PART I
EXPLORING
STORAGE
TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
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Cindy Tamara Nababan
[email protected] EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
Tanks have been around since the beginning of hydrocarbon production. Tanks
vary considerably, in the type and size based on the type of products to be stored
and the volume involved. The failure of a tank can have several undesirable effects
such as endangering personnel, affecting the environment and interrupting the
Operator’s business. Companies therefore, require a consistent approach for
assessing tank integrity and maintaining compliance with industry and regulatory
standards, (that is community requirements). Such an approach must:
Ensure tanks are not leaking and will not leak before next inspection
➤Reduce the potential for releases
➤Maintain tanks in safe operating conditions, and
➤Make repairs and determine when replacement is necessary.
Handling for:
1.Feed stocks
2.Products
3.Chemicals and catalysts
4.Purchased utilities
5.Fuels
EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
The primary function of a storage tank is to store liquid substance. This liquid
substance may be:
➤Feedstock
➤Finished products prior to shipping out to customers
➤Unfinished petroleum components awaiting for further processing
(intermediate) and/ blending.
While in the storage tanks, these products may settle out undesirable
substances such as;
➤ Water
➤ Emulsions
➤ Dirt etc.
This undesirable-substances can then be removed through draw-off devices.
Products may also be mixed, blended and treated in storage tanks effectively,
using the large capacity available in these tanks.
🛢️TYPES OF STORAGES TANKS🛢️
Atmospheric Storage Tank
Atmospheric storage is a term applied to tanks operating at or near atmospheric
pressure. This type of tank is used to hold liquid which will not vaporize at
ambient temperature (Suhu lingkungan sekitar). Tanks used in this category are
primarily the open top, fixed roof (cone & dome) and floating roof.
📌 Open Top and Floating Roof Tanks
This type of tank shall be provided with a primary wind girder to maintain
roundness when the tank is subjected to wind loads. The wind girder shall be in
the form of a ring located on the outside of the tank shell, approximately 1 m
below the top of the uppermost shell course. The top of the uppermost shell
course shall be provided with a top curb angle.
EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
📌External floating roof tank.
Cylindrical shell with a floating roof on the liquid surface, where the roof height
follows the liquid level. Types of floating roof decks: pan, pontoon, double deck.
The liquid surface is covered by a floating deck. Evaporated liquid is limited by a
sealing system (rim seal system).
👉 Manholes/ vents are provided for:
➤ Pontoon with liquid tight covers
➤ Deck manholes with are used only during
tank shutdown
➤ Each compartment shall be provided with
elevated vents
➤ Suitable vents shall be provided to prevent
overstressing of the roof deck or seal membrane
👉Support legs
➤ Floating roof shall be provided with support legs
➤ Legs pipes shall be perforated at the bottom to provide drainage
➤ The length of the legs are adjustable from the top
➤ Operating position (low leg) and cleaning or maintenance position (high leg)
👉 Seals/ Types
➤The space between the outer periphery of the roof and the tank shell shall be
sealed by a flexible device that provides a reasonable close fit to shell surface
➤Steel shoes with fabric or nonmetallic material used as seal or seal components
➤Material shall be durable and shall not discolor or contaminate the product
stored.
EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
📌Internal floating roof tank.
Cylindrical shell with a permanent roof and a floating roof inside. Two types of
internal floating roof tanks: Fixed roof supported by vertical columns inside the
tank and Tank with a self-supporting fixed roof without internal support columns.
Floating roof is supported by the deck and floats following the liquid level. Types
of deck: contact deck and non-contact deck.
👉Buoyancy
➤ Metallic pontoon internal floating roofs have
peripheral closed top bulk-headed
compartments for buoyancy.
➤ Double deck internal floating roofs are also
available.
➤ Sandwich-panel internal floating roofs have
metallic panel modules for buoyancy
compartments.
👉Floating screen material
➤Steel
➤Stainless steel
➤Aluminum (commonly used)
👉 Roof seal/ types
A vapor tight rim seal (or skirt) is provided .
➤Liquid filled, Gas-filled or Foam-filled fabric seal
➤Flexible wiper seal
➤Mech. shoe - combination of light gauge metallic band and fabric seal.
📌 Fixed Roof.
Type of roof are Cone roof and Dome roof. A supported cone roof is roof formed to
approximately the surface of a right cone that is supported principally either by
rafters on girders and columns or by rafters on trusses with or without column.
EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
➤Minimum thickness of roof plate – 5mm (3/16 in)
➤Thicker roof plates may be required for self-supporting roofs.
➤The roof thickness also determined by the type of product stored. more
corrosive product require thicker plate.
➤Roof plates of supported cone roofs shall not be attached to the support
members.
➤Roof plate shall be attached to the top angle of the tank with a continuous fillet
weld on the top side only. The roof-to-shell joint may be considered frangible and
in the event of excessive internal pressure may fail before failure occurs in the
tank shell joints or the shell-to-bottom joint.
📌 Domed External Floating Roof Tank
A fixed roof functions to block the wind and
is not a vapor barrier. The commonly used
fixed roof is a self-supporting aluminium
dome roof. Uses a heavier deck.
Pressurized Storage Tank
Pressurized storage applies to those vessels (mounded bullets) which are designed
to withstand pressure sufficient to keep the liquid stored, from vaporizing. High
vapor pressure hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, iC5 are the types of
products requiring pressurized storage vessels (Mounded Bullets).
EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
🛢️TYPES OF TANK FLOORING🛢️
Two types of tank flooring are:
👉 Cone down bottom (Bottom down)
Generally, bottom down is design for cone roof tanks. Centre of the flooring is
installed with drain pit. Water in the tank is accumulated in the pit (lowest point of
the bottom plate/ floor).
👉Cone up bottom (bottom up)
Generally, this type of design is used for floating-roof tanks, 3 to 4 collector pits
are installed, close to the shell plate. Each of the pit is provided with a water draw-
off line. However, only one is connected to the closed water draw system in
PPMSB.
EXPLORING STORAGE TANKS
a summary by Cindy Tamara Nababan,S.T
“REFERENCES”
[Brownell & Young, (1959)] Process Equipment Design
Handbook.pdf. (n.d.).
Hall, S. (2017). Rules of thumb for chemical engineers. In
Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers.
Walas, S. M. (2013). Chemical process equipment: Selection
and design. Chemical Process Equipment: Selection and
Design, 1–755. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2009-0-25916-2
