Tank Cleaning (No-man Entry)

Morgenstern Energy is a leader in offering no-man entry tank cleaning services. We offer safer and faster turnaround cleaning of above-ground hazardous tanks by using our robotic no-man entry tank cleaning system. Rated for ATEX zero (0), the robotic crawler safely enters the tank via its manhole, supported by hydraulic ramps, and removes sludge from the internals of the tank. Equipped with three ATEX zero (0) cameras and LED lighting, five 450bar High pressure jetting nozzles, and one 20bar low-flow flushing nozzle the robot efficiently loosens and evacuates sludge out of the tank. The system is hydraulically controlled from an ATEX 1 rated control cabin where the operator has full visuals (aerial, front, and rear of the robot) to make a real-time decisions during cleaning operations. The system is has a fully integrated safety and shutdown system. Our Operators are trained and certified in the safe operation of the system.

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FAQ

What is the pressure of the water nozzles?

There are 5x high flow jetting nozzles with maximum water jetting pressure of 450bar and 1x low flow flushing nozzle with maximum pressure of 20bar.A dedicated water pump is used.

What is the height of manhole the ramps can be used on without additional scaffolding?

600mm or less is ideal manhole height for Ramps without additional scaffold.

How do you manage tanks that require additional control umbilical length?

Control umbilical comes in 25m lengths. Morgenstern is currently suited with 50m umbilical length capabilities from Control room to robot. Length can be increased up to 75m via quick coupling for large tanks. The power pack itself can be placed as far as 50m from the control room.

How do you clean ramp area inside tank?

Depending on sludge viscosity, it can either be removed via jetting + suction with ramp in place OR for hard residue, ramp is withdrawn to allow robot access to free residue with auger before suction.

How do you clean tanks that have internal structures/pillars?

This is done via correct planning; selection of hose size i.e. 4”/6”, manhole utilization, robot route planning, manoeuvring of robot by trained operators.

How is the hose retrieved during withdrawal from tank?

This is done by a combination of the control room operator backing up the robot/hose and the 2nd operator guiding the hose with the support of roller guides .

How do you decontaminate hose/robot on exist from tank?

A decontamination zone is setup outside tank for degreasing and jetting of hose/robot.

How fast is this method compared with conventional man-entry method?

The robot has proven to reduce time of tank cleaning by between 30-50% depending of residue viscosity, vacuum truck utilization schedule, etc. This translates to cost saving in production uptime and job man-hours.

What is the weight of the robot only?

The Robot has a weight of 420kg.

Can the robot continue to operate if submerged in sludge?

Yes, the robot is powered via hydraulics and so continues to operate if fully submerged in sludge. The ATEX 0 cameras lift to a maximum height of 1.5m and is equipment with water nozzles to clean camera lenses when dirty.

How do you ensure safety of system?

Firstly, the robot and cameras are ATEX 0 certified & Control room ATEX 1 certified. Secondly, the system has integrated safety protection that ensures continuous grounding of system. This ensures the robot cannot be operated if there is a breach of the grounding protection. Also built in are the alarm system, emergency stop function, hydraulic level & temperature indicators and engine/motor status.

How does the operator control the robot when it is inside the tank?

The operator has real-time visuals via 3x ATEX 0 cameras; 2x cameras on robot (one looking forward the other backward), 1x positioned on manhole to give aerial view inside tank. Through an ATEX 1 monitor, the operator is able to see all 3 camera at same time to safely manoeuvre the robot as per the planned route.

How is lighting provided inside the tank?

The ATEX 0 cameras are equipped with LED lights which provide lighting for inside the tank.

How does the robot access the tank?

The system comes with a hydraulic ramp which when setup outside the manhole, uses a hydraulic pump to set in the place the ramp section for the inside of the tank. Minimum manhole size for robot entry into tank is 24”.

For enquiries or to get a quote on our Tank Cleaning services