Vehicle trailer or shipping container monitoring and evacuation assembly
US12668416B1
Abstract
A vehicle or shipping-container monitoring system is provided. The system is used to sample the interior environment of the container and if needed, clear a potentially hazardous material from the interior of the container prior to conventional opening. The system includes a monitoring assembly affixed to a first through-penetration in the vehicle container, an evacuation assembly affixed to a second through-penetration in the vehicle container, and an intake penetration with a cap affixed to a third through-penetration in the vehicle container. A method is also provided to assess the interior of a vehicle or shipping container for hazardous gases or vapors prior to opening the container.
Description (excerpt)
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/879,141 filed on Aug. 2, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,103,765, which is commonly assigned. GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and/or licensed by or for the United States Government. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to hazardous waste transport, and in particular to a vehicle trailer or shipping container monitoring and evacuation system that can be used to sample the interior environment of a trailer or container transporting material having the potential to create a hazardous environment during transport, and to evacuate the hazard if this condition is confirmed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are thousands of vehicle for private, public, and governmental use that transport hazardous materials every day. However, there are no requirements for the vehicle trailer or shipping container housing the materials to be tested prior to opening and unloading once at the receiving site. Potential exposure to hazardous environments that may contain toxic materials such as chemical warfare agents (CWA), biological warfare agents (BWA), radioactive materials, and toxic industrial chemicals (TIC) among others, is possible during transport of these materials. Many of these toxic chemicals present a lethal threat upon exposure. These chemicals can be released in either a gaseous, vapor, or liquid form, and can contaminate surfaces upon contact. Lethality can occur through different pathways and may include inhalation or being absorbed through the skin. An example of hazardous waste being hauled for governmental use are trailers that are used to transport hazardous waste contaminated with chemical warfare agents (CWA) to permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs). In those instances where a facility is responsible for storage, management, and disposal of hazardous material, yet it lacks on-site facilities for a given type of disposal, such as incineration or residue treatment; there is a need for transport of potentially dangerous materials. Residuals or secondary waste created during disposal include treated waste, as well as rags, tools, or problematic equipment contaminated as a result of the disposal operations. When the transport of materials to an off-site treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF) is required it must be done safely. While current protocols do not require in transit testing, doing so would further mitigate risk. The ability to analytically assess the transport vehicle's interior trailer environment at the receiving facility prior to opening and unloading material contained therein provides additional controls in the event of compromise during transit. However, transport trailers and waste hauling vehicles are not equipped with built in mechanisms allowing for the sampling of the air inside. Thus, there exists a need for a system that is built-in the vehicle and provides the ability to analytically assess the interior environment prior to opening the interior volume and unloading. Doing so is a safety improvement for the facility workforce and affords additional protections to the environment. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A vehicle trailer or shipping-container monitoring system is provided. The system is used to sample the environment within a vehicle container such as a trailer, and if needed, clear a potentially hazardous material from the interior of the vehicle container volume prior to conventional opening. The system includes: a monitoring assembly affixed to a first through-penetration in the vehicle container; an evacuation assembly is affixed to a second through-penetration in the vehicle container; and an intake penetration with a cap affixed to a third through-penetration in the vehicle container. A method is also provided to assess an interior of a vehicle container such as a trailer for hazardous vapors prior to opening the trailer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is further detailed with respect to the following figures that depict various aspects of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a trailer rear door with a trailer monitoring assembly and an evacuation assembly incorporated into a pass through built into the rear door in accordance with embodiments of the invention; FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the front exterior wall of the trailer of FIG. 1 with an intake penetration incorporated into the front exterior wall in accordance with embodiments of the invention; <div id="p-0015" num="0014" class="description-paragraph
Filing details
- Inventors
- Jeffrey M. Kiley
- Assignee
- The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
- Filed
- Sep 13, 2024
- Granted
- Jun 30, 2026
Bibliographic data and excerpted text sourced from Google Patents (public record) as part of IP TechMatch's current-filings monitor. This filing is not part of the 2019 historical archive. For the authoritative full text, drawings, and legal status, see the source links above or consult USPTO records directly.