阅读说明：本技术 制造设施 (Manufacturing facility ) 是由 杨傑雄 于 2020-01-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种制造设施(12)。制造设施(12)包括一个或多个可互连模块(10)。一个或多个可互连模块(10)中的至少一个包括壳体(14)和壳体(14)中的反应器(16)。壳体(14)具有至少一个进料入口(18)和至少一个排放出口(20)。反应器(16)具有联接到壳体(14)的至少一个进料入口(18)的至少一个反应器入口(22)和联接到壳体(14)的至少一个排放出口(20)的至少一个反应器出口(24)。(A manufacturing facility (12) is provided. The manufacturing facility (12) includes one or more interconnectable modules (10). At least one of the one or more interconnectable modules (10) includes a housing (14) and a reactor (16) in the housing (14). The housing (14) has at least one feed inlet (18) and at least one discharge outlet (20). The reactor (16) has at least one reactor inlet (22) coupled to the at least one feed inlet (18) of the housing (14) and at least one reactor outlet (24) coupled to the at least one discharge outlet (20) of the housing (14).)

1. A manufacturing facility, comprising:

one or more interconnectable modules, wherein at least one of the one or more interconnectable modules comprises:

a housing having at least one feed inlet and at least one discharge outlet; and

a reactor in the housing, the reactor having at least one reactor inlet coupled to the at least one feed inlet of the housing and at least one reactor outlet coupled to the at least one discharge outlet of the housing.

2. The manufacturing facility of claim 1, wherein the reactor is disposed at an incline relative to a horizontal plane of the housing.

3. The manufacturing facility of claim 2, wherein the inclination is between about 0 degrees (°) and about 3 ° from the horizontal plane of the housing.

4. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an agitator disposed in the reactor.

5. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one cleaning device disposed in the reactor.

6. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a heat trace system coupled to the reactor.

7. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a pressure relief system coupled to the reactor.

8. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a scrubber system coupled to the reactor.

9. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, wherein the reactor is provided with one or more of a viewing window, a liquid level indicator, a temperature indicator, a pressure gauge, a sampling point, and a discharge outlet.

10. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a circulation pump coupled to the reactor.

11. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more transfer pumps coupled between the reactor and at least one of the at least one feed inlet and the at least one discharge outlet of the housing.

12. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a containment system disposed in the housing.

13. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, wherein the reactor is coupled to one or more of a water line, an inert gas line, a plant air line, and an instrument air line.

14. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a filtration unit coupled between the at least one reactor outlet and the at least one drain outlet of the housing.

15. The manufacturing facility of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the enclosure is provided with one or more of a gas or smoke detector, a lighting system, an alarm system, a control panel unit and a display screen.

16. The manufacturing facility of any of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more of a weighing scale, a production cabinet, a maintenance cabinet, an Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) in reserve, a shelving system, and a fire extinguisher disposed in the same or a different interconnectable module as the reactor.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of industrial manufacturing, and more particularly, to manufacturing facilities.

Background

Currently, when it is necessary to expand the chemical production capacity, it is common to meet such a demand by building a new production facility or expanding an existing production facility. In all cases, planning and implementation often takes considerable time, requires a large capital investment, and must address space constraints. Such expansive activities also involve significant risks, as the commercial environment may change during the long preparation time between start-up and completion, making it less or no longer advantageous to expand production capacity. However, in view of the large expenditures already in progress, it may not be possible, or even possible, it may be very expensive to cancel an extension project. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a manufacturing facility that can alleviate at least some of these problems.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a manufacturing facility comprising one or more interconnectable modules. At least one of the one or more interconnectable modules includes a housing and a reactor in the housing. The housing has at least one feed inlet and at least one discharge outlet. The reactor has at least one reactor inlet coupled to the at least one feed inlet of the housing and at least one reactor outlet coupled to the at least one discharge outlet of the housing.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of a first interconnectable module of a manufacturing facility according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of the first interconnectable module of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a schematic side view of the first interconnectable module of FIG. 1A, showing internal reactor components;

FIG. 2A is a schematic side view of a second interconnectable module of a manufacturing facility according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a schematic top view of the second interconnectable module of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a manufacturing facility according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic top views of a manufacturing facility according to various embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a manufacturing facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.

