U.S. patent application number 13/889654 was filed with the patent office on 2013-09-19 for systems and methods for packaging and transporting bulk materials.
The applicant listed for this patent is Shonagh Eva ADELMAN, Erik D. SCUDDER. Invention is credited to Shonagh Eva ADELMAN, Erik D. SCUDDER.
Application Number | 20130239523 13/889654 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49156372 |
Filed Date | 2013-09-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130239523 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SCUDDER; Erik D. ; et
al. |
September 19, 2013 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTING BULK
MATERIALS
Abstract
Apparatus, systems, and methods for housing a bulk material
within a flexible container are described herein. In some
embodiments, a method includes maintaining a flexible container in
an expanded configuration to define an interior volume. A bulk
material is conveyed into the interior volume of the expanded
flexible container. The flexible container is then moved from the
expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration, such that
movement of the bulk material within the interior volume is
limited.
Inventors: |
SCUDDER; Erik D.; (New York,
NY) ; ADELMAN; Shonagh Eva; (Miami, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SCUDDER; Erik D.
ADELMAN; Shonagh Eva |
New York
Miami |
NY
FL |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49156372 |
Appl. No.: |
13/889654 |
Filed: |
May 8, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13367911 |
Feb 7, 2012 |
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13889654 |
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61440202 |
Feb 7, 2011 |
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61644166 |
May 8, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
53/467 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 88/121 20130101;
B65D 90/047 20130101; B65D 88/54 20130101; B65D 90/004 20130101;
B65D 2588/746 20130101; B65D 88/548 20130101; B65D 90/048 20130101;
B65D 90/46 20130101; B65D 88/1606 20130101; B65D 2590/046 20130101;
B65B 1/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/467 |
International
Class: |
B65B 1/04 20060101
B65B001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 9, 2011 |
GB |
1115601.5 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: maintaining a flexible container in an
expanded configuration to define an interior volume; conveying a
bulk material into the interior volume of the flexible container
via an opening defined by the flexible container; and moving the
flexible container from the expanded configuration to a collapsed
configuration such that movement of a first portion of the bulk
material within the interior volume relative to a second portion of
the bulk material within the interior volume is limited.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining includes
conveying a gas from a volume outside the flexible container into
the interior volume.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the maintaining includes
removably coupling a portion of the flexible container to a rigid
structure outside of the interior volume; and the moving includes
decoupling the portion of the flexible container from the rigid
structure.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein: a portion of the flexible
container is in contact with a rigid structure outside of the
interior volume when the flexible container is in the expanded
configuration; and the portion of the flexible container is spaced
apart from the rigid structure when the flexible container is in
the collapsed configuration.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving includes reducing a
pressure within the interior volume.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein: the maintaining includes forming
a magnetic coupling between a portion of the flexible container and
a rigid structure disposed outside of the interior volume; and the
moving includes reducing a pressure within the interior volume such
that a pressure differential between the interior volume and a
volume outside of the interior volume is sufficient to overcome the
magnetic coupling.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein: the flexible container has a
first portion and a second portion; the maintaining includes
placing the first portion of the flexible container into contact
with a rigid structure disposed outside of the interior volume; and
the moving includes reducing a pressure within the interior volume
such that the first portion of the flexible container is spaced
apart from the rigid structure, the first portion configured to
deform a first amount when the flexible container is moved from the
expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration, the second
portion configured to deform a second amount when the flexible
container is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed
configuration, the second amount different than the first
amount.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the flexible container
from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration is
performed such that the bulk material is in a substantially
non-flowable state.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the bulk material is at least one
of a granular substance or a powdered substance, the bulk material
forming a substantially solid block when the flexible container is
in the collapsed configuration.
10. A method, comprising: forming a magnetic coupling between a
portion of a flexible container and a rigid shipping container to
define an interior volume within the flexible container; conveying
a bulk material into the interior volume of the flexible container;
and reducing a pressure within the interior volume such that a
pressure differential between the interior volume and a volume
outside of the interior volume is sufficient to overcome the
magnetic coupling.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reducing the pressure
includes moving the flexible container from and expanded
configuration to a collapsed configuration, that movement of a
first portion of the bulk material within the interior volume
relative to a second portion of the bulk material within the
interior volume is limited when the flexible container is in the
collapsed configuration.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bulk material is at least
one of a granular substance or a powdered substance, the bulk
material forming a substantially solid block when the flexible
container is in the collapsed configuration.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the
flexible container includes a plurality of magnets.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the
flexible container defines a plurality of sleeves, each of the
plurality of sleeves containing a magnet.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising: coupling the
container within the rigid shipping container via a non-magnetic
coupling.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: coupling the
container within the rigid shipping container via a tether, a first
portion of the tether coupled to the flexible container, a second
portion of the tether configured to be coupled to the rigid
shipping container, a length of the tether configured to change
when the container body and the cover are moved from an expanded
configuration to a collapsed configuration.
17. A method, comprising: contacting a magnetic portion of a
flexible container to a side wall of a rigid shipping container to
define an interior volume within the flexible container; conveying
a bulk material into the interior volume of the flexible container;
and moving the flexible container from an expanded configuration to
a collapsed configuration such that the magnetic portion of the
flexible container is spaced apart from the side wall.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the moving includes reducing a
pressure within the interior volume such that a pressure
differential between the interior volume and a volume outside of
the interior volume is sufficient to move the magnetic portion of
the flexible container apart from the side wall.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the bulk material is a powdered
substance, the powdered substance forming a substantially solid
block as a result of the moving.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/367,911, entitled "Systems and Methods for
Packaging and Transporting Bulk Materials," filed Feb. 7, 2012,
which claims priority to U.K. Patent Application No. 1115601.5,
entitled "Transport of Granular Materials," filed Sep. 9, 2011 and
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/440,202, entitled
"Containerized Coal," filed Feb. 7, 2011, the disclosure of each of
which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This
application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/644,166, entitled "Systems and Methods for
Packaging and Transporting Bulk Materials," filed May 8, 2012, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The embodiments described herein relate to systems and
methods for packaging and transporting a bulk material. More
particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to systems
and methods for packaging and transporting coal within a flexible
container.
[0003] Recent reports indicate that the United States has about
263,781 billion tons of recoverable coal. Yet, surprisingly, the
U.S. exports only approximately 90 million tons per year. In
contrast, Russia exports 116 million tons per year out of its
estimated 173,074 billion tons of recoverable coal, and Australia
exports 259 million tons per year even though it is estimated to
have only one-third of the recoverable tons of the United States
(84,437 billion tons).
[0004] One reason why the U.S. exports so little coal is because
known transportation facilities and methods limit the ability to
ship coal. According to known methods, coal is transported in its
raw form via bulk carrier vessels (for intercontinental transport),
and via open rail cars, barges, slurry pipelines and trucks (for
intra-continental transport). Numerous factors limit the capacity
of such transport means, including the lack of suitable deep
draught ports and limited availability of coal handling facilities
that can handle hazardous materials.
[0005] Known bulk transport processes utilized in the United States
and other coal producing countries are also inefficient and
environmentally unsound. In particular, after extraction, coal is
typically loaded onto open trucks using construction equipment and
conveyor systems, and then transported to a railhead. At the
railhead, the coal is unloaded and stored outdoors in large open
piles until further transport is arranged at a later point in time.
When further transport is scheduled, the coal is reloaded onto
available trains, typically in open, bulk rail cars.
[0006] When coal is destined for overseas locations, such as Asia,
it is conveyed by rail car to ports that can handle bulk materials.
According to known methods, at these ports, coal is unloaded and
stored outdoors in large open piles until it is scheduled for
loading on a vessel. Once a vessel arrives for transporting the
coal, the coal is loaded onto one or more bulk holds of the vessel.
Once the vessel arrives at its destination port, the coal is
unloaded, stored and reloaded for further transport by land or rail
to the generating plant or another end user. At the generating
plant, the coal is again unloaded and stored outdoors in a large
open pile, where it remains until it is needed. Thus, at multiple
stages during known methods of transportation, coal is loaded,
unloaded, stored, and reloaded. This repetitive loading, unloading,
storage and re-loading of bulk material is highly inefficient.
[0007] Further, at each stage in the transportation process, coal
is exposed to air and earth. Such practices are environmentally
unsound, as coal dust is environmentally hazardous. Moreover,
highly acidic materials can leach from storage piles into nearby
aquifers. In addition, product is lost to the effects of wind and
rain, having a negative economic impact.
[0008] The lack of deep-water ports can also be a limiting factor
in the export of coal using known methods. For example, there are a
limited number of deep-water ports throughout the U.S.,
particularly the west coast. Although most all U.S. ports can
typically accommodate bulk vessels of the Handy class, which
typically have a capacity in the range of 35-40,000 tons, most U.S.
ports cannot accommodate larger bulk transport ships vessels. For
example, most U.S. ports cannot accommodate large draught vessels,
such as Panamax vessels (with a capacity in the range of 60-80,000
tons) and Cape vessels (with a capacity of 100-150,000 or more
tons). While many west coast ports are seeking to expand their
ability to accommodate larger bulk ships, these efforts have been
delayed or prevented by cost, environmental laws and regulations,
and community-based concerns. As a result, coal suppliers and
exporters have had no choice but to incur the high costs associated
with transport via Handy sized vessels through busy ports, shipping
via Canadian ports or topping off in Canadian and other country's
ports.
[0009] Until recently, Asian countries have been supplied with the
majority of their coal requirements from China, Australia,
Indonesia, South Africa and Russia. Because China has now become a
net importer of coal, however, there is increased demand for large
bulk carrier capabilities, and several port initiatives have been
undertaken to address these deficiencies. Unfortunately, these
initiatives, which are often related to changes in the
infrastructure related to shipping, are costly, long-term projects
that are facing increasing local and national concerns over the
environmental impact of current handling and transport methods for
coal.
[0010] Known bulk transport methods are also limited in their
ability to deliver different grades of material, including
value-added forms of coal, such as processed coal. Specifically,
when transported by bulk carrier according to known methods, it is
difficult to segregate materials, and to maintain their quality.
While bulk transport methods may be acceptable for transport of raw
coal, they are often not adequate for transport of a variety of
forms of processed coal to multiple end users, except by inclusion
in fluidized beds or pipelines. However, fluidized beds and
pipelines are expensive to construct, maintain and/or utilize.
[0011] Although intermodal containerization of goods has made
transportation of goods significantly more efficient than other
transportation methods, bulk commodities, such as coal, have not
been able to benefit from the intermodal containerized transport
systems for a variety of reasons. For example, one such reason is
that coal is subject to spontaneous combustion when exposed to air
and pressure. Thus, shipping coal by container according to known
systems and methods can increase the likelihood of spontaneous
combustion.
[0012] Thus a need exists for improved systems and methods
packaging and transporting a bulk material.
SUMMARY
[0013] Apparatus, systems, and methods for housing a bulk material
within a flexible container are described herein. In some
embodiments, a method includes maintaining a flexible container in
an expanded configuration to define an interior volume. A bulk
material is conveyed into the interior volume of the expanded
flexible container. The flexible container is then moved from the
expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration, such that
movement of the bulk material within the interior volume is
limited.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a flexible container,
according to an embodiment in an expanded configuration while being
filled with a bulk material.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the flexible container
of FIG. 1, in the expanded configuration.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the flexible container
of FIG. 1, in a collapsed configuration.
[0017] FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations of a flexible
container according to an embodiment, in first configuration and a
second configuration, respectively.
[0018] FIGS. 6A-6C are perspective views of flexible containers,
according to various embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a front view of a portion of the flexible
container of FIG. 6A.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a front view of a bulkhead included in the
flexible container of FIG. 6A.
[0021] FIG. 9 is an illustration of a label included in the
bulkhead of FIG. 8.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the flexible container of FIG.
6A.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a side view of the flexible container of FIG.
6A.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a front view of a portion of the flexible
container of FIG. 6A.
[0025] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the flexible container of FIG.
6A.
[0026] FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a device for
packaging and/or shaping a flexible container, according to an
embodiment.
[0027] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a container, according to
an embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of a container, according
to an embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of a container,
according to an embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of a container,
according to an embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a container, according to
an embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of a valve assembly
included in a flexible container, according to an embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a sliding hatch and release
mechanism included in a container, according to an embodiment.
[0034] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a loading and unloading
device included in the container of FIG. 21.
[0035] FIGS. 23A-23C are flow charts illustrating methods for
storing and transporting a bulk material, according to various
embodiments.
[0036] FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a method for
transporting a bulk material, according to an embodiment.
[0037] FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a flexible container,
according to an embodiment.
