CA2769193A1 - Storage tank - Google Patents

Abstract

A sea container for storing liquid, sludge or solid is disclosed. The sea container includes a floor and a roof sealingly joined by opposing side walls and opposing end walls. The floor is made of a rigid material such as steel and the container defines an interior space into which a drain bottom is inserted. The drain bottom includes an open end and a tapered end. Further, a method is disclosed for modifying a sea container for storing liquid, sludge or solid.

Description

STORAGE TANK
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a storage tank, in particular, a storage tank for storing liquids, sludge and solids.
BACKGROUND

[0002] There is often a need to provide temporary storage of liquids, sludge and solids. This is common in various industries including oil and gas exploration, oil and gas production, construction, refining, chemical, manufacturing, and water and sewer. Currently, there are various types of storage tanks that typically range in size between 200 barrels to 450 barrels. Some have axles that allow the tank to be towed to the site requiring storage.

[0003] A commonly used tank in the oil and gas industry is a frac tank. A
frac tank is a portable storage tank constructed of steel walls with a single rear axle that can be towed behind a truck or tractor. However, frac tanks are limited to onsite storage of liquids and are limited in transportation options. The same can be said about other types of storage tanks designed for temporarily storing liquids and sludges.

[0004] Sea containers are also well known storage and transportation containers used for transporting goods over land and sea. However, they are unsuitable for storing liquids. While storage tanks having the dimensions of a sea container are known, they are expensive to manufacture and deliver.

[0005] Accordingly, a storage tank that addresses some of these deficiencies remains highly desirable.
SUMMARY

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present technology, a sea container modified for storing liquid, sludge or solid is disclosed. The modified sea container includes a container comprising a floor and a roof sealingly joined by opposing side walls and opposing end walls, the container defining an interior space for storing the liquid, sludge or solid, wherein the floor, roof, opposing side walls and opposing end walls being made of a rigid material, and at least one of the opposing end walls being removably attached; and a drain bottom inserted into the interior space, the drain bottom having an open end for receiving the liquid, sludge or solid and a tapered end connected to a drain hole through a pipe assembly, wherein the drain hole is located on the container.

[0007] According to another embodiment of the present technology, a method of creating a sea container modified for storing liquid, sludge or solid is disclosed. The method includes providing a sea container having a floor made of a rigid material and the sea container being hermetically sealed; inserting a drain bottom into an interior space of the sea container through an access door located at an end of the sea container; connecting a tapered end of the drain bottom to a drain hole through a pipe assembly; and removably attaching an end wall to the end of the sea container having the access door.

[0008] In some embodiments, the container further comprising a flange for removably attaching the at least one of the opposing end walls.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least one of the opposing end walls is removably attached to the flange using bolts.

[0010] In some embodiments, a gasket is inserted between at least one of the opposing end walls and the flange.

[0011] In some embodiments, the modified sea container further comprises a manway on at least one of the floor, roof, opposing side walls and opposing end walls.

[0012] In some embodiments, the manway comprises a heating coil, a propeller mixer, or a nozzle mixer, or any combination thereof.

[0013] In some embodiments, the modified sea container further comprising a containment wall inserted into the interior space.

[0014] In some embodiments, a seal is inserted between an edge of the open end of the drain bottom and the containment wall.

[0015] In some embodiments, a seal is inserted between an edge of the open end of the drain bottom and the container.

[0016] In some embodiments, the drain bottom is perforated.

[0017] In some embodiments, the rigid material is steel.

[0018] In some embodiments, the floor, roof, opposing side walls and opposing end walls are sealing joined by continuous weld.

[0019] In some embodiments, the container is configured for vertical orientation.

[0020] In some embodiments, the pipe assembly is installed on the drain hole.

[0021] In some embodiments, a flange is attached to the end of the sea container having the access door.

[0022] In some embodiments, the end wall is removably attached to the flange.

[0023] In some embodiments, a gasket is inserted between the flange and the end wall.

[0024] In some embodiments, a containment wall is inserted into the interior space of the sea container.