Referring now to fig. 1A through 1C, a first interconnectable module 10 of a manufacturing facility 12 is shown. The interconnectable module 10 includes a housing 14 and a reactor 16 within the housing 14. The housing 12 has at least one feed inlet 18 and at least one discharge outlet 20. The reactor 16 has at least one reactor inlet 22 coupled to the at least one feed inlet 18 of the housing 14 and at least one reactor outlet 24 coupled to the at least one discharge outlet 20 of the housing 14.

In the present embodiment, the first interconnectable module 10 functions as the primary reactor module. Advantageously, the use of interconnectable modules 10 provides modularity to manufacturing facility 12, and in so doing provides greater flexibility in managing the production capacity of manufacturing facility 12, as additional interconnectable modules may be simply added or removed depending on whether the production capacity needs to be expanded or reduced.

The housing 14 may be provided in the form of an intermodal container. Advantageously, this facilitates the movement of the interconnectable module 10 in the event that increased or decreased throughput is required. The size of the intermodal container employed may depend on, for example, production requirements and/or site limitations. Examples of suitable intermodal containers that may be employed include standardized 10 foot, 20 foot, or 40 foot long tall cubic containers.

The reactor 16 may be provided in the form of a chemical vessel and may be made of stainless steel. In one embodiment, the reactor 16 may be a mixing vessel capable of handling batch or semi-batch processes. The capacity of the reactor 16 can be tailored to the production requirements. For example, if increased capacity is desired, the reactor 16 may be sized within the shell 14The available space is maximized. In one embodiment, reactor 16 may have at least 10 cubic meters (m)³) But this may be increased depending on production requirements. Similarly, the design, operating temperature, and operating pressure of the reactor 16 may depend on the operating requirements. In one embodiment, the reactor 16 may be designed to withstand a temperature of about 300 degrees Celsius (C.) to accommodate temperature fluctuations, particularly those associated with exothermic reactions, and a maximum pressure of about 600 kilopascals (kPa).

In the illustrated embodiment, the reactor 16 is disposed obliquely with respect to the horizontal plane of the shell 14. The inclination may be between about 0 degrees (°) and about 3 ° from the horizontal of the housing 14. In one embodiment, reactor 16 may be inclined at a slope or gradient of 1: 50. Advantageously, tilting the reactor 16 facilitates the flow of fluid within the reactor 16 due to gravity, and this in turn facilitates the discharge of the reactor 16 when needed. The reactor 16 may be held in place by a first support structure 26. The first support structure 26 may be a saddle-shaped support structure to maintain stability of the reactor 16 and support reactor loads and reactor contents in an inclined horizontal position, as well as vibrational forces and pressure build-up resulting from manufacturing operations (e.g., stirring, circulating, or transferring operations of reactants). The reactor 16 may be provided with a manhole 25 to allow production operators to access the reactor 16 for maintenance work or cleaning purposes when required. The manhole 25 may have a diameter of about 500 millimeters (20 inches).

At least one feed inlet 18 in the housing 14 serves as a material delivery inlet into the interconnectable module 10, while at least one drain outlet 20 in the housing 14 serves as a finished or intermediate product delivery outlet for the interconnectable module 10.

In this embodiment, the conduit connecting the at least one reactor inlet 22 to the at least one feed inlet 18 of the housing 14 may be arranged to direct the flow of reactants entering the reactor 16 along the inner surface of the reactor 16 to reduce static buildup due to loss of height as the reactants flow from the at least one reactor inlet 22 at a higher height to the at least one reactor outlet 24 at a lower height.

