A cargo rack loads liquid materials into road tankers or rail cars using pumping equipment. It can support multiple tankers, has safety features, and measures loaded volume. The structure has branches for access to loading doors and can accommodate rail cars and tank trailers with multiple compartments. Pumps run on electricity and measure the flow of loaded material. Safety equipment includes harness systems, height restrictions, grounding, and vapor recovery systems.
A cargo rack is a facility that involves the aerial loading of liquid materials such as chemicals and petroleum products into road tankers or rail cars. Variable size units allow you to load one or more tankers at the same time. Pumping equipment in the cargo rack or storage tanks picks up the product and moves it into the transport vehicle. The loaded volume can be determined by measurement or weight calculations. A number of safety features are specified for a cargo rack.
The structure of a cargo rack resembles a walkway with branches leading from it to allow workers access to loading doors on top of rail or tank cars. A cargo rack may be designed to serve a single transport vehicle or more. For rail cars, a multi-station rack is linear, to accommodate the track structure. For road tankers, the configuration can support side-by-side loading, front and rear positioning, or both. The construction may be open-air or covered with a canopy to protect the process from the weather.
The cargo rack structure can support cargo arms that move into position over the tanker openings. To accommodate rail cars and tank trailers with multiple compartments that need to be loaded separately, loading arms are often mounted on a rail or movable assembly. This allows you to fill all compartments without moving the tanker. Some delivery configurations use a hose and nozzle for filling.
Pumps move product from storage to tankers. The vast majority of pumps on cargo systems run on electricity. The size and pressure of the pump required will vary based on how far the product has to travel from the storage tanks and the size of the pipe it travels.
The volume of loaded material can be measured by dosing the flow. Some oil rigs use the gross weight and tare weight of the tanker and calculate the quantity delivered using API gravity. At the end of the loading, a bill of lading or manifest is issued to accompany the cargo to its final destination.
Modern cargo racks incorporate safety equipment such as harness systems to provide fall protection for workers operating above tankers. Posted notices inform drivers of trailer height restrictions. For charging low flashpoint petroleum products such as gasoline, grounding is essential to prevent burning from static electricity. Grounding is done using a cable connected to the cargo rack, the tank to be loaded and to earth. If the material produces volatile vapors, a vapor recovery system may be required.
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