[0025] In some embodiments, the access door is removed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Further features and advantages of the present technology will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG 1 illustrates a perspective view of a storage tank according an embodiment of the present technology in the horizontal orientation;

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a storage tank frame;

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the storage tank of FIG. 1 with an end wall removed;

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the storage tank in the vertical orientation;

[0031] FIG. 5A illustrates a top view of the storage tank of FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 5B illustrates a top view of the storage tank in the vertical orientation with a container wall inserted;

[0033] FIG. 6 illustrates variations of manway covers for the storage tank disclosed in the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 7 illustrates a storage tank before conversion to the storage tank for storing liquid, storage and solids;

[0035] FIG. 8 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 7 with the access doors open;

[0036] FIG. 9 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 7 in the vertical orientation, with a drain bottom being lowered into the storage tank;

[0037] FIG. 10 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 9, with the drain bottom positioned onto the pipe assembly;

[0038] FIG. 11 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 9, with a containment wall being lowered into the storage tank;

[0039] FIG. 12 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 7 in the horizontal orientation, with a drain bottom being inserted into the storage tank;

[0040] FIG. 13 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 7 with the drain bottom inserted into the storage tank;

[0041] FIG. 14 illustrates the storage tank of FIG. 7 with the end wall removably attached to the end of the storage tank.

[0042] FIG. 15 illustrates a further illustrative storage tank;

[0043] FIG. 16 illustrates a further illustrative storage tank;

[0044] FIG. 17 illustrates a storage tank and adapter; and [0045] FIG. 18 depicts an interior container of a storage tank.

[0046] It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Embodiments are described below, by way of example only, with reference to FIGs. 1-14.

[0048] The present disclosure generally relates to a storage tank for storing liquids, solids and/or sludge. More specifically, the present disclosure discloses a modified sea container for storing liquids, solids and/or sludge.

[0049] Storage tanks that are designed for onsite storage of liquids and sludge exist. One example of such a tank is a frac tank, which is a portable storage tank typically having a single axle and which is mountable on a transport truck.
However, while frac tanks are designed to store liquids, they typically cannot support the weight of solids for transport. Moreover, frac tanks are designed to be used in one orientation (typically in the horizontal direction).

[0050] There are other known storage and transport tanks, such as sea containers and tanker trailers. Sea containers are often used to ship goods over a great distance, either by land or sea. For example, goods may be manufactured in China and shipped to Canada for resale. Because of its transportability, sea containers have standard dimensions that are approximately 8' wide and 8' 6"
high, and can be 20', 40' or 48' in length. However, while sea containers can support the weight of solids, they are unsuitable for carrying or storing liquids, in part, because of its wooden floors. While storage tanks having the dimensions of a sea container are known, they are typically expensive to manufacture and ship. Also, removal of liquids and accumulated solids from these storage tanks is difficult. Tanker trailers, on the other hand, are used to transport liquids. For example, tanker trailers may be used to transport gasoline to a gas station.

[0051] In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an,"
and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0052] It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" or "comprising", or both when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0053] In FIG. 1, a storage tank 100 according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown. The storage tank 100 is a modified sea container comprising a floor 102 and a roof 104 (see FIG. 3), joined by opposing side walls 106, 108 and opposing end walls 110, 112. In the present disclosure, the floor 102, the roof 104, the opposing side walls 106, 108, and the opposing end walls 110, 112 may be collectively referred to as "walls".

[0054] As with a typical sea container, the container may include some form of a frame to allow the walls to be joined. Referring to FIG. 2, the structural elements of the container 100 is shown. In this embodiment, the container 100 includes opposing end frames 202, 204 connected by side rails 206, 208, 210 and 212.
The opposing end walls would be attached to the opposing end frames and the base, roof and opposing side walls would be attached to the side rails. Moreover, the container 100 may further include support beams, such as I-beams (not shown), to support the additional weight when the container 100 is in the horizontal or vertical position. The support beams may be attached to one of the opposing end frames 202, 204 or the side rails 208, 210 or both.