In this embodiment, the agitator 28 is disposed in the reactor 16. Advantageously, the agitator 28 promotes efficient mixing of the contents of the reactor 16 during operation to achieve a homogeneous mixture. In one embodiment, the agitator 28 may be a multi-blade agitator housed within the reactor 16. The agitator 28 may be coupled to an agitator motor 30 having a variable frequency drive located outside the reactor 16, the agitator motor 30 being held in place by a second support structure 32.

To facilitate cleaning of the reactor 16, at least one cleaning device 34 may be provided in the reactor 16. At least one cleaning device 34 may be provided in the form of one or more spray balls at the upper surface or end of the reactor 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, a heat trace system 36 is coupled to the reactor 16. Advantageously, a heat trace system 36 that extends around the reactor 16 and encapsulates the reactor 16 during manufacturing operations provides heating for the reactor 16. In one embodiment, the heat trace system 36 may be used to heat the reactor 16 to a maximum temperature of about 130 degrees Celsius (C.). The heat trace system 36 in this embodiment includes steam lines or heat trace pipes that extend around the reactor 16 and connect to the shell 14 at a steam inlet 38 and a condensate outlet 40 disposed in the shell 14. A steam trap 42 and condensate recovery system 44 may be attached at the outlet end of the steam line. In one embodiment, the steam line or steam trace pipe may have an inner diameter of about 19 millimeters (3/4 inches). In alternative embodiments, the steam lines or steam trace pipes may have a larger or smaller inner diameter depending on the operating requirements. To address design and safety concerns, the heat trace system 36 may be designed to accommodate low pressure steam up to a maximum pressure of about 350 kilopascals (kPa).

In the present embodiment, a pressure relief system is coupled to the reactor 16. The pressure relief system may be provided as a safety precaution and may include at least one of a pressure relief valve 48 and a rupture disc line 50. A pressure relief device 48 may be provided at the top of the reactor 16 and a rupture disc line 50 with a rupture disc 52 may be attached to the reactor 16 as a safety measure against any accidental over-pressurization of the reactor 16 during manufacturing operations.

In the present embodiment, a scrubber system 54 is coupled to the reactor 16. The scrubber system 54 may be water-based or acid/base-based and may include a scrubber line attached to the reactor 16 for removing harmful particles. The outlet end of the scrubber line may be connected to a scrubber line outlet formed in the housing 14.

The reactor 16 may also be provided with one or more of a viewing window 56, a level indicator 58, a temperature indicator 60, a pressure gauge 62, a sampling point 64, and a discharge outlet 66.

A viewing window 56 may be provided at the top of the reactor 16 to allow a production operator to manually monitor the liquid or foam level in the reactor 16 as a redundant measure in the event of a failure of a level indicator 58 in the reactor 16. The viewing window 56 also allows manual inspection of the reactor 16, agitator 28, and at least one cleaning device 34 to ensure that thorough cleaning has been performed. A ladder 68 may be provided to provide a safe and ergonomic access to the viewing window 56 for a production operator.

Sampling point 64 may be set at a suitable height to facilitate the production operator to retrieve a small sample from reactor 16 for quality inspection. A sample box 69 of closed height of at least 0.2 meters may be provided around the outlet of the sampling point 64 as a precautionary safety measure to contain any accidental splashing or spillage.

The discharge outlet 66 facilitates the release of material from the reactor 16, such as relieving pressure in the reactor 16 when the volume is too large, when incorrect material is added, when off-grade product is manufactured, during clean-in-place operations, or as a last resort during a runaway reaction. In the illustrated embodiment, the inclined position of the reactor 16 may facilitate the release of material from the reactor 16 via the discharge outlet 66.

The reactor 16 may additionally be coupled to one or more of a water line 70, an inert gas line 74, a plant air line 76, and an instrument air line 78. Water lines 70 may be provided to supply water for cleaning operations and/or as a manufacturing component. An inert gas line 74 may be provided to supply inert gas for cleaning operations, reactor pressurization, purging or discharge operations, and/or as a manufacturing component. A plant air line 76 may be provided to supply air to support the operating requirements of the reactor 16. An instrument air line 78 may be provided to supply air to equipment supporting the manufacturing operation of the reactor 16. The internal diameters of the water line 70, the inert gas line 74, the plant air line 76, and the instrument air line 78 may range between about 19 millimeters (mm) to about 26mm, depending on operational requirements. The diameter of the conduit can be tailored to meet process stream operating requirements, such as faster fluid flow circulation or reduced fluid velocity to achieve longer residence times.