[0038] FIGS. 26-28 are schematic illustrations of flexible
containers with buffer ribs, according to various embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] Apparatus, systems, and methods for housing a bulk material
within a flexible container are described herein. In some
embodiments, a flexible container includes a container body and a
flexible cover. The container body defines an interior volume and
includes a side wall that defines an opening. The opening is
configured to receive a bulk material therethrough such that the
bulk material can be disposed within an interior volume of the
container body. In some embodiments, for example, the opening can
have a non-circular shape to accommodate a delivery member, such as
a coal conveyer. The flexible cover can be coupled to the side wall
about the opening. The cover is configured to fluidically isolate
the interior volume from a volume substantially outside of the
flexible container.
[0040] In some embodiments, a method includes maintaining a
flexible container in an expanded configuration to define an
interior volume. A bulk material is conveyed into the interior
volume of the expanded flexible container. The flexible container
is then moved from the expanded configuration to a collapsed
configuration, such that movement of the bulk material within the
interior volume is limited. For example, moving the flexible
container into the collapsed configuration can include reducing the
head space of the container such that movement of a first portion
of the bulk material relative to a second portion of the bulk
material is impeded.
[0041] In some embodiments, a flexible container includes a first
portion, constructed from a first material, and a second portion,
constructed from a second material. The flexible container defines
an interior volume and is placed in an expanded configuration when
the interior volume receives a bulk material, such as, for example
raw or processed coal. The flexible container is configured to be
moved from the expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration
when the bulk material is disposed within the interior volume via a
reduction in pressure within the interior volume. The first portion
is configured to deform a first amount when the flexible container
is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed
configuration. The second portion is configured to deform a second
amount, substantially different than the first amount.
[0042] In some embodiments, a system includes a rigid shipping
container and a flexible container configured to be coupled within
the rigid shipping container. The flexible container defines an
interior volume and can be placed in an expanded configuration when
the interior volume receives a bulk material. The flexible
container is configured to be moved from the expanded configuration
to a collapsed configuration when the bulk material is disposed
within the interior volume via a reduction in pressure within the
interior volume. The system further includes at least one flexible
tether configured to anchor the flexible container within the rigid
shipping container to form the system. The system is devoid of a
dunnage bag and/or a bulwark. Similarly stated, the bulk material
can be coupled within the rigid shipping container solely via the
at least one flexible tether.
[0043] In some embodiments, a method includes disposing a flexible
container within a rigid container. The flexible container is
magnetically coupled to the rigid container, such that an interior
volume is defined within the flexible container. A bulk material is
conveyed into the expanded interior volume of the flexible
container. The pressure within the interior volume can be reduced,
such that a pressure differential between the interior volume and a
volume outside the interior volume overcomes the magnetic coupling.
In some embodiments, when the flexible container is decoupled from
the rigid container, the interior volume of the flexible container
can define a collapsed interior volume. In some embodiments, the
pressure within the interior volume can be reduced to eliminate
substantially all head space between the bulk material and the
flexible container, such that the volume of the flexible container
is approximately equal to the volume of the bulk material.
[0044] In some embodiments, a flexible container having a magnetic
portion can be magnetically coupled to a side wall of a rigid
shipping container, to define an interior volume within the
flexible container. The interior of the flexible container can, for
example, have a volume and/or shape approximately equal to the
interior volume of the rigid shipping container when the flexible
container is magnetically coupled thereto. A bulk material can be
conveyed into the interior volume of the flexible container. The
flexible container can be moved from an expanded configuration to a
collapsed configuration by decoupling the magnetic portion of the
flexible container from the rigid shipping container. When
decoupled, the magnetic portion of the flexible container can be
spaced apart from the side wall of the rigid shipping
container.
[0045] In some embodiments, a system includes a rigid shipping
container and a flexible container configured to be coupled within
the rigid shipping container. The flexible container defines an
interior volume and can be placed in an expanded configuration when
the interior volume receives a bulk material. The flexible
container is configured to be moved from the expanded configuration
to a collapsed configuration when the bulk material is disposed
within the interior volume via a reduction in pressure within the
interior volume. The system further includes at least one tether
including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion
is configured to be coupled to the flexible container. The second
portion is configured to be coupled to the rigid shipping
container. The tether defines a length configured to change when
the flexible container is moved between the expanded configuration
and the collapsed configuration.
[0046] In some embodiments, a method includes conveying a bulk
material into an interior volume of a flexible container via an
opening defined by the flexible container. The method further
includes coupling a cover about the opening to fluidically isolate
the interior volume from a volume outside the flexible container.
The method further includes reducing the pressure within the
interior volume after the cover is coupled to the flexible material
to move the flexible container into a collapsed configuration. In
this manner, the bulk material and the flexible container can
collectively form a substantially solid body that can be handled
and/or shipped.
[0047] As used herein, the term "flexible" and/or "flexibility"
relates to an object's tendency towards deflection, deformation,
and/or displacement under an applied force. For example, a material
with a greater flexibility is more likely to deflect, deform and/or
be displaced when exposed to a force than a material having a lower
flexibility. Similarly stated, a material having a higher degree of
flexibility can be characterized as being less rigid than a
material having a lower degree of flexibility. Flexibility can be
characterized in terms of the amount of force applied to the object
and the resulting distance through which a first portion of the
object deflects, deforms, and/or displaces with respect to a second
portion of the object. In certain situations, this can be depicted
graphically as a stress-strain curve. When characterizing the
flexibility of an object, the deflected distance may be measured as
the deflection of a portion of the object different than the
portion of the object to which the force is directly applied. Said
another way, in some objects, the point of deflection is distinct
from the point where force is applied.
[0048] Flexibility is an extensive property of the object being
described, and thus is dependent upon the material from which the
object is formed and certain physical characteristics of the object
(e.g., shape of the object, number of plies of material used to
construct the object, and boundary conditions). For example, the
flexibility of an object can be increased or decreased by
selectively including in the object a material having a desired
modulus of elasticity, flexural modulus and/or hardness. The
modulus of elasticity is an intensive property of (i.e., is
intrinsic to) the constituent material and describes an object's
tendency to elastically (i.e., non-permanently) deform in response
to an applied force. A material having a high modulus of elasticity
will not deflect as much as a material having a low modulus of
elasticity in the presence of an equally applied force. Thus, the
flexibility of the object can be increased, for example, by
introducing into the object and/or constructing the object of a
material having a relatively low modulus of elasticity.
[0049] Similarly, the flexural modulus is used to describe the
ratio of an applied stress on an object in flexure to the
corresponding strain in the outermost portions of the object. The
flexural modulus, rather than the modulus of elasticity, is used to
characterize certain materials, for example plastics, that do not
have material properties that are substantially linear over a range
of conditions. An object with a first flexural modulus is more
elastic and has a lower strain on the outermost portions of the
object than an object with a second flexural modulus greater than
the first flexural modulus. Thus, the flexibility of an object can
be increased by including in the object a material having a
relatively low flexural modulus.
[0050] The flexibility of an object constructed from a polymer can
be influenced, for example, by the chemical constituents and/or
arrangement of the monomers within the polymer. For example, the
flexibility of an object can be increased by decreasing a chain
length and/or the number of branches within the polymer. The
flexibility of an object can also be increased by including
plasticizers within the polymer, which produces gaps between the
polymer chains.
[0051] As used herein, the terms "expandable," "expanded
configuration," "collapsible" and/or "collapsed configuration"
relate to a flexible container defining a first cross-sectional
area (or volume) and a second cross-sectional area (or volume). For
example, a flexible container of the types described herein, can
define a larger cross-sectional area (or volume) when in an
expanded configuration than the cross-sectional area (or volume) of
the flexible container in the collapsed configuration. Expandable
components described herein can be constructed from any material
having any suitable properties. Such material properties can
include, for example, a flexible material having a high tensile
strength, high tear resistance, high puncture resistance, a
suitable level of compliance (e.g., the expandable components
ability to expand appreciably beyond its nominal size) and/or a
suitable modulus of elasticity (e.g., as described above).
[0052] In some embodiments, for example, an expandable component
(e.g., a flexible container) can include at least a portion
constructed from a high-compliant material configured to
significantly elastically deform when expanded. In other
embodiments, an expandable component (e.g., the flexible container)
can include at least a portion constructed from a low-compliant
material (e.g., a material configured to expand without significant
elastic deformation). The compliance of an expandable component
defining, for example, an interior volume, is the degree to which a
size of the expandable component (in an expanded state) changes as
a function of the pressure within the interior volume. For example,
in some embodiments, the compliance of a flexible container can be
used to characterize the change in the diameter or perimeter length
of the expanded flexible container as a function of the pressure
within the interior volume defined by the flexible component. In
some embodiments, the diameter or perimeter length of an expanded
component characterized as a low-compliant component can change by
zero to ten percent over the range of pressure applied to the
interior volume thereof (e.g., either a positive pressure or a
vacuum). In other embodiments, the diameter or perimeter length of
an expanded component characterized as a high-compliant component
can change as much as 30 percent, 50 percent, 100 percent or
greater.
[0053] Because the overall characteristics of a flexible container,
including the compliance, can be a function of both the material
from which the flexible container is constructed and the structural
characteristics of the flexible container, the material from which
the flexible container is constructed can be selected in
conjunction with the desired structural characteristics of the
flexible container. For example, in some embodiments, a flexible
container can include a first portion defining a first compliance
and/or flexibility and a second portion defining a second
compliance and/or flexibility. In such embodiments, it can be
desirable that the first portion (e.g., a bottom portion) include a
lower compliance and/or greater stiffness than the second portion
(e.g., a top portion). Thus, the first portion of the flexible
container can be configured to deform less under increased or
decreased pressure within an interior volume than the second
portion. For example, in some embodiments, a force exerted by a
bulk material (e.g., the weight of the bulk material) may be such
that substantial deformation of the first portion could result in
tearing of the material.
[0054] As used herein, the term "bulk material" relates to a cargo
that is transported in large quantities in the absence of
individual packaging. Bulk material and/or bulk cargo can be very
dense, corrosive, or abrasive. For example, a bulk material can be
bauxite, sand, gravel, copper, limestone, salt, cement,
fertilizers, plastic granular, resin powders, coal (e.g., lignite,
bituminous and/or anthracite, etc.), grains, iron (e.g., iron ore,
direct reduced iron, pig iron, etc.), gasoline, liquefied natural
gas, petroleum, and/or the like. Some bulk materials, for example,
coal, can define a low flowability, can be abrasive, can define an
uneven weight distribution, and can spontaneously combust. Direct
reduced iron can be extremely reactive, corrosive, flammable,
susceptible to re-oxidation, overheating, and the generation of
highly combustible hydrogen if left unprotected. Exposure of direct
reduced iron to seawater can be particularly dangerous. In
contrast, a slurry or flowable material can be less abrasive and
can be easily distributed. Therefore, handling, packaging and/or
shipping of a bulk material can pose different challenges than the
handling, packaging and/or shipping of a slurry or flowable
material.
[0055] Some embodiments described herein include flexible
containers operable to substantially hermetically seal the bulk
material from the outside atmosphere. The atmosphere of the
interior volume of the flexible container can be evacuated and/or
replaced with an inert substance, such as, for example, nitrogen,
carbon dioxide, argon, etc.
[0056] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a flexible container
100, according to an embodiment. The flexible container 100
includes a container body 110 and a cover 160 and is configured to
move between an expanded configuration (e.g., FIGS. 1 and 2) and a
collapsed configuration (e.g., FIG. 3). The flexible container 100
includes a side wall 112 and defines an interior volume 111 within
the container body 110. The flexible container 100 can be any
suitable shape, size, or configuration. For example, in some
embodiments, the flexible container 100 can define an irregular
shape as shown in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, a flexible
container 100 can have a rectangular prism shape, a cylindrical
shape or the like.
[0057] The flexible container 100 can be formed from any suitable
material or material combination. For example, in some embodiments,
the flexible container 100 can be formed from polyethylene,
ethylene vinyl acetate (EVOH), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate
(APET), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE),
polyvinylchloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyethylmethacrylate
(EMA), metallocene polyethylene (plastomer metallocene),
low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-melt strength (LDPE),
ultra-low-density linear polyethylene (ULLDPE), linear low-density
polyethylene (LLDPE), K-resin, polybutadiene, and/or mixtures,
copolymers, and/or any combination thereof. As used herein the term
"copolymer" includes not only those polymers having two different
monomers reacted to form the polymer, but two or more monomers
reacted to form the polymer.