[0055] However, unlike a typical sea container, the walls are joined such that they are watertight. This ensures that contents of the storage tank 100 do not leak.
As it will be further described below, when the storage tank 100 is in a horizontal position (i.e. the floor 102 acting as the base), both end walls 110, 112 may be joined to the floor 102, roof 104 and the opposing side walls 106, 108 to create a hermetic seal. Alternatively, when the storage tank 100 is in a vertical position, the end wall (i.e 112 in FIG. 3) acting as the base may be made watertight against the opposing side walls 106, 108, the floor 102 and roof 104. Furthermore, unlike a typical sea container, the floor 102, roof 104, opposing side walls 106, 108 and opposing end walls 110, 112 are made of rigid materials such as steel. For example, the rigid material for the walls (i.e. floor 102, roof 104, opposing side walls 106, 108) may be 1/4" corrugated 50A carbon steel, the rails 204, 206 may be 3"x2", 3/16" thick Hollow Structural Steel; rails 208, 210 may be 6" channel made of structural steel at 8.2Ibs/linear foot; support beams may be 4" channel made of structural steel at 6.2Ibs/linear foot; each corner post (i.e. 220 in FIG. 2 ¨
there are four in each opposing end frame 202, 204) may be 6"x7" cast steel; and corner posts (i.e. 230 in FIG. 2 ¨ there are two in each opposing end frame 202, 204) may be 6"x6" cast steel. Together, they define an interior space for storing liquids, solids and/or sludge. In one embodiment, the hermetic seal is created by continuously welding the walls. The storage tank 100 may also be used to transport goods and solids.

[0056] Because the storage tank 100 has the dimensions of a typical sea container, shipping of the storage tank 100 is easily facilitated using existing transport means. For example, the storage tank 100 may be stacked and loaded with other typical sea containers on a freight carrier. Moreover, the storage tank 100 may be initially used as a sea container to transport goods. Once the goods have been delivered, the storage tank 100 may be further modified (to be described below) to store bulk liquids, solids and/or sludge and transport bulk solids.
This allows another entity to bear the transport cost of the storage tank 100, which may be manufactured overseas. However, it will be understood that other dimensions may be possible depending on the storage and transportation needs.

[0057] Furthermore, one of the opposing end walls 110 may be removably attached to a flange 120 (see FIG. 3) of the storage tank 100. In one embodiment, the removable end wall 110 may be attached to the flange 120 using bolts through bolt holes 122 (see FIG. 3). It will be understood that end wall 110 may be removably attached using other removable means known to the person skilled in the art. While the storage tank 100 typically has one removably attached end wall since typical sea containers have one set of access door, it will be understood that both end walls 110, 112 may be removably attached. When removably attaching the end walls 110, 112, a gasket may be used to ensure a tight seal.

[0058] Now turning to FIG. 3, one embodiment of the storage tank 100 is shown with the removable end wall 110 removed, showing the interior space of the storage tank 100. As it can be seen, the storage tank 100 contains a drain bottom 300 for containing liquid and/or sludge, which can be drained through a pipe assembly provided at the bottom of the drain bottom 300 (see FIG. 12 for another view of the drain bottom 300 and pipe assembly 302 ¨ FIG. 12 depicts drain bottom 1200 and pipe assembly 1202). In this embodiment, the removable end wall 110 may include a drain hole 130 (see FIG. 1) connected to the pipe assembly 302 to facilitate draining of the contents contained in the storage tank 100. The storage tank may further include a manway 310 on the roof 104 to allow contents to be pumped into the interior space of the storage tank 100. Alternatively, or additionally, contents may be pumped into the storage tank 100 by removing the removable end wall 110 or through a manway (not shown in FIG. 1 but shown in FIG. 14 as manway 1402) on the removal end wall 110. It will be understood that various other pipe fittings may be added to accommodate the addition and removal of liquids, sludge and solids.

[0059] The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 depicts the storage tank 100 oriented in the horizontal direction, which is the typical orientation for existing sea containers and frac tanks. However, the storage tank 100 according to the present technology may also be oriented in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the end wall (e.g. end wall 112 in FIG. 4) acting as the base may be made of a higher grade corrugated steel. In another embodiment, the end wall acting as the base may further include cross members.

[0060] As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the storage tank 100 in FIG.

includes a drain bottom 400 at the bottom of the storage tank 100, connected to a pipe assembly 402 for draining contents contained in the storage tank 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, "bottom" refers to the end near the end wall 112 acting as the base, while in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, "bottom" refers to the end near the floor 102, which is acting as the base. Depending on the orientation of the pipe assembly 402, one of the opposing side walls 106, 108 or one of the floor 102 and roof 104 may include a drain hole (not shown) to allow contents stored in the storage tank 100 to be drained.