In the illustrated embodiment, a circulation pump 80 is coupled to the reactor 16. The circulation pump 80 may be arranged to circulate the reactor contents via a circulation line 81 connecting the reactor outlet to the reactor inlet. The recycle line 81 may be provided with an in-line mixer depending on the operational requirements. Advantageously, the provision of the circulation pump 80 helps to promote uniformity of the reactants in the reactor 16. Examples of suitable pumps for use as the circulation pump 80 include centrifugal pumps, gear pumps, and pneumatic double diaphragm (AODD) pumps. The circulation pump 80 may be provided in addition to or in place of the agitator 28.

In the present embodiment, one or more transfer pumps 82 and 84 are coupled between the reactor 16 and at least one of the feed inlet 18 and the discharge outlet 20 of the shell 14. More specifically, one or more feed pumps 82 may be coupled between the reactor 16 and the feed inlet 18 of the shell 14. Examples of suitable pumps for use as feed pumps 82 for raw material input operations include centrifugal pumps and AODD pumps. In the same or different embodiments, one or more discharge pumps 84 may be coupled between the reactor 16 and the discharge outlet 20 of the shell 14. Examples of suitable pumps for use as the output-operated discharge pump 84 include centrifugal pumps and AODD pumps.

The circulation pump 80 and transfer pumps 82 and 84 may have, but are not limited to, an inside diameter similar to the pipe diameter of the pipes employed. The differences between the internal diameters of the circulation pump 80, transfer pumps 82 and 84, and the pipe diameters may be accounted for, for example, by using one or more reducers (not shown). In one embodiment, the circulation pump 80, transfer pumps 82 and 84 may have an inner diameter of about 50mm (2 inches).

Control valves (not shown) may be provided to control the flow rate and/or pressure related to the input, output, and/or circulation operation of the reactor 16 using one or more of the circulation pump 80, the transfer pumps 82 and 84.

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the present invention is not limited by the number or type of pumps employed. Fewer or more transfer pumps 82 and 84 may be employed in the interconnectable module 10 depending upon the operational requirements. Similarly, the type of pump selected for use also depends on the operating requirements.

In the present embodiment, the containment system 86 is disposed in the housing 14. The containment system 86 serves as a containment site for any leaks that may occur in the interconnectable module 10. In one embodiment, containment system 86 may have a height of at least about 0.2 meters (m). The volume of containment system 86 may be increased as desired. The containment system 86 may be covered with steel panels (not shown) as a floor, intended to provide a non-slip environment for production operators and also to allow any leaks within the interconnectable module 10 to pass through to enter the containment system 86.

The containment system 86 may include one or more containment drain points 88 at the bottom of one end of the interconnectable module 10. The containment drain points 88 are designed to release the contents of the containment system 86 external to the interconnectable module 10 to a designated waste storage tank coupled to the interconnectable module 10, for example, at one or more of the containment drain points 88. The base of the containment system 86 may be inclined to facilitate the discharge of waste contents out of the interconnectable module 10 via one or more containment discharge points 88. When the interconnectable module 10 is connected to one or more other interconnectable modules, the one or more receiving and discharge points 88 may also be coupled to corresponding receiving and discharge points of the one or more other interconnectable modules.

In the illustrated embodiment, a filter unit 92 is coupled between the reactor outlet 24 and the drain outlet 20 of the housing 14. In one embodiment, the filter unit 92 may include a plurality of filter housings, each having a filter bag. The filter bags may have a variety of different pore sizes (e.g., 1 micron (μm), 5 μm, 10 μm, 25 μm, and 50 μm), and the selection of filter bags depends on product quality specifications.