[0058] In some embodiments, the container body 110 can be
constructed from multiple layers of material. For example, in some
embodiments, the flexible container 100 can include an inner layer
and an outer layer. In such embodiments, the inner and/or outer
layer can be formed from any suitable material or material
combination such as, for example, those described above. In other
embodiments, the flexible container 100 can include three or more
layers. Furthermore, the layers from which the container body 110
is constructed can be formed from a similar or dissimilar material.
For example, in some embodiments, a first layer can be formed from
a first material, a second layer can be formed from a second
material, and a third layer can be formed from a third material. In
other embodiments, one or more layers can be constructed from
similar materials.
[0059] As shown, the side wall 112 defines an opening 113 having a
substantially non-circular shape. The opening 113 is configured to
receive a portion of a delivery member C, such as, for example, a
conveyer, a chute, a pipe, or the like. In this manner, the
delivery member can convey a bulk material (not shown) into the
interior volume 111 defined by the container body 110 according to
the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the delivery
mechanism is a conveyer C configured to transfer coal to the
interior volume 111 via the opening 113. In other embodiments, the
bulk material can be any suitable material of the types described
herein. For example, the bulk material can be phosphate, coal, iron
ore, direct reduced iron, mined ore, grain, and/or the like. In
some embodiments, when the bulk material is being conveyed into the
interior volume 111, the container body 110 can be maintained in an
expanded (or partially expanded) configuration by conveying an
inflation fluid (e.g., air, nitrogen or any other suitable gas)
into the interior volume. The inflation fluid can be conveyed into
the interior volume 111 via the opening 113. Similarly stated the
inflation fluid can be conveyed into the interior volume 111 via
the same opening through which the bulk material is conveyed. In
other embodiments, the container body 110 can be maintained in the
expanded (or partially expanded) configuration by any suitable
mechanism, such as by attaching the corners of the container body
110 to a rigid structure via tethers and/or cords.
[0060] In some embodiments, the conveyer C can be configured to
telescope (i.e., change lengths) within the container body 110. For
example, in some embodiments, the conveyer C can be disposed
through the opening 113 and within the interior volume 111 of the
container body 110 such that the conveyer C can transfer the bulk
material to a particular location the interior volume 111. In this
manner, the container body 110 can be loaded from back to front.
Similarly stated, according to this method, when the conveyer C
transfers the bulk material to the interior volume 111, the
conveyer C can be configured to retract (move from the back portion
towards the front portion) with respect to the side wall 112. In
this manner, the bulk material can be loaded into the container
body 110 evenly (i.e., with a suitable weight distribution) thus
reducing load shifting during transport.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 2, after the desired quantity of the bulk
material disposed within the interior volume 111 of the container
body 110, the conveyer C can be removed from the interior volume
111 via the opening 113. The cover 160 can then be disposed about
the opening 113 to fluidically isolate the interior volume 111 from
a volume substantially outside the container body 110. Similarly
stated, the cover 160 is configured to fluidically and/or
hermetically seal the container body 110.
[0062] The cover 160 can be constructed from any suitable material
and can be coupled to the container body 110 by any suitable means.
For example, in some embodiments, the cover 160 can be formed from
a similar material as at least a portion of the container body 110
(e.g., the cover 160 can be formed from a flexible material). The
cover 160 can be coupled to the side wall 112, for example, via an
adhesive, adhesive strip, a chemical weld or the like. In other
embodiments, the cover 160 can be coupled to the side wall 112 via
a zipper style fit. In some embodiments, the cover 160 and the side
wall 112 can define a substantially planar surface when the
flexible container 100 is in the expanded configuration. In this
manner, the container body 110 and the cover 160 can form a
substantially continuous surface after the cover 160 is coupled to
the container body 110. By avoiding a protruding cover, this
arrangement can result in ease of packaging, handling and/or
shipping of the flexible container 100.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible container 100 can be placed
in the collapsed configuration. More specifically, container body
110 and the cover 160 can be placed in the collapsed configuration
by evacuating at least a portion of a gas within the interior
volume 111 via a port (not shown). In some embodiments, the cover
160 defines the port. In other embodiments, the container body 110
(e.g., the side wall 112) can define the port. In this manner, the
port can be engaged by, for example, a vacuum source such that the
pressure within the interior volume 111 of the container body 110
is reduced. The reduction of the pressure within the interior
volume 111 can be such that container body 110 deforms. Similarly
stated, the vacuum source can exert a suction force on the interior
volume 111 thereby urging at least a portion of the container body
110 to deform under the vacuum force. Furthermore, the vacuum
source can be configured to expose interior volume 111 to the
suction force such that the interior volume 111 is substantially
devoid of a gas (e.g., air). Said another way, the interior volume
111 is exposed to a negative pressure and thereby urges the
container body 110 to substantially conform to a contour of the
bulk material disposed therein.
[0064] In some embodiments, the flexible container 100 can collapse
(e.g., conform to the bulk material) such that the bulk material
disposed within the container body 110 can act as a substantially
solid mass. For example, in some embodiments, the flexible
container 100 can collapse such that a distance between adjacent
parts of a bulk material is reduced. In this manner, the movement
of specific parts (e.g., particles, pellets, grains, chunks,
portions, and/or the like) of the bulk material is reduced relative
to adjacent parts of the bulk material. Thus, the potential of load
shifting within the flexible container 100 is reduced. In some
embodiments, the substantial evacuation of the gas (e.g., air)
within the flexible container 100 can reduce the risk of
spontaneous combustion of the bulk material (e.g., coal).
[0065] In some embodiments, the flexible container 100 can be
placed into and/or secured within a rigid shipping container. In
such embodiments, the flexible container 100 can include a set of
tethers (not shown in FIGS. 1-3) configured to couple the flexible
container 100 to an inner surface of the rigid container. For
example, in some embodiments, the tethers can include a first
portion that can be coupled to the flexible container 100 and a
second portion that can be coupled to the rigid container. In some
embodiments, the tethers can be formed of a flexible material such
that with the tether coupled to the flexible container 100 and the
rigid container, a length of the tether can extend when the
flexible container 100 is moved from the expanded configuration to
the collapsed configuration. Similarly stated, the flexible
container 100 can be disposed within the rigid container such that
the flexible container 100 moves relative to the rigid container
(e.g., away from a set of walls of the rigid container) thereby
urging the length of the tethers to extend. In some embodiments,
the flexible container 100 can further include a bumper portion
configured to engage a surface of the rigid container and absorb a
portion of a force from any load shifting within the rigid
container. The bumper portions can be any suitable portion. For
example, in some embodiments, the bumper portions include one or
more sleeves configured to receive a shock absorbing member. In
other embodiments, the bumper portions can be inflated with a gas
(e.g., air). Similarly stated, in some embodiments, the flexible
container 100 can include an integrated dunnage system to minimize
the transfer of load to (or deformation of) the rigid container
within which the flexible container 100 is disposed.
[0066] In some embodiments, a flexible container can include
portions formed from different materials. In this manner, the rate
of deformation of the flexible container when moved to the
collapsed configuration can vary spatially. For example, FIGS. 4
and 5 show a flexible container 200 that includes a container body
210 and defines an interior volume 211 therein. The flexible
container 200 is configured to move between an expanded
configuration (e.g., FIG. 4) and a collapsed configuration (e.g.,
FIG. 5). Although the flexible container 200 is shown as defining a
volume when in the collapsed configuration, in other embodiments,
the flexible container 200 can be configured to be moved to a
collapsed configuration in which the container defines
substantially no volume therein (e.g., a container storage
configuration). The flexible container 200 can be any suitable
shape or size. For example, in some embodiments, the flexible
container 200 can define a cylindrical shape. The flexible
container 200 can be formed from any suitable material, such as any
suitable materials of the type described herein or any combination
thereof.
[0067] As shown in FIG. 4, the container body 210 includes a first
portion 220 and a second portion 240. The first portion 220 and the
second portion 240 can be formed from a similar or dissimilar
material, and can be characterized by a similar or dissimilar
stiffness and/or flexibility. The first portion 220 is formed from
a first material that has a first stiffness and the second portion
240 is formed from a second material, different than the first
material, and which has a second stiffness, different from the
first stiffness. In some embodiments, the first material of the
first portion 220 is substantially stiffer than the second material
of the second portion 240.
[0068] In some embodiments, the first portion 220 and the second
portion 240 can be coupled together to form the container body 210.
In such embodiments, the first portion 220 and the second portion
240 can be coupled in any suitable manner. For example, in some
embodiments, the first portion 220 and the second portion 240 can
be coupled via adhesive, chemical weld or bond, sewn, insertion
into a flange or coupling device, and/or the like. In this manner,
the first portion 220 and the second portion 240 define a
substantially fluidic and/or hermetic seal. Similarly stated, the
first portion 220 is coupled to the second portion 240 to define a
non-permeable coupling (e.g., air tight).
[0069] In some embodiments, the flexible container 200 includes
multiple layers (not shown). For example, in some embodiments, the
first portion 220 and the second portion 240 can each be
constructed from multiple layers. In such embodiments, the multiple
layers of the first portion 220 and/or the second portion 240 can
be formed from any suitable material such as those described
herein. Furthermore, the multiple layers of the first portion 220
and/or the second portion 240 can be formed from similar or
dissimilar materials. For example, a first layer can be formed from
a first material and a second layer can be formed from a second
material. In some embodiments, one or more of the multiple layers
included in the second portion 240 can be similar to one or more of
the multiple layers of the first portion 220. The multiple layers
of the first portion 220 and the multiple layers of the second
portion 240 can be coupled together to define the fluidic and/or
hermetic seal (e.g., as described above).
[0070] When in the expanded configuration (e.g., FIG. 4), the
flexible container 200 can receive a bulk material (not shown) such
that the bulk material is disposed within the interior volume 211.
With the desired amount of bulk material disposed within the
interior volume 211, the flexible container 200 can be moved from
the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration, as shown
in FIG. 5. More specifically, a pressure within the interior volume
211 can be reduced such that the flexible container 200 collapses
in response to the reduced pressure. In some embodiments, the
flexible container 200 can include a port (not shown in FIGS. 4 and
5) that can be engaged by, for example, a vacuum source configured
to reduce the pressure within the interior volume 211 of the
container body 210. Similarly stated, the vacuum source can exert a
suction force on the interior volume 211 thereby urging at least a
portion of the container body 210 to deform under the force.
Furthermore, the vacuum source can be configured to expose the
interior volume 211 to the suction force such that the interior
volume 211 can be substantially evacuated (i.e., substantially
devoid of a gas). Said another way, the interior volume 211 is
exposed to a negative pressure and thereby urges the container body
210 to substantially conform to a contour of the bulk material
disposed therein.
[0071] As described above, the first portion 220 can be formed from
the first material and define the first stiffness and the second
portion 240 can be formed from the second material and define the
second stiffness. In this manner, with the suction force applied to
the interior volume 211 of the container body 210, the first
stiffness of the first portion 220 is such that the first portion
220 deforms a first amount, as shown by the arrows A.sub.1 in FIG.
5. Similarly, the second stiffness of the second portion 240 is
such that the second portion 240 deforms a second (different)
amount, as shown by the arrows A.sub.2 in FIG. 5. Furthermore, with
the stiffness of the second portion 240 being substantially less
than the first portion 220, the second portion 240 deflects (e.g.,
deform) substantially more than the first portion 220.
[0072] In some embodiments, the flexible container 200 can collapse
(e.g., conform to the bulk material) such that the bulk material
disposed within the container body 210 can act as a substantially
solid mass. For example, in some embodiments, the flexible
container 200 can collapse such that a distance between adjacent
portions and/or components of the bulk material is reduced. In this
manner, the movement of specific parts (e.g., particles, pellets,
grains, chunks, portions, and/or the like) of the bulk material is
reduced relative to adjacent parts of the bulk material. Similarly
stated, when the flexible container 200 is moved from the expanded
configuration to the collapsed configuration, the bulk material
therein can be moved from a flowable (or partially flowable) state
to a substantially non-flowable state. Thus, the potential of load
shifting of the bulk material within the flexible container 200 is
reduced. Accordingly, the flexible container 200 can be strapped
and/or anchored to and/or within a shipping platform or container
using tethers and/or straps. In some embodiments, for example, the
flexible container 200 can be coupled within any of the rigid
shipping containers described herein (e.g. the rigid shipping
container 465) without the need for dunnage bags, bulkheads and/or
bulwarks to absorb load from the shifting of the bulk material
therein.
[0073] In some embodiments, the substantial evacuation of the gas
(e.g., air) within the flexible container 200 can reduce the risk
of spontaneous combustion of the bulk material (e.g., coal, direct
reduced iron, etc.). In some embodiments (e.g., when the bulk
material is a food product), the substantial evacuation of the gas
(e.g., air) within the flexible container 200 can reduce the risk
contamination, reaction and/or the like.