[0061] One of the advantages realized in vertically orienting the storage tank 100 is the easier liquid and solid separation. When the storage tank 100 contains fluid that consists of liquid and particles or solids, depending on the properties of the particles or solids, they may settle to the bottom of the liquid over time due to gravity. With a vertically oriented storage tank 100, it is easier to differentiate between the settled particles or solids and liquid. Moreover, the drain bottom 300, 400 facilitates easier removal of solids because of its generally tapered shaped.
Another advantage realized by the vertical orientation is the smaller footprint of the storage tank 100 at the temporary storage site.

[0062] In both the embodiments shown in FIGs. 3 and 4, the drain bottom 300, 400 is shown in the shape of an inverted pyramid. Because the storage tank 100 shown in FIGs. 3 and 4 is generally in the shape of a rectangular prism, the drain bottom 300, 400 has an open end that is four sided and a tapered bottom that is connected to the pipe assembly 302, 402. To ensure that the drain bottom 300, maintains its orientation, the open end of the drain bottom (i.e. the end not connected to the pipe assembly 302, 402) is dimensioned to be against the walls of the storage tank 100. Referring to FIG. 5A, which is a top view of the storage tank 100 in FIG. 4, the drain bottom 300, 400 has four edges 500A, 500B, 500C, and 500D against the walls of the storage tank 100. When the storage tank 100 is in the horizontal position, the edges of the open end of the drain bottom 300 may be against the opposing side walls 106, 108 and opposing end walls 110, 112. When the storage tank 100 is in the vertical position, the edges of the open end of the drain bottom 400 may be against the opposing side walls 106, 108, the floor and the roof 104. Alternatively, or additionally, the drain bottom 300, 400 may be coupled to the storage tank 100 to further ensure that the orientation of the drain bottom 300, 400 is maintained. Furthermore, the drain bottom 300, 400 may incorporate a seal 510 around the edges of the open end of the drain bottom 300, 400 to ensure a tight seal between the drain bottom 300, 400 and the walls of the storage tank 100. FIG. 5A also shows opening 502 at the bottom of the drain bottom 400 for draining contents in the storage tank 100 through the pipe assembly 302, 402. In a further embodiment, the drain bottom 300, 400 may be made of a perforated material to allow the filtering of the contents in the storage tank 100. For example, liquids contaminated with foreign particles may be filtered using a perforated drain bottom 300, 400. In this embodiment, liquid would pass through the perforated drain bottom 300, 400 while preventing foreign particles from passing through.

[0063] While the drain bottom 300, 400 has been described as being pyramid-like in shape, it will be understood that the drain bottom 300, 400 may be a different shape. For example, as it will described below with FIG. 11, a cylindrical wall 1100 may be inserted into the storage tank 100 to provide a double wall containment system. In that embodiment, the drain bottom 300, 400 may be conical in shape.

Referring to FIG. 5B, which is a top view of a storage tank 100 of FIG. 4 when a cylindrical wall 1100 is inserted into the storage tank 100, the edge 500E of the open end of the drain bottom 300, 400 may follow the perimeter of the cylindrical wall 1100. As shown in FIG. 5B, the edge 500E may be circular or elliptical in shape depending on the shape of the cylindrical wall 1100. As the drain bottom 300, 400 shown in FIG. 5A, the drain bottom 300, 400 may be coupled to the storage tank 100 and may further include a seal (e.g. 510) to ensure a tight seal between the drain bottom 300, 400 and the walls of the storage tank 100. The drain bottom 300, 400 of FIG. 5B may also be perforated. It will also be understood that even if there is no cylindrical wall 1100, the drain bottom 300, 400 may be a shape other than a pyramid or cone such as a shape that is generally tapered at the bottom to allow connection with the pipe assembly 302, 402. In an embodiment where the edges of the open end of the drain bottom 300, 400 do not follow the contour of the storage tank 100 or the containment wall (e.g. cylindrical wall 1100), a seal may be used to ensure a tight seal. However, a tight seal between the drain bottom 300, 400 and the walls of the storage tank 100 is not necessary. Liquid at the bottom of the storage tank 100 (i.e. under the drain bottom 300, 400) may be beneficial in providing support for the drain bottom 300, 400.

