Patent ID: 6382233
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: B61D,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A vehicle for transporting a liquid commodity, comprising:a) a closed tank, said tank having an inside surface, an outside surface, a top, a bottom and an interior for containing such liquid commodity; b) a safety vent mounted on the top of the tank at the outside surface, having a safety relief device for allowing pressure to escape from the tank in the event of a pressure build-up greater than a selected pressure value and including a flow line that extends between the valve and the tank interior, the flow line having a bore with a line of flow; c) a mechanical energy dissipation system for dissipating hydraulic hammer action in the safety vent, comprising: i) a mechanical device of a relatively small size in comparison to the size of the tank, said device being a plastic body located in the bore of the flow line, said device presenting a series of diverging, impact surfaces connected to said plastic body and extending at acute angles to the line of flow, the device extending from the tank to the valve to dissipate the hydraulic hammer action of the liquid as it flows through said flow line and device; ii) wherein the diverging, impact surfaces are made of a non-metallic plastic material, shaped such that they are strong enough to absorb mechanical energy without breaking.