[0074] In some embodiments, the flexible container 200 can include
one or more layers that are monolithically formed and are disposed
within the first portion 220 and the second portion 240 to act as a
liner (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). The inner layer (or liner) can
be formed from any suitable material and can include any suitable
material characteristic such as, for example, flexibility,
durometer, compliance, abrasion resistance, and/or the like. For
example, in some embodiments, the flexible container 200 can
include the inner layer and the first portion 220 and the second
portion 240. The first portion 220 and the second portion 240 can
be coupled together such that the inner layer is disposed within
the interior volume 211 defined by the first portion 220 and the
second portion 240 of the container body 210. In some embodiments,
the inner layer abrasion resistant and fluidically permeable. In
this manner, the inner layer can protect the first portion 220 and
the second portion 240 from sharp portions and/or points included
in the bulk material. Moreover, when the flexible container 200 is
moved to the collapsed configuration, the suction force (e.g., the
vacuum) can pass through the inner layer and exert at least a
portion of the suction force of the first portion 220 and the
second portion 240. Therefore, the first portion 220 and the second
portion 240 can collapse to place the flexible container 200 in the
collapsed configuration.
[0075] While shown in FIGS. 1-3 as defining an irregular shape, in
some embodiments a flexible container can define a substantially
rectangular shape. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 7-13, a
flexible container 300 includes a container body 310, a side wall
312, a bulkhead 325, and a cover 360. FIGS. 6B and 6C show a
flexible container 364 that differs from the flexible container 300
in that, among other things, the flexible container 364 includes a
series of magnets 365. Many aspects of the flexible container 364
are similar to those of the flexible container 300, and thus the
details of the flexible container 364 are note discussed in detail
below. The flexible container 300 and the flexible container 364
can be any suitable size, for example, a size configured to fit
within a commercially-available shipping container, or any of the
rigid containers shown and described herein. For example, the
flexible container 300 defines a length L, a height H, and a width
W. In some embodiments, the length L can be approximately 20 feet,
the height H can be approximately 8 feet, and the width can be
approximately 7.5 feet. In other embodiments, the length L can be
approximately 40 feet, the height can be approximately 8 feet, and
the width can be approximately 7.5 feet.
[0076] The container body 310 includes a first portion 320 and a
second portion 340 and defines an interior volume 311. The first
portion 320 and the second portion 340 can be formed from any
suitable material. In some embodiments, the first portion 320
and/or the second portion 340 can be formed from a similar or
dissimilar material and can define a similar or dissimilar
stiffness (e.g., flexibility). For example, the first portion 320
is formed from a first material that has a first stiffness, and the
second portion 340 is formed from a second material, different than
the first material, that has a second stiffness, different from the
first stiffness. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the
first portion 320 is formed from polyethylene woven fabric (e.g.,
120 g/sqm) and at least a portion of the second portion 340 is
formed from polyethylene film (e.g., 140 microns thick).
Polyethylene is flexible, inert, and creates a lower static charge
than, for example, polypropylene. Thus, polyethylene is a suitable
material for the transportation of certain bulk materials such as,
for example, coal. Furthermore, with the first portion 320 formed
from polyethylene woven fabric, the first portion 320 is
substantially stiffer than the second portion 340 formed from
polyethylene film. As described herein, this arrangement can result
in different rates of deformation when the container 300 is moved
from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration.
[0077] As shown in FIGS. 6A-C, the first portion 320 and the second
portion 340 are coupled together to form the container body 310.
The first portion 320 and the second portion 340 can be coupled in
any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the first
portion 320 and the second portion 340 can be coupled via adhesive,
chemical weld or bond, sewn, insertion into a flange or coupling
device, and/or the like. In this manner, the first portion 320 and
the second portion 340 define a substantially fluidic and/or
hermetic seal. Similarly stated, the first portion 320 is coupled
to the second portion 340 such as to define a non-permeable
coupling (e.g., air tight). In other embodiments, the first portion
320 and the second portion 340 form a monolithically constructed
container body 310.
[0078] The flexible container 300 includes multiple layers (not
shown). In some embodiments, the first portion 320 and/or the
second portion 340 include multiple layers. In some embodiments,
the flexible container 300 can include one or more layers
substantially independent of the first portion 320 and/or the
second portion 340 (e.g., a liner). In such embodiments, the
multiple layers of the first portion 320 can be formed from any
suitable material such as those described above. Furthermore, the
multiple layers of the first portion 320 can be formed from similar
or dissimilar materials. For example, an inner layer can be formed
from polyethylene woven fabric a first material and a second layer
can be formed from a second material. Similarly, the multiple
layers of the second portion 340 can be formed from any suitable
material. In some embodiments, the multiple layers of the second
portion 340 are formed from a similar or dissimilar material. In
some embodiments, one or more of the multiple layers included in
the second portion 340 can be similar to one or more of the
multiple layers of the first portion 320. The multiple layers of
the first portion 320 and the multiple layers of the second portion
340 can be coupled together to define the fluidic and/or hermetic
seal (e.g., as described above).
[0079] As shown in FIG. 7, the side wall 312 defines a
substantially rectangular-shaped opening 313. The opening 313 can
receive a portion of a delivery member (not shown) configured to
convey a bulk material (not shown) to be disposed within the
interior volume 311 defined by the container body 310. For example,
in some embodiments, the delivery member can be a conveyer
configured to transfer raw coal to the interior volume 311 via the
opening 313. In other embodiments, the delivery mechanism can be a
hose configured to be coupled to the side wall 312 such that the
hose delivers processed coal to the interior volume 311 via the
opening 313.
[0080] In some embodiments, the delivery mechanism is configured to
telescope (i.e., change lengths) within the container body 311, as
described above. For example, in some embodiments, a conveyer can
be disposed through the opening 313 and within the interior volume
311 of the container body 313 such that the conveyer can transfer
the bulk material to the interior volume 311 such that the
container body 310 is loaded from back to front. Similarly stated,
as the conveyer transfers the bulk material to the interior volume
311, the conveyer can be configured to retract with respect to the
side wall 312. In this manner, the bulk material can be loaded with
a suitable weight distribution thus reducing load shifting during
transport. In some embodiments, the flexible container 300 can
include an internal telescoping member (not shown) configured to
selectively convey a bulk material from a delivery member (e.g.,
distribute the bulk material within the interior volume).
[0081] The cover 360 includes a port 361 and is configured to be
coupled to the side wall 312 about the opening 313. More
particularly, the cover 360 is coupled to the side wall 312 and
about the opening 313 such that the cover 360 fluidically isolated
the interior volume 311 from a volume substantially outside the
container body 310. Similarly stated, the cover 360 is configured
to fluidically and/or hermetically seal the container body 310. The
cover 360 can be formed from any suitable material, such as a
similar material as at least a portion of the container body 310.
For example, in some embodiments, the cover 360 is formed from
polyethylene film with a 140 micron thickness. In other
embodiments, the cover 360 can be any suitable thickness.
[0082] The cover 360 can be coupled to the side wall 312 in any
suitable manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, cover 360 is
coupled to the side wall 312 via an adhesive strip 342. The
adhesive strip 342 can be any suitable adhesive such as, for
example, a glass fiber glue tape. In this manner, the cover 360 and
the side wall 312 can define a substantially planar surface when
the flexible container 300 is in the expanded configuration. As
another example, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, cover 360 is operable
to be coupled to the side wall 312 via a magnet portion 366.
Similarly stated, the cover 360 is configured to engage a
substantially flat surface of the side wall 312 such that the cover
360 and the side wall 312 are substantially co-planar. Said another
way, the cover 360 couples to a portion of the side wall 312
defining the opening 313 that is substantially flat (e.g., does not
include a mounting flange, ring, protrusion, and/or the like). The
use of the adhesive strip 342 and/or the magnetic portion 366 is
such that when the cover 360 is coupled to the side wall 312 the
cover 360 fluidic and/or hermetic seal isolates the interior volume
311 defined by the container body 310. In other embodiments, the
cover 360 can be coupled to the side wall 312 using any suitable
method, such as, for example, a chemical weld.
[0083] The side wall 312 further includes a portion configured to
which the bulkhead 325 is coupled (see e.g., FIG. 8). The bulkhead
325 is configured to provide mechanisms for absorbing load,
handling and/or manipulating the container 300. The bulkhead 325
can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration. For example, the
bulkhead 325 is substantially similar in height and width as the
first portion 320 of the container body 310. In this manner, when
coupled to the side wall 312 the bulkhead 325 transfers a portion
of a force (e.g., a load shift during transport) to the relatively
stiff first portion 320 and not the relatively flexible second
portion 340. The bulkhead 325 can be formed from any suitable
material that includes any suitable weight. For example, in some
embodiments, the bulkhead 325 is formed from polypropylene woven
fabric with a weight of 210 g/sqm. In this manner, the use of
polypropylene woven fabric is such that the bulkhead is
substantially stiffer than the first portion 320 and/or the second
portion 340. Thus, in use the bulkhead 325 is less likely to deform
when the flexible container 300 is placed in the collapsed
configuration.
[0084] The bulkhead 325 includes a sleeve 321, a set of webbing
strips 326, and a material label 335. As shown in FIG. 9, the
material label 335 can include information associated with the
flexible container 300. The sleeve 321 is configured to extend from
a surface of the bulkhead 325 to define a void. In some
embodiments, the sleeve 321 can be coupled to the bulkhead 325 in
any suitable manner such as, for example, those described above. In
other embodiments, the sleeve 321 can be monolithically formed with
the bulkhead 325. The sleeve 321 is configured to receive a shock
absorbing member (not shown) within the void defined between the
sleeve 321 and the bulkhead 325, as described in further detail
herein. The webbing strips 326 can be coupled to the bulkhead 325
in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the
webbing strips 326 can be sewn to the bulkhead 325. In other
embodiments, the webbing strips 326 can be chemically welded and/or
coupled via adhesives. The webbing strips 326 include a set of
loops 327, a set of ratchet straps 328, and a set of tethers 355.
In use, the flexible container 300 is configured to be disposed
within a rigid container (not shown) and the loops 327, the ratchet
straps 328, and/or the tethers 355 can engage an interior portion
of the rigid container to couple the flexible container 300 to the
interior portion of the rigid container.
[0085] Similarly, the second portion 320 and a rear portion of the
flexible container 300 can include members configured to engage the
interior portion of the rigid container. For example, as shown in
FIG. 10, the rear portion can include an elastic band 314
configured to engage the interior portion of the rigid container.
The rear portion can further include corner caps 315 configured to
protect the corners of the flexible container 300. In some
embodiments, the corner caps 315 can include tethers and/or straps
configured to engage the rigid container.
[0086] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the second portion 340 includes
a set of attachment members 345 configured to receive a portion of
the tethers 355. The attachment members can be disposed on or
within the second portion 340 at any suitable position. For
example, in some embodiments, the attachment members 345 can be
disposed along a top surface of the second portion 340 at a
distance D.sub.1 from adjacent attachment members 345. While shown
in FIG. 11 as being substantially uniformly spaced, in some
embodiments, the attachment members 345 can be spaced at any given
distance from adjacent attachment members 345.
[0087] As shown in FIG. 12, the attachment members 345 include a
loop portion 346 and a base 347. The base 347 is coupled to the
second portion 340 of the container body 310. For example, in some
embodiments, the base 347 is coupled to the second portion 340 via
adhesive strips. In some embodiments, the second portion 340
defines a channel configured to receive the base 347 of the
attachment member 345. The loop portion 346 is configured to
receive a portion of the tether 355. More specifically, the tether
355 includes a first portion 356 configured to couple to the loop
portion 346 and a second portion 357 configured to couple to the
rigid container.
[0088] Although the flexible container 300 is described as being
coupleable to a rigid container via the tethers 355, in other
embodiments, the flexible container 300 or any of the flexible
containers shown and described herein can be coupled to and/or
within a rigid container via any suitable mechanism. Moreover, in
some embodiments, the flexible container 300 or any of the flexible
containers shown and described herein can be removably coupled to
and/or within a rigid container. For example, in some embodiments,
magnets 365 can be attached to a flexible container 364 (which can
be similar to the flexible container 300, as discussed above; see
FIGS. 6B and 6C) to keep the bag in its inflated or expanded
configuration during loading. The magnets 365 can be coupled to the
side and/or top of the container body 310. The coupling of the
magnets 365 to the container body 310 may be in the form of pockets
or battens, in which magnets 365 can be removably coupled to the
container body. In other embodiments, the magnets 365 can be
permanently attached to the flexible container 364 during the
manufacturing process such that the magnets 365 become an integral
part of the flexible container 364. In some embodiments, multiple
pockets can be provided on the flexible container 364 and the
magnets 365 can be reconfigured depending on the configuration of
the rigid structure into which the container body is placed. In
some embodiments, the container body 310 or a portion thereof is
formed from a magnetic material.