[0064] Turning to FIG. 6, variations of manway 600-604 are shown. The different configurations of manway may be on one or more of the walls of the storage tank 100. For example, manway 600-604 may be on the removable end wall 110 as shown in FIG. 14 (in FIG. 14, removable end wall is shown as 1400 and manway is shown as 1402). In other embodiments, the manway 600-604 may be on the roof 104 of the storage tank 100 as shown in FIG. 3 as manway 310. The manway 600-604 may have different configurations as required by the storage tank 100. For example, a mixer 610 may be mounted on the manway, as shown in manway 602. This allows the contents inside the storage tank 100 to be mixed (e.g.
sludge). While the mixer 610 is shown as a propeller-based mixer, it will be understood that a nozzle-based mixer may also be attached. In another embodiment, a heating coil 612 may be provided on the manway, as shown in manway 604. The heating coil 612 may be a steam-based heating coil with the heating steam going into input 612A and coming out of output 612B.

[0065] Now referring to FIGs. 7-14, a method for creating a storage tank according to an embodiment of the present technology will be described. FIG. 7 shows a sea container 700 having the typical dimension of a sea container as described above. Similarly to a typical sea container, the sea container 700 has access doors 702 that can be opened to load the sea container 700 with goods.
In FIG. 7, the sea container 700 has one set of access doors 702 on one end of the container and a fixed wall on the other end of the container. However, it will be understood that the sea container 700 may have two sets of access doors depending on the required configuration.

[0066] The sea container 700, unlike a typical sea container, has floor 704 made of a rigid material such as steel. Moreover, the walls of the sea container except the access doors 702 are joined together with a tight seal. For example, the walls may be joined using continuous weld.

[0067] Using the sea container 700, goods are sent to the destination using typical transportation means. For example, the sea container 700 containing products made abroad may be loaded onto a freight carrier and shipped across the ocean. Once the sea container 700 reaches the destination, the products contained in the container may be unloaded by opening access doors 702 as shown in FIG.
8.
Typically at this time, the unloaded sea container remains at that location until it is reloaded with other goods that require transportation. However, using the modified sea container 700, the sea container 700 may be used for transporting or storing not only goods but also for storing liquids, sludge and solids.

[0068] After unloading the goods from the sea container 700, a flange 800 may be attached to the sea container 700 at the end having the access doors 702.
For example, the flange 800 may be welded to the end having the access doors 702.
Alternatively, the flange 800 may be one of the modification made during the fabrication of the sea container 700, similarly to the base 704. If the sea container 700 is provided with two sets of access doors, a flange may be attached to each end having the access doors. In one embodiment, the flange 800 may have bolt holes (like bolt holes 122 shown in FIG. 3).

[0069] The sea container 700 is further modified to include a drain bottom 900.
In FIG. 9, a sea container 700 in the vertical orientation is shown. In the vertical orientation, the sea container 700 is positioned such that the end having the access door faces upward so that the drain bottom 900 may be lowered into the sea container 700. At the bottom of the sea container 700, a pipe assembly (e.g.

in FIG. 10) is installed. The drain bottom 900 is lowered until the opening 902 (see 502 of FIGs. 5A and 5B) is placed over the pipe assembly 1000 as shown in the blow up section 1010 in FIG. 10. Thus, contents in the modified sea container can be drained out using the drain bottom 900 and the pipe assembly 1000.

[0070] Additionally, a double wall containment system may be required.
Double wall containment (also referred to as secondary containment system) is a typical regulatory requirement for containment of petroleum products. To provide a double wall containment system, a containment wall such as a cylindrical wall 1100 as shown in FIG. 11 may be inserted into the sea container 700. In this embodiment, the drain bottom to be inserted into the modified sea container 700 may be conical in shape so that the edge of the open end is against the cylindrical wall 1100 (see FIG. 5B). A seal may be further included to ensure a tight seal against the cylindrical wall 1100. In another embodiment, the drain bottom may be a different shape having the edge of the open end not entirely against the cylindrical wall 1100.
In this embodiment, a seal may be included to close the gap between the edges of the open end of the drain bottom and the cylindrical wall 1100. While the containment wall has been described using a cylindrical wall 1100, it will be understood that walls of other shapes may be contemplated.

[0071] Alternatively, the modified sea container 700 may be positioned horizontally as shown in FIG. 12. In this embodiment, the drain bottom 1200 is shown to have multiple tapered bottoms connected to the pipe assembly 1202;
however, it will be understood that the drain bottom 1200 may be a single tapered bottom configuration as shown in FIG. 10. Moreover, the drain bottom 900 as shown in FIG. 10 may have multiple tapered bottoms as shown in FIG. 12. FIG.

shows the drain bottom 1200 installed into the modified sea container 700 in the horizontal orientation.

