required tank loading level, cm;

R is the inner radius of the boiler of the tank, cm A is the wall thickness of the boiler of the tank, see

The implementation of the invention

Figure 1 - schematic representation of a control device for loading railway tanks in the process of loading oil products; figure 2 presents a fragment of a flexible ruler; figure 3 is a thermal image of a loaded tank.

The device (Fig. 1) for monitoring the loading of railway tanks 1 during the loading of dark petroleum products, for example fuel oil, includes a flexible ruler 2 having a length L placed on the outside of the cylindrical surface of the boiler of tank 1 for fixing the level H ₁ of loading control (level of temperature control) which is positioned below the calculated (target) load level N ₂ of the tank 1 and a thermal imaging device (imager) 3, whereby in real time during the loading of oil products by thermal maps nke on the display monitor a current level of loading the tank 1. As the thermal imaging device 3 may be used portable imager TESTO model 875, which is pre-set to a working temperature range. When setting up the thermal imager 3, the temperature range is narrowed, the heating line becomes clear, and it is already possible to determine the current level of oil product loading and the temperature control level H _{1 from it} . Setting the thermal imager 3 is due to the fact that in the thermal imaging picture the heating line, which corresponds to the current level of the oil product, is “not ideal” (similar to a signal with interference), and without setting the ranges it is difficult to accurately determine when the oil reaches the level H ₁ of temperature control. Uneven heating is due to the fact that the filling of tank 1 can take place quite quickly (1 ton of cargo in 13-20 seconds), the fuel on the surface is constantly in motion, and splashes of hot oil get onto the wall inside the boiler during loading. In addition, the heating of the tank 1 may not be uniform due to external pollution of the tanks. To ensure reliable operation of the thermal imager 3 at an ambient temperature below -15 ° C, it is advisable to place it with a thermal protective casing (not shown in the drawings). Flexible ruler 2 (figure 2) in the particular case of the implementation of the utility model can be made in the form of a tape 4 from banner fabric glued to a tape 5 of magnetic vinyl, which secures the ruler on the inner surface of the boiler tank 1.

The required length L of the flexible ruler 2 at a known required level H ₂ loading of the tank is determined by the following formula:

$$L=\frac{\arccos \left(\frac{H2-(R+A)}{R+A}\right)}{360}\cdot 2\pi (R+A),$$

where L is the length of the flexible ruler, cm;

H ₂ - the required level of loading of the tank, cm;

R is the inner radius of the tank boiler, cm;

A - wall thickness of the boiler tank, see

Flexible line 2 is set to a temperature control level H ₁ , which is located below the required (calculated) load level H ₂ . This is done so as not to overload the tank beyond its carrying capacity. Thus, if it is necessary to load 245 cm at the calculated (required) level of H ₂ loading, then this is the limit value that cannot be exceeded, and the flexible ruler 2 is set to the temperature control level H ₁ , which is, for example, 243 cm, and it is this level is controlled by thermal imager 3.

Depending on the location of the provision of services for monitoring the correct loading of railway tanks 1, the calculated (required) level H _{2 of} tank loading is determined either by the client himself (according to his program) or by an employee of a service company according to the known technical characteristics of tank 1 and the properties of the loaded oil product according to a known algorithm. To determine the required level of H ₂ loading, the density and temperature of the oil product in the tank from which tank 1 will be loaded are used. The known loading capacity of tank 1 is divided by the density of the loaded oil product and the maximum volume of the loaded oil product is obtained, which is translated according to the calibration table for each type of railway tank 1 to the appropriate level of H ₂ loading. If the obtained level of H ₂ exceeds the maximum allowable fill level for tank 1, then the level of H _{2 is} taken equal to the maximum allowable fill level for tank 1.

Before loading tank 1 on a loading ramp (not shown in the drawings), an employee of a service company that independently monitors the correct loading of the tank with oil products for further transportation places a flexible ruler 2 on the outside of the cylindrical surface of the boiler 1 with a length L that is set to level H ₁ temperature control, which will determine the loading of the tank. During the filling of the tank 1 or immediately after the filling, the employee of the service company with the help of a thermal imager 3 monitors the filling of the tank 1 to the temperature control level H ₁ . The temperature distribution is displayed on the imager 3 as a color field, where a certain color corresponds to a certain temperature. The temperature distribution on the surface of the boiler tank 1 is presented in Fig.33. Monitoring the filling process using the thermal imager 3 allows you to reliably determine in real time the moment when the level of oil loaded into the tank 1 reaches the level of Hi temperature control set using flexible ruler 2. Upon reaching the level of H ₂ temperature control, a service company employee instructs the operator to interruption of the supply of petroleum products. Thus, the filling process monitors the filling of the tank, which eliminates the underfilling or overflow of oil products.

Claims (3)

1. A method of controlling the level of loading of railway tanks in the process of filling oil products, characterized in that before starting the loading of oil products using a flexible ruler located on the outside of the cylindrical surface of the boiler tank, fix the level H ₁ control the loading of the tank, which is set below the level of H ₂ required loading the tank, then loading the petroleum products, during which the thermal imaging device controls the moment at which the actual level of loading of the cyst us reaches ₁ H tanks loading control. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible ruler is made in the form of a ribbon of banner fabric fixed to the outer side of the cylindrical surface of the tank boiler using magnetic vinyl tape. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the length L of the flexible ruler is calculated by the formula:
$$L=\frac{\arccos \left(\frac{H2-(R+A)}{R+A}\right)}{360}\cdot 2\pi (R+A),$$

where L is the length of the flexible ruler, cm;
H ₂ - the required level of loading of the tank, cm;
R is the inner radius of the tank boiler, cm;
A - wall thickness of the boiler tank, see

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