Patent ID: 6793740
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: B08B,F17C,F26B

Abstract:
A method of cleaning pressurized rail tank cars containing chemicals comprising:providing a pressurized rail tank car having a quantity of a chemical contained therein; providing an input gas; heating the input gas; providing a plurality of valves on the rail tank car; injecting the input gas into the rail tank car by opening a first valve to form a chemical/input gas mixture within the rail tank car; closing the first valve when the rail tank car is sufficiently pressurized; removing the chemical/input gas mixture from the rail tank car by opening a second valve; synchronizing the opening and closing of the first and second valves so that the first valve is closed when the second valve is open and first valve is open when the second valve is closed; providing a reaction tank comprising a neutralizing material; injecting the chemical/input gas mixture into the tank comprising the neutralizing material; reacting the chemical of the chemical/input gas mixture with the neutralizing material to dispose of the chemical; and injecting further quantities of heated input gas into the rail tank car to form further chemical/input gas mixtures and injecting the further chemical/input gas mixtures into the reaction tank to react the chemical in the further chemical/input mixtures with the neutralizing material to dispose of the chemical, until the fume level of the chemical within the rail tank car has reached a predetermined level.