[0072] After installation of the drain bottom 900, 1200, end wall 1400 is installed, for example, by using the flange 800 in FIG. 8. In one embodiment, the end wall 1400 may be bolted to the flange 800 as shown in FIG. 8. Additionally, a gasket (not shown) may be inserted between the end wall 1400 and the flange 800 to ensure a tight seal. Where the modified sea container 700 includes two sets of access doors (see 702 in FIG. 7), end wall 1400 may be installed on both ends of the modified sea container 700. Additionally, the access doors 702 may be removed. The end wall 1400 may also include manway 1402, such as those shown in FIG. 6.

[0073] Therefore, the modified sea container 700, having the dimensions of a typical sea container but having unique features unlike a typical sea container, may be initially used as a sea container to transport goods. The modified sea container 700 is then further modified to store liquid, solids and/or sludge as explained in this disclosure.

[0074] The storage tanks described above can be used to hold liquids, solids or sludge. Although the storage tanks described above can carry liquids, solids or sludge they are primarily designed for carrying liquids or sludge. As described further below, a storage tank may be designed similar to those described above, however for primarily carrying solids, such as soda ash, powdered chemicals or other bulk solids. Similar to the storage tanks described above, the storage tanks described below can be easily converted to store solids and or liquids or other products. For example, the storage tanks can be used to transport products such as palletized products to a destination, and then converted to a storage tank to store solids such as chemicals or other solids at the destination.

[0075] Figure 15 depicts a further illustrative embodiment of a storage tank. The storage tank 1500 may be similar to the storage tanks described above;
however, it includes a cut-out portion 1502 in the exterior container. The cut-out portion allows a manifold 1504 to be mounted to the container. The manifold may comprise a plurality of outlets or inlets 1506 that can be used to fill or empty the storage tank.
The manifold 1504 may be connected to manifolds of adjacent storage tanks, allowing multiple storage tanks to be easily connected together. The ends of adjacent manifolds may be connected by an appropriate adapter. When not in use the outlets or inlets can be plugged or otherwise sealed. Similarly, the sides of the manifold may be sealed, for example with a plate, when not connected to other manifolds.

[0076] Figure 16 depicts a further illustrative storage tank. The storage tank 1600 may comprise an outer container 1602 conforming to standard intermodal containers. For example, the exterior dimensions may have a height of 8'6" a width of 8' and a length of 1910% ". It will be appreciated that the outer container may conform to other standard dimensions such as 40 foot containers, 40 foot high-cube containers or 45 foot high-cube containers.

[0077] The outer container 1602 may have a top wall 1604, a bottom wall 1606, two side walls 1608, 1610 and a back wall 1612. Although not depicted in Figure 16, the outer container 1602 may further comprise a door or set of doors located at a front end 1614 of the container. The door or doors provide access to an interior of the outer container in order to allow loading and unloading of the outer container.
The top wall 1604 may be hinged to one of the side walls 1608, 1610 allowing the top wall 1604 to be moved between an open position, in which the interior of the container 1602 is accessible, and a closed position, in which the interior is inaccessible from the top of the container.

[0078] The outer container may be fabricated so that it can be sealed. The side walls 1608, 1610, the back wall 1612 and the bottom wall 1606 may be welded together with a continuous weld, or sealed in other ways such as with epoxy or seals. The hinged top wall 1604 may be sealed using a gasket or similar seal that is compressed by the top wall when it is in the closed position. The outer container may further comprise a front flange that may provide a gasket or seal that is compressed when the door or doors of the container or closed.

[0079] As described above, the outer container 1602 may comprise two openings, namely the top opening when the hinged top wall 1604 is in the open position, and the front opening when the door or doors are open.