[0089] As described below, in use, when the air is withdrawn from
the flexible container 364 when a vacuum is applied (e.g., to move
the flexible container 364 to a collapsed configuration), the
magnets 365 detach from the rigid structure and the flexible
container 364, and the contents therein achieve a solid or
semi-solid form as described herein. The magnets 365 can be
designed to have a magnetic field of sufficient force such that the
container body 310 is coupled to the rigid structure until the
flexible container 364 is sufficiently filled, at which time, the
force of the magnets 365 is overcome by the weight of the filler
material and/or the applied vacuum, allowing the flexible container
364 to pull away from the rigid structure.
[0090] In some embodiments, the magnets 365 can detach
simultaneously. In other embodiments, the magnets 365 are
configured to detach in a defined manner (i.e., the magnets 365
furthest from the opening of the container detaching first, and the
magnets 365 closest to the opening of the flexible container 364
detaching last.
[0091] In use, the flexible container 300 (and/or the flexible
container 364) is coupled to the rigid container (e.g., any of the
rigid containers shown herein) and receives the bulk material via
the opening 313. In some embodiments, when the bulk material is
being conveyed into the interior volume 311, the container body 310
can be maintained in an expanded (or partially expanded)
configuration by conveying an inflation fluid (e.g., air, nitrogen
or any other suitable gas) into the interior volume 311. The
inflation fluid can be conveyed into the interior volume 311 via
the opening 313. Similarly stated the inflation fluid can be
conveyed into the interior volume 311 via the same opening through
which the bulk material is conveyed. This arrangement eliminates
the need for multiple openings within the container body 310.
Additionally, this mechanism for loading the container body 310
does not require a fluid-tight coupling between the delivery member
and the container body 310. In other embodiments, the container
body 310 can be maintained in the expanded (or partially expanded)
configuration by any suitable mechanism, such as by attaching the
corners of the container body 310 to a rigid structure via the
tethers 355.
[0092] With the desired amount received within the internal volume,
the cover 360 is coupled to the side wall 312 and the flexible
container 300 is then moved to the collapsed configuration.
Expanding further, the port 361 included in the cover 360 can be
configured to act as an ingress or egress for a gas to be disposed
within or expelled from the interior volume 311. For example, the
port 361 can be engaged by a vacuum source such that the pressure
within the interior volume 311 of the container body 310 is
reduced. The reduction of the pressure within the interior volume
311 can be such that all or portions of the container body 310
deform. Similarly stated, the vacuum source can exert a suction
force on the interior volume 311 thereby urging at least a portion
of the container body 310 to deform under the force. Furthermore,
the vacuum source can be configured to expose interior volume 311
to the suction force such that the interior volume 311 is
substantially devoid of a gas (e.g., air). Said another way, the
interior volume 311 is exposed to a negative pressure and thereby
urges the container body 310 to substantially conform to a contour
of the bulk material disposed therein. In some embodiments (e.g.,
embodiments that include a magnetic coupling, as described above
with the flexible container 364), the negative pressure can be
sufficient to overcome the magnetic coupling between the flexible
container and the rigid container. Similarly stated, a pressure
differential between the interior volume of the flexible container
(e.g., container 364) and a volume outside of the interior volume
is sufficient to overcome the magnetic coupling. In some
embodiments, the cover 360 is hingedly coupled to the container
300.
[0093] As described above, the first portion 320 can be formed from
the first material (e.g., polyethylene woven fabric) and define the
first stiffness and the second portion 340 can be formed from the
second material (e.g., polyethylene film) and define the second
stiffness. In this manner, with the suction force applied to the
interior volume 311 of the container body 310, the first stiffness
of the first portion 320 is such that the first portion 320 deforms
a first amount. Similarly, the second stiffness of the second
portion 340 is such that the second portion 340 deforms a second
amount. Furthermore, with the stiffness of the second portion 340
being substantially less than the first portion 320, the second
portion 340 deflects (e.g., deform) substantially more than the
first portion 320.
[0094] In some embodiments, the tethers 355 (FIGS. 11 and 12) are
formed from an elastomeric material such that with the tethers
coupled 355 to the flexible container 300 and a rigid container, a
length of the tether 355 extends when the flexible container 300 is
moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed
configuration. This arrangement allows the flexible container 300
to be disposed and/or coupled within a rigid container such that
the flexible container 300 moves relative to the rigid container
(e.g., away from a set of walls of the rigid container) thereby
urging the length of the tethers 355 to extend when the flexible
container 300 is moved from the expanded configuration to the
collapsed configuration.
[0095] In some embodiments, the flexible container 364 (FIGS. 6B,
6C) can be coupled to the rigid container via magnets 365 such that
when the flexible container is moved from the expanded
configuration to the collapsed configuration, the magnets 365
decouple from the rigid container. The magnets 365 can be decoupled
by a force resulting from decreasing the pressure within the
flexible container. Alternatively, the magnets 365 can be manually
decoupled from the rigid container. In some embodiments, the
magnets 365 can be electromagnets which can be decoupled from the
rigid container via de-energization.
[0096] In some embodiments, the flexible container 300 (or the
flexible container 364) can be moved to a collapsed configuration
(e.g., can conform to the bulk material) such that the bulk
material disposed within the container body 310 can act as a
substantially solid mass. For example, in some embodiments, the
flexible container 300 can collapse such that a distance between
adjacent portions and/or components of the bulk material is
reduced. As shown in FIG. 6C, the flexible container 364 in the
collapsed configuration can have a height H' less than the height H
of the flexible container 364 in the expanded configuration. In
other embodiments any dimension of the flexible container 364
(e.g., the width W and/or the length L) can be decreased when the
flexible container 364 moves from the expanded configuration to the
collapsed configuration. In this manner, the movement of specific
portions (e.g., particles, pellets, grains, chunks, portions,
and/or the like) of the bulk material is reduced relative to
adjacent portions of the bulk material. Similarly stated, when the
flexible container 300, 364 is moved from the expanded
configuration to the collapsed configuration, the bulk material
therein can be moved from a flowable (or partially flowable) state
to a substantially non-flowable state. Thus, the potential of load
shifting of the bulk material within the flexible container 300,
364 is reduced and/or eliminated. Accordingly, the flexible
container 300, 364 can be strapped and/or anchored within a
shipping container using tethers, magnets and/or straps.
Furthermore, as described above with reference to FIG. 8, the
bulkhead 325 includes the sleeve 321 and the shock absorbing
member. In this manner the sleeve 321 and the shock absorbing
member (e.g., a steel member, series of members or bumper) can be
configured to absorb a portion of a force (e.g., load shifting of
the substantially solid mass within the rigid container) to reduce
damage done to the rigid container, the flexible container 300
and/or the bulk material. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13, a bottom
surface of the flexible container 300 includes a sleeve 321.
Furthermore, while shown in FIGS. 8 and 13 as being disposed in
specific locations, in some embodiments, a flexible container can
include any number of sleeves 321 that can be disposed at any
suitable location on or about the flexible container.
[0097] Any of the flexible containers described herein can be
disposed and/or coupled within a commercially-available, rigid
shipping container. In this manner, processed or raw coal or other
granular or powdered material may be transported in a sealed
container of a size and weight that is within the capabilities of
existing shipping and transfer equipment utilized in connection
with containerized transport. Currently, this is in the range of
25-30 tons per one twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) container, which
measures 20 feet by 10 feet by 8 feet, and approximately the same
tonnage per two TEU containers, which measures 40 feet by 10 feet
by 8 feet. Using containerized transport, a 5,000 TEU vessel can
transport 100,000 tons of raw coal per voyage, which is
substantially larger than the amount of raw coal per voyage that
can be transported using the Handy or Panamax class. If greater
quantities are desired, a 10,000 TEU vessel can be utilized, which
can transport approximately 240,000 tons of coal, or a 15,000 TEU
vessel can be used to transport in excess of 300,000 tons of
coal.
[0098] In some embodiments, the flexible containers can be
pre-loaded into rigid containers that are configured/dimensioned to
be loaded into standard shipping containers. In some embodiments,
the flexible containers can be arranged into pre-loaded stacks that
are configured to be placed into TEU containers.
[0099] In some embodiments, any of the flexible containers
described herein (e.g. the flexible container 300) can be loaded
and/or processed by a device configured to compress, shape and/or
prepare the flexible container for disposition within a rigid
container (e.g., any of the containers of the types shown herein).
For example, FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a form or device
1300 for shaping flexible containers prior to placement within a
rigid shipping container. The form 1300 can have one or more
moveable members. As shown, the form 1300 has two pairs of moveable
members 1340, 1350. The form 1300 can be operable to control the
size and/or shape of a flexible container while the flexible
container is moving from an expanded configuration (indicated by
the dashed lines identified as 1310) to a collapsed configuration
(indicated by the solid lines identified as 1320). In some
embodiments, moving the flexible container from the expanded
configuration 1310 to a collapsed configuration 1320 without the
form 1300 can result in the collapsed configuration 1320 having an
irregular shape, such as bowed sides, that can be difficult to
stack and/or position within a rigid container for shipping. The
form 1300 can apply force to the flexible container, such that gas
is purged from the flexible container, the flexible container
assumes a regular shape, and the like when the flexible container
in the collapsed configuration 1320. The moveable members 1340,
1350 can be driven by a hydraulic pump, electric motor, internal
combustion engine, and/or any other suitable means to apply a force
to the flexible container. In other embodiments, the moveable
members 1340, 1350 can be inflatable.
[0100] In some embodiments, the form 1300 can include a vibratory
shaker which can aid the moveable members 1340, 1350 in shaping the
flexible container while it is moving from the expanded
configuration 1310 to the collapsed configuration 1320. A vibratory
shaker can act to fluidize the bulk material to increase its
flowability and/or deformability while the moveable members 1340,
1350 apply a force to transition the flexible container from an
expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration.
[0101] The pressure inside the flexible container can be reduced
while the moveable members 1340, 1350 compact the flexible
container. In some embodiments, the flexible container in the
collapsed configuration 1320 can assume a relatively rigid form
with relatively flat side walls. For example, in embodiments where
the internal volume of the flexible container includes a bulk
flowable granular material, the collapsed configuration 1310 can
include approximately no headspace to allow a portion of bulk
material to move relative to another portion of the bulk material.
The form 1300 can be operable to urge the flexible container to
assume a collapsed configuration with a flat bottom, top, and/or
sides, which can be conducive to stacking and/or loading the
flexible container within a rigid shipping container.
[0102] The moveable members 1340, 1350 can retract once the
flexible container is in the collapsed configuration 1320, which
can allow the flexible container to be removed from the form. The
flexible container in the collapsed configuration 1320 can retain
the shape of the form 1300 after being removed. Thus, in some
embodiments, flexible containers can be filled and moved into a
collapsed configuration 1320, and then stacked and/or staged for
later shipment. In such an embodiment, the flexible containers in
the collapsed configuration 1320 can be loaded into a rigid
shipping container.
[0103] Although two pairs of moveable members 1340, 1350 operable
to compact the length and width of the flexible container are shown
in FIG. 14, in other embodiments the form 1300 can include any
number of moveable members. For example, a single moveable member
can be operable to compact the flexible container by applying a
force to one side of the flexible container while, for example, the
bottom and three other sides are stationary. In another embodiment,
the form 1300 can include six movable members, operable to compact
the flexible container in three orthogonal dimensions.
[0104] The most common sizes for rigid shipping containers are 20
feet or 40 feet in length. In some embodiments, for example, in use
with a flexible container, a 20-foot container can have the
capacity of holding approximately 25-30 tons of raw granular coal
or powdered coal. In some embodiments, to accommodate larger
quantities of processed materials (such as 40-45 tons of pulverized
material) a rigid container can be reinforced and/or specially
designed to maximize the efficiency of transporting coal.
[0105] As shown in FIG. 15, a typical rigid container 465 includes
four corner posts 466, 467, 468, 469. The rigid container 465 also
includes long rails 470, 471, 472, 473 along of the top and bottom
of the rigid container 465, which are connected to the corner
posts. The rigid container 465 also includes short rails 474, 475,
476, 477 along the top and bottom of the rigid container 465, which
are also connected to the corner posts 466, 467, 468, 469. The
corner posts, long rails and short rails provide structural support
for the rigid container 465, and enable it to be secured to a
crane, or a truck or rail car. The rigid container 465 also
includes side panels 478, 479, 480, 481, bottom panel 482 and top
panel 483, which are secured to the corner posts, long rails and
short rails. In some embodiments, for example as seen in FIG. 15,
the rigid container 465 includes a hinged or sliding door 484 in
the top panel 483. The door permits loading and unloading of the
material to be transported.
