Title of Invention

AN AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL HYDROCARBON OIL SPILLIAGE

Abstract

In a refinery floating roof tanks are made to control evaporation loss and to control pollution. The rain wafer accumulated in the roof is drained out through a drain pipe. This drain pipe is always kept opened. Sometimes the floating roof sinks or collapse and as a result huge quantity of oil drain out through the roof drain valve. Our newly invented valve, which we like to be patented, will stop this sudden or accidental draining of oil Immediately. The valve will reduce hydrocarbon loss, protect cur environment and prevent fire hazard.

Full Text

(2) Field of Invention : A valve that restricts the leakage of Hydrocarbon from reservoirs or tank's area of an oil refinery. Background of invention with regard to the drawbacks of associated with known art. In oil refinery the floating roof tanks are provided with rain water drain pipe. This pipe drain out rain water from the tank top floating roof. Many a times floating roofs collapse and highly inflammable hydrocarbon oil component drain out through the roof drain. The present art or the known art is that whenever hydrocarbon (gasoline, Naptha etc.) drains out through the drain pipe, the drain valve is manually closed immediately. But due to the time lag, huge quantity of hazardous and highly inflammable hydrocarbon drain out through the drain pipe. The operator has to stand in the mist of petroleum vapours during closing of the valve. It causes fire hazards, life risk, pollution and loss. Object of invention : In order to stop accidental draining of hydrocarbon automatically and immediately, a new valve is invented. Summary of invention : This new automatic valve is invented to stop accidental draining out of hydrocarbon to the open drain and to prevent loss, pollution, big fire and explosion. It is cost effective, safe and easy to handle. This valve works in the style of a Glove Valve. This valve is essentially a lift check valve. It will work like a glove valve. Glove valve directs the fluid up or drawn through a circular opening in the central partition which may be sealed either by forcing a replaceable metallic disk down upon a flat seat or by inserting a tapered metallic plug into a conical seat, the plug and the seal being of different taper to furnish a line contact for the seal. In our valve also there is a circular opening in the central partition which may be sealed by tapered metallic frustum of flat disk. (A Contd .... (3) tapered metallic plug into a conical disk will be most suitable) this tapered metallic disk (or tapered metallic plug) is kept hanging from a solid cube (1" x 1" x 1"). The solid is made of expanded polystyrence (EPS) popularly known as thermocol. This solid thermocol cube is kept fixed at a central position so that the metallic disk or plug can fall down exactly on the circular opening. Whenever it is released from the thermocol. To ensure this critical movement of the disk, a guard tube with strictly vertical coaxial circular rod is used. At the bottom end of the rod disk is welded. The thermocol piece may be of various size and shape. The top section of the valve is a bonnet box. Here there is a fixed welded strip just at the center of the box. The sensor or the thermocol is placeid here and the tapered seat is kept hanging from the thermocol cube. Because of the liquid head maintained at the discharge pipe, the valve bonnet is always full with water. Whenever water flows in the pipe or valve, the bonnet is full with water and as the thermocol is absolutely inert in water nothing happen. As soon as gasoline or gasoline component, hydrocarbon comes (even in traces) with the water from the roof, the gasoline or hydrocarbon accumulates at the thermocol space, or bonnet box. Gasoline dissolves the thermocol and as a result the disk falls down at the circular opening and seal off the opening. The liquid head from the tank side will press the seat and flow will be stopped. This is how our valve will function. This valve will be in addition to the existing roof drain valve. The closing of the valve is one time affair like a ordinary fire extinguisher, rapture disc (in the pressure vessel safety system) etc. At present whenever oil comes through roof drain the drain pipe gate valve is closed manually. In case of the Guwahati Valve, it closes automatically and remains shut till the roof drain pipe oil leak is rectified. No more regular checking by operator is required and manpower is reduced. After rectification of the defect, the bonnet cover of the valve is to be opened and a new sensor (thermocol cube) is to be fixed, which is very easy. A rigid metallic wire is planted at the sensor as indicator. One part will be prejected upwards through the peephole above the bonnet cover. As soon as the thermocol is dissolved, the projected rigid wire will sink along with the spindle of the valve. The projected end may be made a "T", so that the wire does not go inside and disturb the smooth closing of the valve. Contd (4) I CLAIM 1. An automatic valve for preventing accidental hydrocarbon oil spillage comprising. a) An upper part comprising an hydrocarbon oil accumulation chamber wherein a projecting metallic support in provided to hold atleast one - cube of expanded polystyrene (EPS) sensor therein. b) A bottom part having a glove valve structure containing a metallic disk hanging above the circular opening of the horizontal valve seat, c) A neck in between the upper and bottom part hanging a string to keep the metallic disk hanging from the EPS sensor fixed in the support of the upper part. Wherein during oil spillage, due to the expanded polystyrene sensor being dissolved in oil, the hanging disk drops down under gravity to automatically close the valve. 2. The valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein the EPS sensor may be of various size & shape. 3. The valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein the EPS sensor may be two or more. 4. The valve as claimed in claim 1 to 3, wherein it can be used to prevent oil spillage is hydrocarbon tank draining. In a refinery floating roof tanks are made to control evaporation loss and to control pollution. The rain wafer accumulated in the roof is drained out through a drain pipe. This drain pipe is always kept opened. Sometimes the floating roof sinks or collapse and as a result huge quantity of oil drain out through the roof drain valve. Our newly invented valve, which we like to be patented, will stop this sudden or accidental draining of oil Immediately. The valve will reduce hydrocarbon loss, protect cur environment and prevent fire hazard.

Documents:

00240-cal-1998 abstract.pdf

00240-cal-1998 claims.pdf

00240-cal-1998 description(complete).pdf

00240-cal-1998 drawings.pdf

00240-cal-1998 form-1.pdf

00240-cal-1998 form-2.pdf

00240-cal-1998 form-3.pdf