Storage Tanks

Tanks and Storage Equipment

General
Storage of liquid materials is commonly
accomplished in industrial plants by use of
cylindrical, spherical or rectangular tanks.
These tanks may be constructed of wood,
concrete, or metal, with metal being the
most common material of construction. The
design
of
storage
vessels
involves
consideration of details such as size and
number of openings, shape of heads,
necessary
temperature
and
pressure
controls and corrosive action of the
content.The necessary wall thickness for
metal vessels is a function of:

Tanks and Storage Equipment

General
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The ultimate tensile strength or the yield

point of the metal at the operating
temperature.
The operating pressure
The diameter of the tank
Joint or welding efficiency
Various codes are available which specify
the conditions that must be met for different
vessels.

STORAGE TANKS
Storage tanks can be divided into the following
types:
1.

Atmospheric storage

2.

Pressure storage

3.

Refrigerated storage

Storage Tanks
1. Atmospheric storage Tanks :
- Applied to tanks operating at or near
atmospheric pressure.
- They are used to hold liquids which will
not vaporize at ambient temperature.

Storage Tanks - Atmospheric Tanks

Atmospheric tanks are categorized primarily as follows:
1.
Open top (no roof)
- has no roof and may store or process non-volatile
liquids such as water, brine, etc.
2.

Fixed roof
- Fixed roof tanks, such as cone roof or umbrella roof
are used to store low vapor pressure liquids which will
not vaporize at temperature below 120oF.
- Generally used for gas oil, water, chemicals.

3.

Floating roof
- Floating roof such as hard top pan and pontoon roof
types eliminate the vapor space above the liquid, allows
storage of higher vapor pressure materials.
- Generally used for crude oil, gasoline, napthas

Hard Top Fan Floating Roof Tank

Storage Tanks - Pressure Storage

Tanks
2.

Pressure storage tanks

applies to vessels designed to withstand
pressures sufficient to keep liquid stored
from vaporizing. Used for high vapor
pressure liquid such as butane, propane etc.
Spheres
- Generally used to store high vapor
pressure liquid
Advantage is that it can contain the
greatest amount of liquid for a given amount
of steel.
- A sphere can also withstand greater
pressures with a given plate thickness than
cylindrical vessels.

Storage Tanks - Refrigerated Storage

Tanks
3. Refrigerated storage tanks
- refers to low temperature/cryogenic
storage
- This type is used for gases that liquefy
under pressure at atmospheric temperature.
- In cryogenic storage the gas is at, or near
to, atmospheric pressure and remains liquid
because of low temperature.
Cryogenic refers to temperature below -10oC

Bulk transport of fluids

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Pipe lines
Tank cars (railroad)
Tank trucks
Portable tanks, drum, or bottles
Sea going tankers
Container ship

Types of storage tanks :

Basically there are eight types of tanks used to
store liquids:
Fixed-roof tanks
External floating roof tanks
Internal floating roof tanks
Domed external floating roof tanks
Horizontal tanks
Pressure tanks
Variable vapor space tanks
LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) tanks

The first four tank types are cylindrical in

shape with the axis oriented perpendicular
to the sub grade. These tanks are almost
exclusively above ground. Horizontal tanks
can be used above and below ground.
Pressure
tanks
often
are
horizontally
oriented and spherically shaped to maintain
structural integrity at high pressures. They
are located above ground. Variable vapor
space tanks can be cylindrical or spherical in
shape.

Fixed-Roof Tank
Of currently used tank designs, the fixed-roof
tank is the least expensive to construct and is
generally considered the minimum acceptable
equipment for storing liquids. A typical fixed-roof
tank consists of a cylindrical steel shell with a
cone- or dome-shaped roof that is permanently
affixed to the tank shell. Storage tanks are
usually fully welded and designed for both liquid
and vapor tight, while older tanks are often have
a riveted or bolted construction and are not vapor
tight.

A breather Valve (pressure-vacuum Valve),

which is commonly installed on many fixed-roof
tanks, allows the tank to operate at a slight
internal pressure or vacuum. This Valve
prevents the release of vapors during only very
small changes in temperature, barometric
pressure, or liquid level, the emissions from a
fixed-roof tank can be appreciable.
Additionally, gauge hatches/sample wells, float
gauges, and roof manholes provide accessibility
to these tanks and also serve as potential
sources of volatile emissions.

External Floating Roof Tank

A typical external floating roof tank consists
of an open-topped cylindrical steel shell
equipped with a roof that floats on the surface
of the stored liquid, rising and falling with the
liquid level. The floating roof is comprised of a
deck, fittings, and rim seal system. Floating
roof decks are constructed of welded steel
plates and are of three general types:
Pan,
Pontoon
Double deck.

