GB1186343A - Improvements relating to the Cleansing of Tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

1,186,343. Cleaning tanks. NEWCASTLE BREWERIES Ltd. 14 June, 1967 [14 March, 1966], No. 11043/66. Heading A4F. [Also in Division B2] Apparatus for cleaning tanks comprises a water container 4, a pump 6 the discharge outlet 33 of which is connectable to a nozzle inserted through an opening in the top of the tank, a closure valve 12 in a pipe 8 connected to the bottom of the water container, a valve 13, and a valve 15 in a drainage pipe 10. The end 34 of the pump inlet manifold 7 is connected by flexible tubing to the bottom of the tank and a pipe 9 connects a detergent container 5 to the pump inlet manifold via a valve 14. The valves 12, 15 and a water inlet valve 16 are initially opened (the valve 13 being closed) when the electrical controller 17 is switched on. Water is supplied to the container 4 via a pipe 11 until the level reaches a probe P1 which completes a circuit through a probe P2 to cause closure of the valve 16 and to switch on the pump 6 to spray water into the tank via the nozzle. When the water level in the container 4 falls below the bottom of probe P3, the circuit through the probes P3 and P2 is broken, thus stopping the pump and re-opening the valve 16 to refill the container with water. When the water level reaches the bottom of the probe P3 for the second time, the pump is stopped and the valves 12, 15 are held open by a timer to enable the tank to drain through the valve 15 and the pipe 10. The timer then closes the valves 12, 15 and opens the valve 14 to allow detergent to be pumped into the tank until the level of the detergent in the container 5 reaches the bottom of a probe P4. The controller 17 then closes the valve 14, opens the valves 13 and a non-return valve 35 to circulate detergent through the tank for a period of time determined by the timer. The controller stops the pump at the end of this time period, opens the valve 15 and closes the valve 13 to discharge the detergent to waste. The valve 16 is then opened to refill the container 4 with water and a cycle of four rinses of the tank with clean water is initiated. The cleaning apparatus is mounted in a frame on wheels and modifications are described in which the pump is separate from the rest of the apparatus and the detergent container is omitted.