[0106] After processing, the granulated or powdered coal is loaded
into the rigid container 465. In some embodiments, system can
include a flexible container (such as the flexible container 300)
disposed within the rigid container 465, and the coal can be loaded
in via a front opening (e.g., opening 313), as described above. The
coal can be loaded into the rigid container 465 and/or a flexible
container therein with a conventional-type conveyor loading system,
or feeding through an enclosed piping system, such as a forced-air
fluid bed system or a screw-based system. In other embodiments, the
coal can be loaded into the rigid container 465 and/or a flexible
container by conventional mechanical means, such as via a
construction payloader. In yet other embodiments, the coal can be
loaded into the rigid container 465 and/or a flexible container by
an air-driven system. As shown in FIG. 16, in some embodiments, a
rigid container 565 can include a flexible pipe 586 coupled thereto
to facilitate a method using an air driven system.
[0107] During loading, the rigid container 465 may also be
positioned above the ground, at ground level or below ground. It
could also be positioned on an automated track system such that
multiple rigid containers can be filled in a continuous manner.
Filling can be completed until the rigid container 465 capacity is
reached, as determined by volume or by weight. In other
embodiments, as described herein, the rigid container 465 and/or
the flexible container therein (e.g., flexible container 300) can
be filled to a capacity that is less than the interior volume when
the flexible container is in the expanded configuration.
[0108] As shown in FIG. 15, in one embodiment, coal is loaded
through a sealable opening in the top of the rigid container. This
can include one or more chutes positioned to receive the bulk
material (e.g., raw coal and/or pulverized coal). The hinged or
sliding door 484, or another type of portal, on the top of the
rigid container 465 permits access to interior for loading. In such
embodiments, a system can also include a flexible container,
similar to the flexible container 300, having an opening in the top
portion, rather than in the front portion (as shown in FIGS. 6A and
7). In the alternative, the entire top wall, or a portion of the
top wall 483 of the rigid container 465 could be hinged to a side
of the rigid container 465. Likewise, loading may be accomplished
through a sliding or hinged door 484, or another portal, positioned
in the side of the rigid container 465. An entire side-wall, or a
portion of a side-wall, could also be hinged to another side-wall,
or to the remaining portion of the side-wall that provides access.
After the coal is loaded, the rigid container may be closed, locked
and sealed from the outside air.
[0109] The rigid container 465 design can be such that the interior
can be sealed from outside air after the powder or granulated
material is loaded therein. This may be accomplished by use of a
permanent or extractable flexible container, such as the flexible
container 300, a permanent or extractable hard liner, a single use
throwaway recyclable liner or a purpose-built rigid container.
[0110] The liner and/or flexible container, whether permanent or
single use, extractable, flexible or hard, can be manufactured of a
puncture resistant, sealable material that does not interact
chemically with the processed coal. The liner and/or flexible
container disposed and/or coupled within the rigid container 465
can be constructed from any of the materials described herein. An
extractable liner will enable reuse of general purpose shipping
rigid containers in the transport of other products (avoiding rigid
container dead-heading). If the material is durable enough, an
extractable liner would also permit efficient reuse of the liner
for additional coal transport.
[0111] In some embodiments, a system can include a flexible
container, of the types shown and described herein, disposed within
a rigid container. For example, a flexible polymer-based bag with a
thickness in the range of 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches would be
well-suited for use in lining the rigid containers. The bag (or
flexible container, such as the container 300) can be made of a
non-reactive material, such as plastic, vinyl or silicon. The bag
(or flexible container, such as the container 300 or the container
364) could also be made of an environmentally friendly material, or
any material that is non-reactive, can be sealed, and will maintain
a vacuum. The purpose of the liner is to aid sealing the contents
of the rigid container, and to permit the rigid container to be
reused for shipping of other goods after the coal is removed.
[0112] As shown in FIG. 15, the system includes a flexible
container 400 disposed within the rigid container 465. The flexible
container 400, which can be similar to the flexible container 300,
may be temporarily held in position within the rigid container 465
prior to filing through the use of hook and loop fasteners 485
positioned along the edges and corners of the interior of the rigid
container and the exterior of the liner. In some embodiments, the
weight of the rigid container coal acts as a pressure seal when the
bottom of the bag employs a flap for evacuating the coal.
[0113] As an alternative to a reusable flexible bag, in some
embodiments, a liner may include a single-use sealable bag that may
be discarded after use and recycled.
[0114] As an alternative to a flexible container, liner or bag, the
rigid container can be lined with a non-reactive coating, such as a
ceramic material. The coating might be permanent, in which case it
could be cleaned after use, such that the rigid container can be
re-used for shipment of other goods and services. In the
alternative, the coating might be applied to a temporary sheath
that could be removed from the rigid container and reused,
permitting the rigid container to be used for other purposes.
[0115] Another approach is to have collapsible boxes (box within a
box), with sealed hinges allowing for size to be minimized. The
hinged box would be inserted into the outer rigid container by
means of a sliding track or other method. The walls would be opened
from their collapsed state and locked, creating a sealable box.
Another alternative approach would be a purpose built rigid
container, with the interiors being ceramic or polymer coated. Such
coatings would permit efficient cleaning after coal transport. A
purpose-built rigid container could also be designed so that it is
collapsible in order to minimize cost of transport back to its
point of origin.
[0116] Once sealed, air can be removed from the rigid container to
reduce the risk of combustion, to minimize shifting of the bulk
material therein or the like. For example as shown in FIGS. 19 and
20 a rigid container 865 can include a flexible container 800, a
hose assembly 892, and a valve assembly 895. In some embodiments,
air can be removed from the flexible container 800 with the valve
assembly 895 positioned through one or more of the side-walls or
the top of the rigid container. The valve assembly 895 can be
positioned inside the rigid container such that the port is flush
with the surface of the rigid container 896, so that it is not
damaged during loading, transport or unloading of the rigid
container. The valve assembly can include a portal 897 that can be
attached to a negative pressure (vacuum) source, and a valve
mechanism 898 for opening and sealing the portal. Suitable value
mechanisms can include a ball valve, a butterfly valve, a gate
valve or a globe valve. Alternative valve mechanisms, including
mechanisms that are automatically actuated when a suitable negative
pressure is achieved, may be utilized. The valve mechanism may also
include a screen or filtration mechanism to prevent the rigid
container contents from being drawn into the vacuum system. The
vacuum could also be applied through multiple openings and seal
assemblies on the upper and lower surfaces of the rigid container,
or through the flexible pipe 586 (see e.g., FIG. 16) that is used
to fill the rigid container. In some embodiments, the valve
assembly 895 can be fluidically coupled to the vacuum port (e.g.,
port 361) of a flexible container (e.g., container 300) disposed
within the rigid container.
[0117] Although shown as being coupled to the hose assembly 892, in
other embodiments, the valve assembly 895 or any other suitable
valve for the ingress (e.g., of the bulk material) and/or egress
(e.g., of air) can be coupled directly to the flexible container.
For example, in some embodiments, any suitable valve can be
chemically welded to a side wall of a flexible container.
[0118] Regardless of the means for applying a vacuum, there can be
corresponding openings in the liner or coating. With a permanent
coating, this could be accomplished by sealing the coating around
the vacuum port. With a flexible or hard liner, a portion of the
liner could be fitted around the portal in a configuration that
seals the liner to the surface adjacent the portal, such that when
loaded with coal, air cannot leak into the liner. The liner could
also include a region that is permeable to gasses but not solid
materials, such that air can be withdrawn without coal powder and
other solid materials being removed from the rigid container. After
the vacuum is applied, to the portal, the portal opening is sealed
to maintain negative pressure.
[0119] Vacuum sealing will minimize loss of volatiles from the
coal. Further, the absence of oxygen will inhibit the
combustibility of the processed coal inside the rigid container. A
vacuum pump system would be present at loading and unloading sites.
In one embodiment, a mobile vacuum pump can be utilized to extract
the air from rigid containers are they are filled in an automated
process. In the alternative, the mobile vacuum pump can be equipped
to seal multiple rigid containers at the same time.
[0120] If further protection from combustion is required, an inert
or non-combustible gas or mixture of gases may be injected into the
rigid container after it is filled with coal. The gas can be
injected into the rigid container through the vacuum port, or
through a second port specifically designed for injection of the
gas.
[0121] Preferred gases include helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon,
and radon. Other gases and mixtures of gases can be used, as long
as they displace oxygen and provide a means of controlling the
combustibility of the material in the rigid container. For example,
nitrogen or carbon dioxide could be used when transporting
coal.
[0122] For unloading, the rigid container may include an outlet
port that can be attached to a hose and vacuum system at the end
user location. In another embodiment, the rigid container can
include a hinged or sliding door on the bottom panel as depicted in
FIG. 17. In this configuration, the bottom door 687 is designed to
withstand the weight of coal in the loaded rigid container. It is
also designed to be opened via a handle or latch 688 positioned
along a side wall at the bottom of the rigid container.
[0123] FIG. 21 is a view of a rigid container 965 showing a sliding
hatch with a releasing mechanism controlled by an electrically
activated sensor. The rigid container 965 can include, for example,
tracks for sliding hatches. In some embodiments, a rigid container
can include an automatic trip switch sensor to release or lock a
sliding hatch. In some embodiments, a container can include a
tracking sensor to identify whether the container is fully
loaded/fully unloaded.
[0124] FIG. 22 is a view of a rigid container 965 showing a top or
bottom (or side) loading and unloading device by means of a
flexible tube 992 (allowing even distribution of materials during
the loading process). The loading and unloading mechanism includes
a locking collar that can be coupled to the loading and unloading
chute. The loading and unloading mechanism includes a sealing valve
for either the exhaust of air or the introduction of inert gas.
[0125] In some embodiments, any of the containers shown and
described herein can include a grounding mechanism for electrically
grounding the container during the loading and/or unloading
process, as well as during transportation. For example, in some
embodiments, the flexible tube 992 can include a ground wire or rod
coupled thereto. The ground wire can, for example, extend from an
area outside of the rigid container 965 into an interior volume
defined by the rigid container 965, an inner liner and/or a
flexible container disposed therein. In this manner, the static
charge that can develop from the contact between particles during
loading (or unloading) can be dissipated. More particularly, such
static buildup can become hazardous when the materials contain, or
are composed of, dust or powders (as are common with coal, ores,
grain, aggregates and other bulk materials to be handled by the
systems and methods described herein). In addition the ground wire
or rod, in those embodiments in which the flexible container is
evacuated, the evacuation reduces friction during transport and
thus minimizes the formation of static charges during
transport.
[0126] In some embodiments, the innermost layer of any of the
containers shown and described herein is constructed of an anti
static material, such as high density polyethylene, Acetal and
Ester based Thermoplastic Polyurethane, amongst others. The
material used on the inner layer of the liner bag can be any
suitable material, generally composed of modified conductive
thermoplastic compounds that allow for the rapid dissipation of
static charge so that a significant electrostatic discharge event
does not take place during, loading, unloading and/or
transportation.
[0127] As shown in FIG. 18, the interior of the rigid container can
include a hopper shaped bottom 790, 791 which directs material be
removed from the rigid container towards a portal positioned in the
middle of the bottom. In this embodiment, the contents will flow
from the rigid container opening. Content removal can also be
assisted with a pump and hose assembly 792 or other device designed
to disgorge the contents under pressure.
[0128] Unloading can also be accomplished via a portal or door on a
side panel. If necessary, for unloading, one side of the rigid
container could be lifted or tipped up, or the rigid container
could be positioned above an unloading chute so that coal or other
materials can be extracted directly into a feeding or storage
mechanism utilized by the end user. A design including a side
portal or door is preferred, as the same portal or door could be
used for loading and unloading of the coal or other volatile
material.
[0129] The liner also includes a release mechanism associated with
the outlet port or door. For example, the liner can include a
breakaway region, a folded flap that may be unfolded for discharge
of the contents, or a release cord that opens the liner in a
specific region. In such embodiments, the liner mechanism can be
positioned to align with the rigid container discharge opening or
mechanism.
[0130] In some embodiments, a collapsible bag, such as the flexible
container 300 or the flexible container 364, is utilized as the
liner. In such embodiments a sealable flap or a puncturable area
can be opened when the rigid container is opened, such as with a
sliding or hinged door. In the alternative, the bag could have a
portal or series of portals aligned with the rigid container
openings. These portals could also be attached to an external hose,
such that, when connected to the hose, the contents of the bag
could be removed.