[0080] The storage tank 1600 further comprises an interior container 1620.
The interior container 1620 may be fabricated as an insert that can be slid into the interior of the outer container 1602. The interior container 1620 comprises a back wall 1622, side walls 1624,1626 each comprising a vertical section 1624a, 1626a and a sloped portion 1624b, 1626b. The interior container 1620 further comprises a bottom wall 1628, a front wall 1630 and a top wall 1632. The back wall 1622, side walls 1624, 1626 and the front wall 1630 may be fabricated from metal that is welded together to seal the interior container. The top wall 1632 may be made of metal or may be made from a flexible material that can be drawn down towards the material in the interior of the interior container 1620. Regardless of what the top wall is made of, it may contain one or more manways 1634 or hatches that can be used when filling the interior container 1620. The manways 1634 may include an extendible shroud (not shown) that can be extended when filling the interior container to limit dust or other material from escaping when the interior container is being filled. Further, the top wall of the interior container may be hinged to one of the side walls 1624, 1626 in a similar fashion as the top wall of the exterior container to allow loading and unloading of the interior container.

[0081] The front wall 1630 includes a moveable hatch or door 1636 that can be opened or closed. When the hatch or door 1636 is in the open position, material can be emptied from the interior container may raising a back end of the container.

[0082] The storage tank 1600 may be used to store and/or transport various goods and materials. For example, the interior container may be used to transport palletized goods to a destination. The palletized goods can be loaded and/or unloaded through the open top wall. As will be appreciated a standard pallet may be approximately 4'x4' in dimension. In an illustrative embodiment, the bottom wall is 4 feet wide to allow pallets of goods to be loaded into the bottom of the interior container 1620. The sidewalls are sized such that the vertical sections 1624a, 1626a begin at an expected height of the pallets so that a second row of pallets, two pallets wide, can be received on top of the lower level of pallets placed on the bottom wall of the interior container.

[0083] The interior container 1620 may further be used to store and/or transport bulk goods, such as chemical powders, or other bulk solids. The chemical powders or bulk solids may be loaded into the interior container through the manways or through the open top wall. If the top wall is made of a flexible material, a vacuum may be placed on the interior volume to draw the flexible material towards the material being stored. This may be advantageous to reduce moisture or air from interacting or reacting with the stored material. The bulk solids may be emptied from the interior container using the hatch on the front wall by tipping or dumping the container.

[0084] During transport or storage, both the interior container 1620 and the outer container 1602 may be sealed. The combination of the sealable interior container 1620 and the sealable outer container 1602 provide a double walled container that is suitable for transport liquids such as chemicals and/or oil or gas. Further the flexibility in loading and unloading the interior container allows the storage tank to be used to transport material to a destination, store different material at the destination, and transport different still material from the destination.

[0085] For example, the storage tank could be used to transport machine parts or other goods to a destination such as an oil well site. Once on site and unloaded, the storage tank could be used to store goods, including solids, liquids or sludge, at the destination or transport waste from the destination.

[0086] Additionally, the interior container 1620 may be sized so that, when the top wall is opened, or possibly removed, another interior container can be received within it. This stacking arrangement of the interior containers allows multiple interior containers to be transported to a destination, while a plurality of outer containers, that will eventually be used with an interior container, are used to transport goods to the destination as a typical container. Once at the destination, the outer containers can be unloaded and the interior containers unstacked. The interior containers may .' ., then be slid into the outer containers to provide storage tanks as described above.
The outer container allows the storage tank to be moved and handled easily.

[0087] Figure 17 depicts an illustrative container adapter 1700.
The container adapter 1700 can be coupled to the outer container of a storage tank and provides rails 1702, and possibly rollers that allow the storage tank and adapter to be rolled on and off from an appropriate truck. The adapter 1700 and roll-on roll-off truck may be used to empty a storage tank by tilting the container so that the material exits the door in the front wall.

[0088] Figure 18 depicts a further illustrative interior container. The interior container 1800 may be used on place of interior container 1620 described above.
The interior container 1800 is substantially similar to the interior container 1620 and as such only the differences will be described in further detail. Instead of the hatch 1636 of the front wall for emptying the interior container 1620, the front wall 1836 of the interior container may comprise an opening 1802 and a sealable covering 1804.
The sealable covering may be hinged to allow the sealable covering 1804 to be swung out of the way of the opening 1802, allowing the interior container to be emptied.