Although
numerous
pan-type
decks
are
currently in use, the present trend is toward
pontoon and double-deck type floating roofs.
Manufacturers supply various versions of these
basic types of floating decks, which are tailored
to emphasize particular features, such as full
liquid contact, load-carrying capacity, roof
stability, or pontoon arrangement. The liquid
surface is covered by the floating deck, except
in the small annular space between the deck
and the shell; the deck may contact the liquid or
float directly above the surface on pontoons.

External floating roof tanks are equipped with

a rim seal system, which is attached to the roof
perimeter and contacts the tank wall. The rim
seal system slides against the tank wall as the
roof is raised and lowered. The floating deck is
also equipped with fittings that penetrate the
deck and serve operational functions. The
external floating roof design is such that
evaporative losses from the stored liquid are
limited to losses from the rim seal system and
deck fittings (standing storage loss) and any
exposed liquid on the tank walls (withdrawal
loss).

Internal Floating Roof Tank

That tanks has both, a permanent fixed roof and
a floating roof inside. There are two basic types
of internal floating roof tanks:
tanks in which the fixed roof is supported by
vertical columns within the tank
tanks with a self supporting fixed roof and no
internal support columns

The fixed roof is not necessarily free of

openings but does span the entire open plan
area of the vessel. Fixed roof tanks that have
been retrofitted to employ an internal floating
roof are typically of the first type, while
external floating roof tanks that have been
converted to an internal floating roof tank
typically have a self-supporting roof.
Tanks initially constructed with both a fixed
roof and an internal floating roof may be of
either type. An internal floating roof tank has
both a permanently affixed roof and a roof that
floats inside the tank on the liquid surface
(contact deck)

Domed External Floating Roof Tank

Domed external floating roof tanks have the heavier
type of deck used in external floating roof tanks as
well as a fixed roof at the top of the shell like internal
floating roof tanks. Domed external floating roof tanks
usually result from retrofitting an external floating roof
tank with a fixed roof.
As with the internal floating roof tanks, the function of
the fixed roof is not to act as a vapor barrier, but to
block the wind. The type of fixed roof most commonly
used is a self supporting aluminum dome roof, which is
of bolted construction. Like the internal floating roof
tanks, these tanks are freely vented by circulation
vents at the top of the fixed roof. The deck fittings and
rim seals, however, are basically identical to those on
external floating roof tanks.

Horizontal Tank
Horizontal tanks are constructed for both aboveground and underground service. Horizontal tanks
are usually constructed of steel, steel with a
fiberglass
overlay,
or
fiberglass-reinforced
polyester. Horizontal tanks are generally small
storage tanks.
Horizontal tanks are constructed such that the
length of the tank is not greater than six times
the diameter to ensure structural integrity.
Horizontal tanks are usually equipped with
pressure-vacuum vents, gauge hatches and
sample
wells,
and
manholes
to
provide
accessibility to these tanks.

Pressure Tank
In the case of a liquefied gas such as hydrogen
or chlorine , or a compressed gas such as
compressed natural gas , the storage tank must
be made to withstand the sometimes immense
pressures exerted by the contents. These tanks
may be calledcylindersor pressure vessels ,
are sometimes excluded from the class of
"tanks".

Variable Vapor Space Tank

Variable vapor space tanks are equipped with expandable
vapor
reservoirs
to
accommodate
vapor
volume
fluctuations attributable to temperature and barometric
pressure changes. Although variable vapor space tanks are
sometimes used independently, they are normally
connected to the vapor spaces of one or more fixed roof
tanks. The two most common types of variable vapor space
tanks are lifter roof tanks and flexible diaphragm tanks.
Lifter roof tanks have a telescoping roof that fits loosely
around the outside of the main tank wall. The space
between the roof and the wall is closed by either a wet
seal, which is a trough filled with liquid, or a dry seal,
which uses a flexible coated fabric.
Flexible diaphragm tanks use flexible membranes to
provide expandable volume. They may be either separate
gasholder units or integral units mounted atop fixed roof
tanks.

LNG Storage Tank

A liquefied natural gas storage tank or LNG storage tank is
a specialized type of storage tank used for the storage of
Liquefied Natural Gas. LNG storage tanks can be found in
ground, above ground or in LNG carriers. The common
characteristic of LNG Storage tanks is the ability to store
LNG at the very low temperature of -162C. LNG storage
tanks have double containers, where the inner contains
LNG and the outer container contains insulation materials.
The most common tank type is the full containment tank.
Tanks are roughly 55 m (180 ft) high and 75 m in diameter.
In LNG storage tanks if LNG vapours are not released, the
pressure and temperature within the tank will continue to
rise. LNG is a cryogen, and is kept in its liquid state at very
low temperatures. The temperature within the tank will
remain constant if the pressure is kept constant by
allowing the boil off gas to escape from the tank. This is
known as auto-refrigeration.