The housing 14 may be provided with one or more of a gas or smoke detector 94, a lighting system 96, an alarm system 98, a control panel unit 100 and a display screen 102.

A plurality of gas or smoke detectors 94 may be placed within the interconnectable module 10 to detect any gas leaks. The gas and smoke detector 94 may be used to detect flammable, combustible and/or toxic gases within the interconnectable module 10 and may work in conjunction with the alarm system 98 to provide a warning or evacuation alarm upon detection of any leaks and/or impending dangers.

The lighting system 96 may be disposed in the interconnectable module 10 to provide sufficient light in a denser area of the interconnectable module 10. Advantageously, this facilitates maintenance work in the interconnectable module 10, especially in deeper regions of the interconnectable module 10. Providing the lighting system 96 also allows manufacturing operations or maintenance work to be performed efficiently and safely at night.

Access to the control panel unit 100 may be provided on an exterior surface of the interconnectable module 10 to allow a production operator to manually adjust the reactor 16 without having to enter the interconnectable module 10.

The display screen 102 may display the production status of the manufacturing operation, the stage of the manufacturing process that is the reference for the manufacturing process, and the real-time status of the manufacturing operation. The real-time data displayed by the display screen 102 may include, for example, level indicators for the reactor 16, reactor temperature and pressure, input temperature, output temperature, pressure and delivery flow rate, opening and closing of the circulation pump 80 and the delivery pumps 82 and 84, valves, circulation lines, the discharge outlet 66, and the sampling point 64.

In this embodiment, the interconnectable module 10 is also equipped with a plurality of foam extinguishers 104 for use in the event of a fire.

The equipment, piping, and vessels within the interconnectable module 10 may be monitored by a Distributed Control System (DCS) such that information from the field devices (e.g., level indicator 58, temperature indicator 60, and pressure gauge 62) is transmitted back to a central control room within the manufacturing plant for supervision by production operators. In the event of a safety hazard, a warning alarm may be triggered via the DCS to alert production operators in the central control room in addition to the warning or evacuation alarm provided by the alarm system 98.

Referring now to fig. 2A and 2B, a second interconnectable module 150 is shown. In this embodiment, the second interconnectable module 150 is provided with one or more of a weighing scale 152, a production cabinet 154, a maintenance cabinet 156, an Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) in standby 158, a shelving system 160, a fire extinguisher 162, a containment system 164, and a lighting system 166.

In this embodiment, the second interconnectable module 150 acts as a secondary production and maintenance module, providing lateral reinforcement to facilitate manufacturing operations. The second interconnectable module 150 may be housed in an intermodal container. Advantageously, this facilitates moving the second interconnectable module 150 when desired. The size of the intermodal container employed may depend on, for example, usage requirements and/or site limitations. Examples of suitable intermodal containers that may be employed include standardized 10 foot, 20 foot, or 40 foot long tall cubic containers.

Although shown in fig. 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A and 2B as being housed in separate interconnectable modules, in alternative embodiments, one or more of the weighing scale 152, the production cabinet 154, the maintenance cabinet 156, the intermediate bulk container in reserve (IBC)158, the shelving system 160 and the fire extinguisher 162 may be provided in the same interconnectable module 10 as the reactor 16.

To achieve a predetermined batch size of a target product batch size, multiple barrels may be used to fill the raw material during the batch operation. To achieve accurate batches, the quality of the final barrel is typically measured to ensure that an accurate amount of raw material is charged into the reactor 16. Accordingly, a weighing scale 152 may be provided in the second interconnectable module or auxiliary unit 150 to facilitate the measurement of the raw material buckets. The weighing scale 152 may include a weighing scale reader 164.

The production cabinet 154 provides the production operator with storage space for the necessary equipment and accessories to be conveniently accessed during the production operation. Examples of items that may be stored in production cabinet 154 include personal protective equipment, respiratory masks, gloves, flashlights, chemical safety goggles, spill kits, and sample bottles.