[0089] The sealable covering 1804 may be a solid covering or may be provided with a motorized auger 1806 for removing the material stored in the interior container. The auger includes an auger drive 1808 that is located inside the interior container. The auger may include a pipe adapter attachment to allow pneumatic transfer of discharged material at the discharge point of the auger. The auger may further comprise a drive motor 1810 located on the outside of the interior container. The auger may be mounted to the covering plate so that the interior container can be emptied while the opening is sealed by the covering. The covering may be opened with the auger attached to allow the interior container to be emptied through the opening. The auger may have a removable cover to cover the auger when not in use. For example, the auger could be covered if the interior container is to be filled with a liquid or sludge.

[0090] If the sealable covering includes an auger, the front wall, or a portion of the front wall may be recessed from the front of the storage tank to allow the drive , , , , -, motor of the auger to fit within the outer container when the sealable cover is closed, allowing doors of the outer container to be closed and sealed during transport.

[0091]
While the present technology has been described in terms of specific implementations and configurations, further modifications, variations, modifications and refinements may be made without departing from the inventive concepts presented herein. The scope of the exclusive right sought by the Applicant(s) is therefore intended to be limited solely by the appended claims.

Claims (26)

1. A sea container modified for storing liquid, sludge or solid, the modified sea container comprising:
a container comprising a floor and a roof sealingly joined by opposing side walls and opposing end walls, the container defining an interior space for storing the liquid, sludge or solid, wherein the floor, roof, opposing side walls and opposing end walls being made of a rigid material, and at least one of the opposing end walls being removably attached; and a drain bottom inserted into the interior space, the drain bottom having an open end for receiving the liquid, sludge or solid and a tapered end connected to a drain hole through a pipe assembly, wherein the drain hole is located on the container.

2. The sea container according to claim 1, wherein the container further comprising a flange for removably attaching the at least one of the opposing end walls.

3. The sea container according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the opposing end walls is removably attached to the flange using bolts.

4. The sea container according to claim 2, wherein a gasket is inserted between the at least one of the opposing end walls and the flange.

5. The sea container according to claim 1, further comprising a manway on at least one of the floor, roof, opposing side walls and opposing end walls.

6. The sea container according to claim 5, wherein the manway comprises a heating coil, a propeller mixer, or a nozzle mixer, or any combination thereof.

7. The sea container according to claim 1, further comprising a containment wall inserted into the interior space.

8. The sea container according to claim 7, wherein a seal is inserted between an edge of the open end of the drain bottom and the containment wall.

9. The sea container according to claim 1, wherein a seal is inserted between an edge of the open end of the drain bottom and the container.

10. The sea container according to claim 1, wherein the drain bottom is perforated.

11. The sea container according to claim 1, wherein the rigid material is steel.

12. The sea container according to claim 1, wherein the floor, roof, opposing side walls and opposing end walls are sealing joined by continuous weld.

13. The sea container according to claim 1, wherein the container being configured for vertical orientation.

14. A method of creating a sea container modified for storing liquid, sludge or solid, the method comprising:
providing a sea container having a floor made of a rigid material and the sea container being hermetically sealed;
inserting a drain bottom into an interior space of the sea container through an access door located at an end of the sea container;
connecting a tapered end of the drain bottom to a drain hole through a pipe assembly; and removably attaching an end wall to the end of the sea container having the access door.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising installing the pipe assembly to the drain hole.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising attaching a flange to the end of the sea container having the access door.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the end wall is removably attached to the flange.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising inserting a gasket between the flange and the end wall.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising inserting a containment wall into the interior space of the sea container.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising removing the access door.

21. A portable storage tank comprising:
an outer sealable container conforming to an ISO intermodal container standard including at least one sealable door; and an inner sealable container sized to be fully received within the outer container including at least one sealable opening through which the inner sealable container can be emptied.

22. The portable storage tank of claim 21, wherein the outer sealable container includes a sealable top wall hinged to the outer container a moveable between an open position in which an interior of the outer container is accessible, and a closed position in which the interior of the outer container is sealed.

23. The portable storage tank of claim 22, wherein the inner sealable container includes a sealable top wall hinged to the inner container a moveable between an open position in which an interior of the inner container is accessible, and a closed position in which the interior of the inner container is sealed.

24. The portable storage tank of claim 23, wherein the sealable top wall of the inner container further comprises one or more sealable manways.

25. The portable storage tank of claim 21 wherein the inner container includes a sealable covering of the at least one sealable opening.

26. The portable storage tank of claim 25, wherein the sealable covering includes an auger for use in removing material from the interior of the inner container.