[0131] An alternative embodiment entails a connection between the
bag and the interior or exterior of the rigid container, which
could assist in removal of the contents.
[0132] In some embodiments, the rigid containerization of powdered,
granulated or other processed coal, or raw coal, is such that
large-scale rigid containerized transport ships can efficiently and
safely transport the material to multiple end-users in multiple
destinations. This allows for "on demand" transport of commodities
to higher value markets and/or flexible distribution decision
strategies for trading companies. Some embodiments can also be used
for transport of other volatile and non-volatile materials in
powdered, granular and/or other solid forms.
[0133] Although certain embodiments are shown and described as
being used to contain raw coal, any of the embodiments herein can
be used to contain processed coal and/or other bulk materials. For
example, in some embodiments, a method includes processing coal or
other products into value added material at the location where it
is mined, or another location, before being loaded onto ships for
transport to end users. The processed coal can then be loaded into
a sealed, non-combustible rigid container, for environmentally safe
transport by land or sea. The sealed rigid containers can also
store the coal (or other processed materials) such that the
contents are not exposed to wind and rain, preventing product
deterioration, product loss, and dispersion of potentially harmful
dust and other materials into the air or land through leaching or
exposure to the elements. By processing coal before shipping, and
transporting processed coal in sealed shipping containers,
different coal products can be distributed to multiple users in
different locations with relative ease. Thus, coal can be marketed
and supplied in a much wider variety of formats than are currently
available.
[0134] In this manner, the methods and systems described herein
allow for the trade in Lingnite Coal. Lignite coal has a very high
moisture content causing its energy content (BTU per pound) to be
relatively low when compared with other types of coal (e.g.,
Bituminous, Sub-Bituminous and Anthracite). Thus, it is not
practical to transport Lignite coal (either nationally or
internationally) using known methods. As a result, sites containing
Lignite deposits generally have electrical generating or concrete
manufacturing plants constructed thereon. According to the methods
described herein, Lignite coal can be processed at the mine to
remove the moisture and pulverize the coal, thereby producing a
processed coal having a higher energy content than some known forms
of coal. Using the systems and methods described herein, the
processed Lignite coal can be economically packaged, handled and
shipped.
[0135] Refined bulk materials such as Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) are
extremely reactive, corrosive and flammable. These products must be
transported in specially constructed rail cars, trucks and bulk
ships. DRI is highly susceptible to re-oxidation, overheating, and
the generation of highly combustible/explosive hydrogen if left
unprotected. DRI reacts easily with water, particularly seawater
and produces heat if exposed to seawater or moisture laden sea
air.
[0136] The flexible containers described herein are configured to
eliminate or significantly reduce exposure to water and air thus
eliminating or significantly reducing the possibility of
combustion. An additional protection against combustion would be to
insert an inert gas into the bag after sealing. Bulk ships
generally avoid shipping DRI when possible owing to the extremely
corrosive nature of the material. The systems and methods described
herein eliminate the corrosive impact of DRI and other materials on
the interior and exterior of bulk ships.
[0137] Although certain embodiments are shown and described as
being used to contain coal, any of the embodiments herein can be
used to contain and/or transport any suitable bulk materials. Such
bulk materials can include, for example, the following ores:
Argentite, Azurite, Barite, Bauxite, Bornite, Calcite, Cassiterite,
Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chromite, Cinnabar, Cobaltite,
Columbite-Tantalite or Coltan, Cuprite, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena,
Gold, Gypsum, Hematite, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Malachite,
Molybdenite, Pentlandite, Pyrolusite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Talc,
Uraninite, Wolframite. In other embodiments, such bulk materials
can include grains (either raw or processed). Grains that can be
packaged and transported according to the methods described herein
include corn, wheat, soybean, oats or the like. Moreover, processed
grain products, such as flour, can also be packaged and transported
according to the methods described herein.
[0138] Any of the systems and containers described herein can be
loaded and unloaded onto containerized ships, using conventional
container loading and transportation equipment. The loading and
unloading of bulk materials according to the systems and methods
described herein avoids the cost and/or hazards associated with
bulk shipping and storage of volatile materials, and reduces the
amount of product lost in the environment. Shipment of materials
according to the systems and methods described herein also permits
the transport of materials through larger vessels, capable of
transporting larger quantities of coal than bulk carriers. Thus,
containerized shipping can decrease transportation costs associated
with known methods of coal shipment.
[0139] Furthermore, some embodiments provide for control over the
weight and/or density of the coal pile. By limiting the weight
and/or density of the coal pile, and by providing a non-reactive
surface and a controlled atmosphere, the risk of spontaneous
combustion can be minimized. Further, the risk of a chemical
reaction between the coal and the containment vessel is
minimized.
[0140] Transport of containerized coal according to the systems and
methods described herein is environmentally safe when compared to
known bulk transport methods, since the coal is not repeatedly
exposed to the air and weather, and the creation and release of
coal dust is minimized. In addition, embodiments described herein
also serve to reduce inefficiency in the trade imbalance. The
imbalance in trade between various countries and regions, more
particularly between Asia and the United States, and most
particularly between China and the Unites States has for many years
resulted in a surplus of containers in the United States. In
particular, there remains significant unused container ship
capacity from the economic crises of 2008 crash. Moreover, slowing
manufacturing and exports from the U.S. have created an excess of
shipping containers in the U.S. By streamlining the transportation
process, and using retrofit systems for sealing existing used cargo
containers, embodiments described herein will provide a means of
returning cargo containers to Asia, including China, reducing the
number of unused containers in the U.S. Some embodiments also
provide a means for re-using containers in the transport of other
goods to the United States. Thus, rather than using containers one
time, or shipping empty containers back to Asia for re-use, some
embodiments enable reuse of containers back and forth between the
U.S. and Asia.
[0141] FIG. 23A is a flowchart illustrating a method 1000 for
storing and/or transporting a bulk material, according to an
embodiment. In some embodiments, the bulk material is stored and/or
transported in a flexible container such as, for example, any of
the flexible containers described herein. In such embodiments, the
flexible container can include a container body and a cover and can
be configured to move between an expanded configuration and a
collapsed configuration. The flexible container further includes a
side wall and defines an interior volume within the container body.
In some embodiments, the side wall can include a substantially
non-circular opening configured to receive a bulk material. In some
embodiments, the flexible container is substantially similar to the
flexible container 300 described herein with reference to FIGS. 6A
and 7-13 or the flexible container 364 described herein with
reference to FIGS. 6B and 6C. While not explicitly described, the
flexible container can include any features included in the
flexible container 300 and or any other embodiment described
herein.
[0142] In some embodiments, the method 1000 optionally includes
aligning a delivery member with the opening defined by the side
wall of the flexible container, at 1002. The delivery member can be
any suitable member. For example, in some embodiments, the delivery
member is a conveyer. In some embodiments, a portion of the
delivery member is disposed through the opening defined by the side
wall and is disposed within the interior volume of the container
body, at 1004. In some embodiments, the method 1000 can include
conveying a gas from a volume outside the flexible container to
maintain the container in the expanded configuration. In some
embodiments, the gas can be an inert gas. In other embodiments, the
gas can be air. In some embodiments, the inflation fluid can be
conveyed into the flexible container via the same opening through
which the bulk material is conveyed.
[0143] The method includes conveying the bulk material into the
flexible container via an opening therein, at 1006. In some
embodiments, the delivery member can be disposed within the
interior volume such that at least a portion of the delivery member
is disposed at a rear portion of the interior volume. In this
manner, the delivery member can transfer the bulk material through
the opening and into the rear portion of the interior volume of the
container body. While transferring the bulk material into the
interior volume of the container body, in some embodiments, the
delivery member can be configured to telescope such that a length
of the delivery member disposed within the interior volume is
reduced. Similarly stated, the delivery member can retract at a
given rate through the opening. Thus, the bulk material (e.g.,
processed coal) can be loaded in a rear to front manner. Said
another way, the telescopic motion of the delivery member toward
the opening is configured to even distribute the bulk material
within the interior volume. In some embodiments, the method 1000
includes filling the interior volume with the bulk material to a
predetermined volume and/or weight. For example, in some
embodiments, the method 1000 includes filling the flexible
container until the flexible container is approximately 60 percent
full (by volume when compared to the volume of the flexible
container in the expanded configuration). In other embodiments, the
flexible container can be filled to any suitable level. For
example, in some embodiments, the flexible container can be filled
to a volume ratio of approximately 50 percent, 55 percent, 65
percent, 75 percent, 85 percent, or more.
[0144] With the desired amount of bulk material transferred to the
interior volume of the flexible container, the delivery member can
be retracted through the opening defined by the side wall. With the
delivery member retracted, the cover included in the flexible
container can be disposed about the opening and coupled to the side
wall, at 1008. For example, in some embodiments the cover can be
coupled to the side wall via an adhesive strip. In other
embodiments, the cover can be coupled to the flexible container in
any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the coupling of the cover
to the side wall places the interior volume in fluidic isolation
with a volume outside the flexible container. Similarly stated, the
cover can be coupled to the side wall to define a hermetic
seal.
[0145] With the cover coupled to the side wall and disposed about
the opening the pressure within the interior volume can be reduced,
thereby moving the flexible container from the expanded
configuration to the collapsed configuration, at 1010. More
specifically, container body and the cover can be placed in the
collapsed configuration by evacuating a gas within the interior
volume via a port. In some embodiments, the cover defines the port.
In other embodiments, the container body or the side wall can
define the port. In this manner, the port can be engaged by, for
example, a vacuum source such that the pressure within the interior
volume of the container body is reduced. The reduction of the
pressure within the interior volume can be such that container body
deforms. Similarly stated, the vacuum source can exert a suction
force on the interior volume thereby urging at least a portion of
the container body to deform under the force. Furthermore, the
vacuum source can be configured to expose interior volume to the
suction force such that the interior volume is substantially devoid
of a gas (e.g., air). Said another way, the interior volume is
exposed to a negative pressure and thereby urges the container body
to substantially conform to a contour of the bulk material disposed
therein.
[0146] In some embodiments, the flexible container can collapse
(e.g., conform to the bulk material) such that the bulk material
disposed within the container body can act as a substantially solid
mass. For example, in some embodiments, the flexible container can
collapse such that a distance between adjacent portions and/or
constituents of a bulk material is reduced. In this manner, the
movement of specific parts (e.g., particles, pellets, grains,
chunks, portions, and/or the like) of the bulk material is reduced
relative to adjacent parts of the bulk material. Thus, the
potential of load shifting within the flexible container is
reduced. In some embodiments, the substantial evacuation of the gas
(e.g., air) within the flexible container can reduce the risk of
spontaneous combustion of the bulk material (e.g., coal).
[0147] FIG. 23B is a flowchart illustrating a method 3000 for
storing and/or transporting a bulk material, according to an
embodiment. In some embodiments, the flexible container is
substantially similar to the flexible containers 300, 364 described
herein with reference to FIGS. 6A-6C and 7-13. While not explicitly
described in the context of the method below, the flexible
container can include any features included in the flexible
container 300, 364 and or any other embodiment described
herein.
[0148] The flexible container can be magnetically coupled to a
rigid container to define an interior volume within the flexible
container, at 3002. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the flexible
container can include magnets operable to magnetically attach to a
rigid shipping container of the types shown and described herein.
Thus, the flexible container can be magnetically coupled to a rigid
structure outside of the interior volume of the flexible container.
The magnets can be operable to couple a top, a side wall, a font, a
rear, and/or any other portion of the flexible container to the
rigid container. In some embodiments, the magnetic coupling between
the flexible container and the rigid container can be operable to
maintain the flexible container in an expanded configuration, at
3004. In addition or alternatively, a gas can optionally be
conveyed into the interior volume to maintain the flexible
container in the expanded configuration.
[0149] A bulk material is conveyed into the flexible container, at
3006. Conveying the bulk material, at 3006, can be similar to
conveying the bulk material, at 1006, as shown and described with
reference to FIG. 23A. The pressure is reduced inside the flexible
container such that a pressure differential between the interior
volume and a volume outside of the interior volume is sufficient to
overcome the magnetic coupling, at 3010 Similarly stated, reducing
the pressure can result in the application of a force to the
flexible container operable to overcome the magnetic coupling
force, such that the flexible container pulls away from the rigid
container. In this manner, the flexible container can move from the
expanded configuration towards the collapsed configuration as the
magnets can become spaced apart from the rigid container.
[0150] Reducing the pressure inside the flexible container can move
the flexible container from an expanded configuration to a
collapsed configuration. When in the collapsed configuration,
flowability of the bulk material can be impeded. Similarly stated,
when in the collapsed configuration, the flexible container can be
operable to impede the movement of a first portion of the bulk
material with respect to a second portion of the bulk material. The
bulk material can form a substantially solid block when the
flexible container is in the collapsed configuration.
