US3757865A

US3757865A - Removal of gases from containers

Info

Publication number: US3757865A
Application number: US00138322A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Clements
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: BOC Nowsco Ltd
Priority date: 1971-04-28
Filing date: 1971-04-28
Publication date: 1973-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-11

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of removing explosive or inflammable gases from a container which comprises continuously pumping into container containing liquid and highly explosive or highly inflammable gases, or such gases alone, a high expansion firefighting foam, and, when the available space within the container is full with such foam, continuously removing it at a rate corresponding to the inlet rate.

Description

OR 3,757,865 5R Waited States Patent 1 flsmems 51 Sept. 11, 1973 [54] REMOVAL OF GASES FROM CONTAINERS 3,186,490 6/l965 Jamison et al. 169/2 R X [76} Inventor: Michael John Clements, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS {9 Orient Drive, 825,444 12 1959 England 169/1 A Woolton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. {22] Filed: AP 28 1971 Assistant ExaminerA. Kashnikow Appl. No.: 138,322

AttorneySalter & Michaelson [5 7 ABSTRACT Disclosed is a method of removing explosive or inflammable gases from a container which comprises continuously pumping into container containing liquid and highly explosive or highly inflammable gases, or such gases alone, a high expansion fire-fighting foam, and, when the available space within the container is full with such foam, continuously removing it at a rate corresponding to the inlet rate.

1 Claim, No Drawings.

REMOVAL OF GASES FROM CONTAINERS This invention concerns enclosures or containers containing highly explosive or inflammable gases.

There are many instances in industry and commerce where the presence of highly explosive or inflammable gases in enclosures or containers constitutes a considerable explosion and fire hazard. This is especially so in many ships which have so-called slop tanks in which are collected waste liquids such as bilge water, crude oil and the like. Such slop tanks tend to become full, in the space above the liquid, with highly inflammable gases and these are naturally highly susceptible to ignition, especially, for example, when cargo is beingdischarged and sparks might be caused.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of removing explosive or inflammable gases from enclosures or containers in a manner which wil substantially reduce, if not eliminate, explosion and fire hazards.

According to the present invention I continuously pump into an enclosure or container containing liquid and highly explosive or highly inflammable gases or such gases alone, a high expansion fire-fighting foam, and, when the available space within the container is full with such foam, continuously remove it at a rate corresponding to the inlet rate. We have found that the inflammable gases become entrained in the foam and are thereby removed in a safe way from the enclosure or container.

In practising one particular embodiment of the invention, when a ship is newly docked high expansion firefighting foam (such as that commercially available under the designation TOTAL high expansion foam) is immediately pumped into each slop tank through a suitably disposed aperture and when the space above the liquid therein is filled with the foam, the foam with the inflammable gases entrained therein is continuously forced out through another suitably disposed aperture at a rate which will ensure that the space above the liquid in the slop tank is always filled with foam. The foam emerging from the tank may be disposed of in any suitable way. After cargo has been discharged and the ship has left port the supply of foam to the tank now sealed is stopped.

In this way fire and explosion hazards in the slop tanks of ships are substantially eliminated. We believe, surprisingly,'that the foam being drawn off from the slop tank and in which the inflammable gases are entrained will not be readily susceptible to ignition and therefore the possibility of flash back into the slop tank is also excluded.

The invention of course is not limited to use in connection with ship slop tanks but is equally applicable to any container in which there is an accumulation or a continuing accumulation of highly inflammable gases.

I claim:

1.- A method of preventing an explosion or fire from occurring in an enclosed container which holds a material from which explosive or inflammable gases may emanate, comprising the steps of pumping into said container an expansion, fire-fighting foam until the available space within the container is substantially filled with said foam, and the explosive or inflammable gases are entrained in said foam, and thereafter continuously pumping said foam into said container while forcing the foam therein in which the explosive or inflammable gases are entrained outwardly of said container by way of an aperature formed in said container, and at a rate that insures that the available space in the container is always filled with said foam,'wherein the fire and/or explosion hazard in said container is eliminated.

Claims

1. A method of preventing an explosion or fire from occurring in an enclosed container which holds a material from which explosive or inflammable gases may emanate, comprising the steps of pumping into said container an expansion, fire-fighting foam until the available space within the container is substAntially filled with said foam, and the explosive or inflammable gases are entrained in said foam, and thereafter continuously pumping said foam into said container while forcing the foam therein in which the explosive or inflammable gases are entrained outwardly of said container by way of an aperature formed in said container, and at a rate that insures that the available space in the container is always filled with said foam, wherein the fire and/or explosion hazard in said container is eliminated.