Sulfur storage tank cleanout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964816-B2
Application number	US-202117231582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2021
Priority date	Apr 15, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A sulfur storage tank includes a bottom plate, an outer wall, and a cleanout door. The outer wall surrounds and is coupled to the bottom plate. The cleanout door is installed on the outer wall. The cleanout door includes an edge and a drain nozzle. The edge abuts the bottom plate. The drain nozzle is installed on the cleanout door. The drain nozzle defines a centerline offset from the edge. The drain nozzle is configured to gravity drain fluid from the sulfur storage tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
performing a hydrostatic test on a sulfur storage tank comprising:
a bottom plate;
an outer wall surrounding and coupled to the bottom plate; and
a cleanout door installed on the outer wall, the cleanout door comprising:
an edge abutting the bottom plate; and
a drain nozzle installed on the cleanout door, the drain nozzle defining a centerline offset from the edge, wherein the drain nozzle is configured to gravity drain fluid from the sulfur storage tank;

after performing the hydrostatic test, draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank using a pump until a liquid level within the sulfur storage tank reaches a first liquid level; and
after draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank using the pump, gravity draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank through the drain nozzle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur storage tank comprises a pump feed nozzle installed on the outer wall, and draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank using the pump comprises draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank through the pump feed nozzle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sulfur storage tank comprises heat tracing surrounding at least a portion of the drain nozzle, and the method comprises activating the heat tracing while gravity draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank through the drain nozzle.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising, after gravity draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank through the drain nozzle of the cleanout door, deactivating the heat tracing and blinding the drain nozzle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a perpendicular distance from the edge of the cleanout door to the centerline of the drain nozzle is less than 4 inches and non-zero.

6. A method comprising:
installing a drain nozzle on a cleanout door, such that a centerline of the drain nozzle is offset from an edge of the cleanout door;
after installing the drain nozzle on the cleanout door, installing the cleanout door on an outer wall of a sulfur storage tank comprising a bottom plate, such that the edge of the cleanout door abuts the bottom plate of the sulfur storage tank;
performing a hydrostatic test on the sulfur storage tank;
after performing the hydrostatic test, draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank using a pump until a liquid level within the sulfur storage tank reaches a first liquid level; and
after draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank using the pump, gravity draining fluid from the sulfur storage tank through the drain nozzle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the drain nozzle has an inner diameter in a range of from 4 inches to 6 inches and a length in a range of from 4 inches to 18 inches.

8. The method of claim 7 , the drain nozzle is installed on the cleanout door, such that a perpendicular distance from the edge of the cleanout door to the centerline of the drain nozzle is less than 4 inches and non-zero.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the drain nozzle comprises a nozzle plate, a tubular, and a flange;
the nozzle plate and the flange are coupled to the tubular at opposite ends of the tubular; and
installing the drain nozzle on the cleanout door comprises installing the nozzle plate on the cleanout door, such that the tubular protrudes from the cleanout door.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a ratio of a length of the tubular to the inner diameter of the drain nozzle is in a range of from 1:1 to 3:1.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising installing heat tracing on the drain nozzle, such that the heat tracing surrounds at least a portion of the tubular of the drain nozzle.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Ragavendran Guru Raja

Classifications

• B65D88/54 Primary

  characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying · CPC title

• B65D88/08 Primary

  with a vertical axis · CPC title

• B65D88/34

  having floating covers, e.g. floating roofs or blankets · CPC title

• B65D88/748

  for tank containers · CPC title

• B65D90/008

  Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers (locking E05B83/12) · CPC title