Patent ID: 8430155
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: F24H,F28D,Y02E,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A modular insulated water tank comprising a support structure, a liner, a cover, two or more sub-covers, four corner members, a floor, a fluid inflow conduit, a fluid outflow conduit, and a heat exchanger; with the support structure being comprised of two or more separable, stackable retention tiers, said support structure being a substantially hollow enclosure formed of a plurality of substantially rigid sides surrounding an interior, said sides being thermally isolated, said support structure capable of containing and supporting the liner within its interior, wherein each of the retention tiers has four side walls, with each of said side walls of each retention tier being substantially planar and substantially rectangular, and having a first lateral end and a second lateral end, a top side and a bottom side, and an inner surface and an outer surface, with pairs of the side walls of each retention tier removably joined to each other at their respective ends such that all of the side walls of each retention tier form a substantially rectangular continuous circumferential enclosure, and with all side walls of each retention tier having a substantially uniform height, whereby each retention tier has the same number of side walls as each other retention tier, said side walls of each retention tier being of substantially the same shape and size and arranged in substantially the same configuration as the side walls of each other retention tier; the liner being a flexible container capable of retaining fluids within an interior portion thereof; the cover being capable of enclosing contents contained within the liner within the interior of the support structure, said cover being thermally isolated; each said corner member being substantially rigid and being comprised of a left flange and a right flange, with the left flange angled substantially ninety degrees from the right flange, each said corner member being substantially the same height as the support structure, wherein each said corner member is placed onto a corner of the support structure formed by the junction of each pair of sides of the support structure, with the left flange of said corner member adjacent to and affixed to one of the sides of said corresponding pair of sides and the right flange of said corner member adjacent to and affixed to the other side of said corresponding pair of sides; said floor being attached to the lowermost retention tier, said floor being adjacent to the bottom sides of the side walls of said lowermost retention tier, thereby forming a lowermost portion of the modular insulated water tank, said floor being thermally isolated; said sub-covers comprising the cover; said fluid inflow conduit comprised of copper tubing; said fluid outflow conduit comprised of copper tubing; and said heat exchanger comprised of a plurality of coiled copper tubing, each said coil attached in parallel to a manifold; with the fluid inflow conduit being capable of transporting a first fluid from a location exterior to the modular insulated water tank into the modular insulated water tank, the fluid outflow conduit being capable of transporting the first fluid from within the modular insulated water tank to a location exterior to the modular insulated water tank, and the heat exchanger being capable of transferring heat energy between the first fluid and a second fluid, said second fluid being retained within the modular insulated water tank; wherein the fluid inflow conduit, the heat exchanger, and the fluid outflow conduit are placed in respective serial fluid communications with one another to thereby circulate the first fluid into and out of the modular insulated water tank.