Fuel tank arrangement of a marine vessel and method of operating a tank container of a marine vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10710693-B2
Application number	US-201415313783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A fuel tank arrangement in a marine vessel has a tank container, a first fuel line having a first fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a first fuel, a second fuel line having a second fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a second fuel. The first fuel line port and/or the second fuel line port is provided with a plug or alike to close the flow path from the tank container into the fuel line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel tank arrangement of a marine vessel comprising:
a tank container configured to store or contain a first fuel or a second fuel in the tank container, a first fuel line comprising a first fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for the first fuel, and
a second fuel line comprising a second fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for the second fuel, in which the second fuel line port is provided with a closing means inside the tank container so as to close the flow path from the tank container into the fuel line, and the second fuel line port and the first fuel line port arranged to open into a lower portion of the tank container to receive fuel near a bottom of the tank container, wherein the first fuel line port is arranged to open into the container for introduction of the fuel from the tank container into an engine and the closing means are arranged into the port of the second fuel line.

2. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first fuel line is arranged in flow communication with spray nozzles arranged in an upper portion of the tank container.

3. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the spray nozzles are provided with closing means.

4. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the tank container is provided with a pressure build up system comprising a conduit being in flow communication via the first fuel line from a bottom section of the tank container to an upper section of the tank container and an evaporator arranged to the conduit.

5. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein the conduit is provided with a closing means.

6. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the second fuel line port is arranged in a lower portion of the tank container.

7. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first fuel line port is arranged in a lower portion of the tank container.

8. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the tank container is provided with a manhole.

9. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first fuel line is in flow communication with spray nozzles arranged in an upper portion of the tank container.

10. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the tank container is provided with a pressure build up system comprising a conduit being in flow communication via the first fuel line from a bottom section of the tank container to an upper section of the tank container and an evaporator arranged to the conduit.

11. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein when in an operational use the first fuel is liquefied gas and the second fuel that is oil based liquid fuel such as marine diesel oil.

12. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each of the closing means is a plug.

13. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the tank container is arranged operable in cryogenic conditions.

14. A method for operating a fuel tank arrangement of a marine vessel comprising a tank container configured to store or contain a first fuel or a second fuel in the tank container, a first fuel line comprising a first fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a first fuel, and a second fuel line comprising a second fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a second fuel, in which the first fuel line port or the second fuel line port is provided with a closing means inside the tank container so as to close the flow path from the tank container into the fuel line, and the second fuel line port and the first fuel line port arranged to open into a lower portion of the tank container to receive fuel near a bottom of the tank container, in which the method of the fuel contained by the tank container is changed from the first fuel to a second fuel, the method comprising at least steps of:
a) Emptying the tank container from the first fuel,
b) Opening a manhole of the tank container,
c) Closing or maintaining closed the port of the first fuel line with the closing means inside the tank container,
d) Removing the closing means from or maintaining open a port of the second fuel line inside the tank container,
e) Closing the manhole,
f) Feeding a second fuel from a second filling system into the tank container,
g) Feeding the second fuel from the tank container via the second fuel line into an engine.

15. A method operating the tank container of the marine vessel according to claim 14 , comprising a further step of cleaning internal surfaces of the tank container.

16. A fuel tank arrangement of a marine vessel comprising:
a tank container configured to store or contain a first fuel or a second fuel in the tank container, a first fuel line comprising a first fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a first fuel, and
a second fuel line comprising a second fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a second fuel, in which the first fuel line port is provided with a closing means inside the tank container so as to close the flow path from the tank container into the first fuel line, and the second fuel line port and the first fuel line port are arranged to open into a lower portion of the tank container to receive fuel near a bottom of the tank container, wherein the second fuel line port is arranged to open into the container for introduction of the fuel from the tank container into an engine and the closing means are arranged into the first fuel line port of the first fuel line.

17. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 16 , wherein the closing means are arranged into a spray nozzle of the first fuel line.

18. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 16 , wherein a spray nozzle is replaced by the closing means and the closing means is arranged into a port of a conduit.

19. A fuel tank arrangement according to claim 16 , wherein the spray nozzle is a first spray nozzle of a plurality of spray nozzles and the plurality of spray nozzles are replaced by the closing means and the closing means is arranged into a port of a conduit.

20. A fuel tank arrangement of a marine vessel comprising:
a tank container configured to store or contain a first fuel or a second fuel in the tank container, a first fuel line comprising a first fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a first fuel, and
a second fuel line comprising a second fuel line port opening into the tank container so as to provide a flow path exclusively for a second fuel, in which the first fuel line port or the second fuel line port is provided with a closing means inside the tank container so as to close the flow path from the tank container into the fuel line, and the second fuel line port and the first fuel line port are arranged to open into a lower portion of the tank container to receive fuel near a bottom of the tank container, wherein the closing means correspondingly threads in the first fuel line port of the first fuel line has a threaded structure and another closing means correspondingly threads the second fuel line port of the second fuel line has a threaded structure so as to close the flow communication from the tank container into an engine.

Assignees

• Waertsilae Finland Oy

Inventors

• D{Acute Over ( )}Urso Emanuele
• Meloni Giammario
• Zoglia Piero
• Bui Yves
• Tripodi Pasquale
• Bosco Vincenzo

Classifications

• F02M21/0221

  Fuel storage reservoirs, e.g. cryogenic tanks · CPC title

• B63H21/38 Primary

  Apparatus or methods specially adapted for use on marine vessels, for handling power plant or unit liquids, e.g. lubricants, coolants, fuels or the like ({in outboard drives B63H20/001; } lubricating or cooling machines or engines in general F01 - F04) · CPC title

• B63B17/0027

  Tanks for fuel or the like (constructional features of bunkers B63B11/04); Accessories therefor, e.g. tank filler caps (fuel tanks for vehicles in general B60K15/03; cargo tanks B63B25/08; cleaning of tanks B63B57/00; handling of liquids for use in power plants B63H21/38) · CPC title

• F02M21/0212

  comprising at least 3 C-Atoms, e.g. liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], propane or butane · CPC title

• Y02T10/30

  Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels · CPC title