The maintenance cabinet 156 provides the production operator with storage space for the necessary equipment and accessories for convenient access during maintenance work. Examples of items that may be stored in the maintenance cabinet 156 include equipment and tools such as O-rings, gaskets, back-up valves, burst disks, filter bags, and diaphragm seals.

The additional space provided by the second interconnectable module 150 may be used as a storage area for one or more spare Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) 158 to facilitate access. The backup IBC may be used to contain emissions from the reactor 16 and/or containment system 86. The spare IBC may also be used as an emergency measure to provide additional containment space for the manufacturing facility 12.

During raw material transfer operations when raw materials are loaded into the reactor 16 from a drum, IBC or ISO tank vessel via the input pump 82, hoses and lances may be required to facilitate these transfers. The provision of the shelving system 160 in the second interconnectable module 150 allows for convenient storage and access to the hoses and spray guns when needed.

The fire extinguisher 162 disposed in the second interconnectable module 150 serves as a first line of emergency response in the event of a small fire, and the fire extinguisher 162 is provided in addition to the fire foam extinguisher 104 in the first interconnectable module 10. The extinguisher 162 may be a foam extinguisher, a carbon dioxide extinguisher or a dry extinguisher depending on the operational requirements.

The containment system 164 functions similarly to the first interconnectable module 10 and, when coupled to the containment system 86 of the first interconnectable module 10, increases the containment capacity of the manufacturing facility 12.

The lighting system 166 provides illumination in the second interconnectable module 150 when a production operator needs to enter the second interconnectable module 150.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a manufacturing facility 200 is shown. The manufacturing facility 200 in the illustrated embodiment includes a first interconnectable module 10 to which a second interconnectable module 150 is coupled to the first interconnectable module 10. In this embodiment, the first and second interconnectable modules 10 and 150 are provided with castings 202 at the corners of the first and second interconnectable modules 10 and 150. The casting 202 is used to connect and secure the first and second interconnectable modules 10 and 150 to one another. Advantageously, the casting 202 provides the option of securing a plurality of interconnectable modules together, if desired, facilitates the connection between the modules to accommodate the drain points, and allows the interconnectable modules to be secured together while in transit or transport.

Referring now to fig. 4-6, various configurations of manufacturing facilities having different interconnectable module numbers and layouts are shown. In particular, fig. 4 shows a manufacturing facility 250 having two (2) first interconnectable modules 10 and a separate second interconnectable module 150 connected to each other in a side-by-side arrangement, fig. 5 shows a manufacturing facility 300 having two (2) first interconnectable modules 10 and a second interconnectable module 150 arranged in series, and fig. 6 shows a manufacturing facility 350 having three (3) first interconnectable modules 10 and a separate second interconnectable module 150, two of the three (3) first interconnectable modules 10 being connected to each other in a side-by-side arrangement.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the present invention is not limited by the number of interconnectable modules employed or the configuration of the layout of the interconnectable modules.

As is apparent from the foregoing discussion, the present invention provides a modular manufacturing facility. Advantageously, this allows for rapid scaling up or down of the production capacity of the manufacturing facility, thereby providing greater flexibility in managing the production capacity of the manufacturing facility. Furthermore, by easy assembly and disassembly of the interconnectable modules, the flexibility of managing production capacity is further enhanced, facilitating transportation and rapid establishment of manufacturing facilities in areas of greater business demand. Furthermore, because all of the manufacturing components are integrated within a single interconnectable module, the entire manufacturing process can be streamlined, and the manufacturing operator can visit the manufacturing facility at a single location for raw material unloading, input operations, product output, filtration, sampling, valve opening and closing, and clean-in-place operations. More advantageously, integrating all of the piping and equipment into a single interconnectable module also facilitates easier access and faster maintenance, thereby reducing downtime and increasing production time available for manufacturing operations. Within the interconnectable module, the piping and equipment can be readily adapted to modify the specifications of the interconnectable module and the layout within the interconnectable module.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the claims.

Furthermore, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like are to be construed in an inclusive as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".