[0151] In some embodiments, the magnets can be decoupled from the
rigid container before the pressure is reduced inside the flexible
container. In such an embodiment, the magnets can be manually
separated from the rigid container. For example, tethers can be
coupled to the flexible container which can be used to pull the
flexible container and the magnets away from the rigid container.
In embodiments, the magnets can be electromagnets, which can be
de-energized prior to reducing the pressure inside the flexible
container.
[0152] FIG. 23C is a flowchart illustrating a method 4000 for
storing and/or transporting a bulk material, according to an
embodiment. In some embodiments, the flexible container is
substantially similar to the flexible container 300 and/or the
flexible container 364 described herein with reference to FIGS.
6A-6C and 7-13. While not explicitly described, the flexible
container can include any features included in the flexible
container 300 and or any other embodiment described herein.
[0153] The method includes maintaining the flexible container in an
expanded configuration to define an interior volume, at 4004.
Maintaining the flexible container in the expanded configuration,
at 4004, can be similar to maintaining the flexible container in
the expanded configuration, at 1004, and/or 3004, as shown and
described with reference to FIGS. 23A and 23B. For example, in some
embodiments, the flexible container can be maintained in an
expanded configuration by magnetically coupling the bag to a frame
or structure, by conveying a gas into the flexible container, or
the like. Bulk material can be conveyed into the flexible
container, at 4006. The conveying the bulk material, at 4006, can
be performed via any suitable method, such as those described
herein (e.g., similar to conveying the bulk material, at 1006,
and/or 3006, as described above).
[0154] The flexible container can be shaped via a form into a
desired size and/or shape, at 4009. The form can be similar to the
form 1300, shown and described with reference to FIG. 14. In some
embodiments, the form can be coupled to the flexible container to
maintain the flexible container in the expanded configuration, as
described above. Moreover, as described above, the form can exert a
force on the flexible container to urge it to assume a particular
shape.
[0155] The pressure can be reduced inside the flexible container,
at 4010, which can be similar to reducing the pressure at 1010
and/or 3010. In some embodiments, the actuation of the form can
reduce the pressure by compressing the flexible container. The
flexible container, having been shaped, at 4009, and moved into a
collapsed configuration, at 4010, can become substantially rigid.
The flexible containers can take and maintain a shape amenable to
stacking, storage and/or loading, such as a cylinder and/or a
rectangular prism with substantially flat surfaces. In this way,
the flexible containers can be stored on site where the bulk
material is generated and/or prepared in anticipation of receiving
shipping containers. Preparing bulk containers in advance of
transport means (trains, trucks, barges, etc.) can advantageously
decrease loading time as compared to filling shipping containers as
they arrive.
[0156] Thus, in some embodiments, the flexible container can be
optionally removed from the form and can be staged and/or stored
for loading into a shipping container, at 4011. The flexible
containers can be loaded into a rigid shipping container, at 4012.
In some embodiments, air bumpers can be inflated, at 4014, and/or
other dunnage systems can be deployed to prevent the flexible
container from shifting within the rigid container.
[0157] FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1100 for
processing coal at the mine or railhead, at 1101. At either
location, the coal can be processed into crushed, granulated or
powder form, and graded by a variety of factors, such as quantity,
type, size, moisture content, and ash content. Processing can also
entail mixing of different grades of coal (BTU content), in order
to achieve specialized coal products for particular end users.
[0158] Additionally, the processing can include coal washing and
drying to meet enhanced end user specifications. At the time of
processing, the coal can be loaded into sealed containers 1102. The
containers can be loaded according to any of the methods described
herein. Moreover, the container can be any of the containers
described herein. After loading, the containers can be purged of
air, and, if desired, filled with an inert or other gas that
reduces the risk of combustion 1103. The filled, sealed, and oxygen
purged containers can be stored for later transport, at 1104.
Loaded, sealed containers may also be placed on trucks 1105, for
delivery to a railhead 1107, where the containers are loaded
directly onto railcars designed for transport of cargo containers.
In the alternative, the containers may be loaded onto railcars 1105
for direct transport to ports that handle containerized cargo 1110.
At the port, the sealed containers can be stored 1115 until
scheduled for sea transport, when they may be loaded onto mid- to
large-sized container ships 1120.
[0159] After loading on a ship 1120, the containerized material is
transported via sea 1125 to a destination port 1130, where the
containers are unloaded 1135. Once unloaded, the containers can be
stored for future transport 1140, or immediately loaded onto
railcars or trucks 1145 for transport to the end user 1150. Once
the containers arrive at the end user location they are unloaded
form the transport means 1155, and may be stored until needed 1160,
or opened such that the contents are made available for immediate
use 1165.
[0160] In some embodiments, a shipping container for the
transportation of granular materials includes a load-carrying space
which is sealable to prevent ingress and egress of gas. In some
embodiments, the load-carrying space is provided by a liner
positioned within the shipping container. In some embodiments, the
liner is removable from the container. In some embodiments, the
liner can be formed of a polymer material. In some embodiments, the
liner is a flexible bag. In other embodiments, the liner is a
collapsible box. In still other embodiments, the liner is coated on
the interior of the shipping container. In such embodiments, the
liner is formed of a material that is non-reactive with coal. In
some embodiments, the liner has a thickness in the range 1.27 cm to
1.91 cm (0.5 to 0.75 inches).
[0161] In some embodiments, a shipping container includes a
sealable loading port for loading granular materials into the
load-carrying space. In some embodiments, the shipping container
includes a port for extracting gasses from the load-carrying space,
or injecting gasses into the load-carrying space. The port can be
configured for connection to a vacuum source for evacuation of
gasses from the load-carrying space. The port can be configured for
connection to a source of inert gas for injecting inert gas into
the load-carrying space. In some embodiments, the shipping
container is a twenty-foot equivalent container.
[0162] In some embodiments, a method of transporting granular
material includes loading the granular material into a container.
The method can further include sealing the load-carrying space and
extracting gas from the load carrying space to reduce the pressure
in the load-carrying space to substantially below atmospheric
pressure. In some embodiments, the method includes injecting an
inert gas into the load-carrying space to purge air from the
load-carrying space.
[0163] While embodiments herein have been described with reference
to the transportation of coal, other materials may be transported
utilizing the same systems and methods to obtain comparable
advantages. For example the system and method may be suitable for
transporting Potash. Potash is a mined and processed mineral used
primarily as fertilizer. Unlike coal, potash is not combustible yet
has specific chemical characteristics that have significant
transport and storage challenges. Embodiments described herein
effectively meets those issues and do so in a more efficient manner
than current methods and/or technologies.
[0164] Potash is commonly transported in crystalline form. These
crystals are extremely sensitive to humidity and moisture, forming
clumps and "pan caking" when exposed to humidity and moisture.
Current transport requires specialized rail cars and truck bodies
that keep the potash from coming into contact with water. These
specialized vehicles are expensive and require considerable
maintenance. Current storage facilities, at the processing plant,
at both sending and receiving ports and distribution centers are
specialized and expensive to construct. Current handling methods
and facilities at all the above steps are costly to build and
maintain. By applying the technology described herein to potash,
transport becomes more efficient, storage will not require
expensive facilities, handling at ports and distribution centers
will be more efficient and cheaper and ocean transport will be
scalable, more flexible, cheaper and much more efficient.
[0165] In some embodiments, the bulk material can be processed at
or near the mine. For example, processing may include milling to
produce granular or powdered coal of a specific size desired by an
end user. Processing may also entail washing or chemical processing
to remove undesirable materials and gases, or drying to produce
material with specified, known water content. Examples of
pulverizing equipment that may be utilized include mills such as
the ball and tube mill or the bowl mill. By processing the coal at
the mine, at the rail-head or elsewhere in the supply chain, the
coal may be supplied in the exact form specified by the end user,
such that the coal need not be processed by the end user before it
is consumed. For a power plant, this means that the supplied coal
can be fed directly into the power generation furnace or boiler,
avoiding the need for complex milling and drying equipment. Thus,
the plant operator need not install, maintain or operate such
equipment, significantly reducing operating costs and plant size.
The plant operator may also reduce environmental risks and issues,
as coal may be stored in containers until needed, rather than in
open piles. As contemplated herein, coal may be supplied in the
following forms: raw lump, granulate, or powder, or mixed with
higher or lower BTU coal to end user specifications.
[0166] While various embodiments have been described above, it
should be understood that they have been presented by way of
example only, and not limitation. Where methods described above
indicate certain events occurring in certain order, the ordering of
certain events may be modified. Additionally, certain of the events
may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible,
as well as performed sequentially as described above
[0167] For example, in reference to FIGS. 1-3, while the flexible
container 100 is shown as receiving the conveyer C, in other
embodiments, a flexible container can receive any suitable delivery
member. In other embodiments, a container can include a portion of
a delivery member therein. For example, as shown in FIG. 25, a
flexible container 2000 includes a container body 2010 and a side
wall 2012. The container body 2010 defines an interior volume 2011
and is configured to house, at least partially, an internal chute
2017. The side wall 2012 defines an opening 2013 configured to be
aligned with the internal chute 2017. Furthermore, a delivery hose
2016 can be configured to couple to the side wall 2012 such that
the delivery hose 2016 and the internal chute 2017 are in fluid
communication. In this manner, the delivery hose 2016 can be
configured to transfer, for example, a pulverized (e.g., processed)
coal. In addition, the internal chute 2017 can be configured to
telescope in the direction of the arrow AA (e.g., mechanically
and/or electrically) such that the processed coal is loaded into
the flexible container 2000 from the rear forward. Thus, the weight
distribution of the processed coal can be controlled.
[0168] Where schematics and/or embodiments described above indicate
certain components arranged in certain orientations/or positions,
the arrangement of components may be modified. Similarly, where
methods and/or events described above indicate certain events
and/or procedures occurring in certain order, the ordering of
certain events and/or procedures may be modified. While the
embodiments have been particularly shown and described, it will be
understood that various changes in form and details may be
made.
[0169] For example, although the flexible container 300 is shown
and described as including a bulkhead 325 that includes a sleeve
321 that receives a shock absorbing member, in other embodiments,
the flexible container 300 need not include a bulkhead 300. For
example, in some embodiments, the flexible container 300 can be
disposed and/or coupled within a rigid shipping container to form a
shipping system that is devoid of a dunnage bag, bulwark, bulkhead
and/or any other mechanism for absorbing a load produced by the
movement of the bulk material within the flexible container 300. In
particular, as described above, when the flexible container 300 is
moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed
configuration, the bulk material therein can be moved from a
flowable (or partially flowable) state to a substantially
non-flowable state. Thus, the potential of load shifting of the
bulk material within the flexible container 300 is reduced and/or
eliminated. Accordingly, the flexible container 300 can be coupled
within a rigid container solely with a tether or strap (i.e.,
without the need for a bulwark, dunnage bag or the like).
[0170] Conversely, although the flexible container 300 is shown and
described as including a bulkhead 325 that is constructed
separately from and later attached to a container body, in other
embodiments, a flexible container can include an integrated
bulkhead, dunnage system or the like. For example, in some
embodiments, a flexible container can include an inflatable portion
(e.g., towards the rear or front thereof) configured to be inflated
in conjunction with loading the flexible container with the bulk
material. In this manner, the flexible container can provide
additional protection to the rigid container within which it is
disposed. Similarly stated, this arrangement can obviate the need
for external dunnage bags, bulwark systems or the like.
[0171] FIGS. 26-29 depict flexible containers (which can be similar
to the flexible container 300) with various configurations of
buffer ribs. FIG. 26 is a front view of a flexible container 4300
having buffer ribs 4382 extending circumferentially around the
flexible container. The buffer ribs 4382 can be operable to resist
movement of the flexible container 4300 when it is disposed within
a shipping container. For example, the buffer ribs, 4382 can be
inflated to take up excess space between the flexible container
4300 and the shipping container. FIG. 27 is similarly a front view
of a flexible container 5300 with buffer ribs 5382 disposed on the
edges of the flexible container, and FIG. 28 is a front view of a
flexible container 6300 having buffer ribs 6382 disposed on the
bottom of the flexible container. In other embodiments, buffer ribs
can be disposed on any surface, edge, corner, etc. of a flexible
container.
[0172] Although various embodiments have been described as having
particular features and/or combinations of components, other
embodiments are possible having a combination of any features
and/or components from any of embodiments as discussed above. For
example, any of the rigid containers described herein can include
any of the flexible containers described herein.
* * * * *