STORAGE TANKS

For Refineries

TANK

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 primary function of a storage tank is to store a liquid

substance. The liquid substance may be:
a) Feedstock
b) finished product ready to be shipped to the customers.
c) or unfinished petroleum components awaiting for
further processing.

Tank

(cont)

Broadly the storage tanks can be divided into two main

categories.

Atmospheric storage
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. Tanks
used in this category are primarily the fixed roof (cone and
dome) and floating roof.

Pressurized Storage
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 are the products requiring pressurized
storage vessels.

Atmospheric Storage Tanks

For safe storage of petroleum products, we have to consider
the product properties such as volatility(RVP, pour point, flash
point and others before we start designing and constructing
the tanks.
Due to the difference in properties of the liquids we have
different types of tanks namely: Fixed cone roof, Internal
floating roof, external floating roof and Dome roof tanks.
Fixed roof tanks are common in production facilities to store
hydrocarbons with vapour pressures close to atmospheric
pressure. It is the most basic tank design.
The fixed roofs can be both conical or dome
shaped depending on the requirement of the
designer wanting self supporting roof (Dome)
or column supported roofs(cone roof).

Atmospheric Storage Tanks

(cont)

The internal floating roof(IFR) tanks were designed so as to reduce

vapor losses from the surface of the liquid. The floating roof moves in
tandem with the liquid level thereby not leaving any room for vapors to
form.
The IFR tanks consists of a series of
pontoons - (closed compartments)
around the outer edge of a central plate.
This construction increases the floating
stability of the roof.
Previously the cost of IFR tanks
was justified by the reduction in the loss
of the product in the form of vapors and
also minimizing the risk of fire.
But nowadays it is used for its environmental
impact as it reduces harmful emissions
into the atmosphere.

Tank Design

Tanks are designed and manufactured strictly adhering to

the API 650 standard.

It establishes minimum requirements for material, design,

fabrication, erection, and inspection for vertical, cylindrical,
aboveground, closed- and open-top, welded storage tanks
in various sizes and capacities for internal pressures
approximating atmospheric pressure (internal pressures not
exceeding the weight of the roof plates), but a higher
internal pressure is permitted when additional requirements
are met.

DESIGN OF TANK COMPONENTS

Shell Design:
The required shell thickness shall be the greater of the design shell
thickness, including any corrosion allowance, or the hydrostatic test
shell thickness, but the shell thickness shall not be less than the
following:
Nominal Tank Diameter
Nominal Plate
Thickness
(m)
(mm)
< 15
5
15 to 36
6
36 to 60
8
> 60
10
The tank shell should also be checked for stability against buckling from
the design wind speed. If required for stability, intermediate girders,
increased shell-plate thicknesses, or both shall be used.

Shell Design

(cont)

Shell Design: As per clause 5.6.3(API 650) Shell thickness is calculated

for two conditions, design conditions and hydrotest condition.

where ,
Design Condition:
td is the design thickness required, in
td= 4.9D(H 0.3)G + CA
mm
Sd
tt is the hydrostatic thickness
required, in mm
Hydrostatic Condition:
D
is the diameter of the tank, in m
tt= 4.9D(H 0.3)
H
is the design liquid level, in m
St
G
is the specific gravity of the
The required minimum thickness of the
product
shell plates shall be greater of the values
CA is the corrosion allowance, in mm
computed by the above formulas.
Sd is the allowable stress for design
condition, in Mpa
The method explained above is the one
St is the allowable stress for test
foot method suitable only for tanks withcondition, in Mpa.
diameter less than 60 m.

Shell Design

(cont)

In the previous formulae the Sd and St depend on the

material used for construction.
Following are the common plate materials used for
construction of tanks,
1. A36
2. A283 Gr C
3. A285 Gr C
4. A131 Gr A
5. A131 Gr B
6. A516 Gr 55, 60, 65, 70
7. A537 Cl 1, Cl 2
The minimum tensile strength of materials used in
construction of tanks are between 380 MPa to 550 MPa.
Carbon content between 0.15% to 0.25%.

Sample Calculation

To design a tank having OD 57 m. and height 14.8 m for

liquid with density 0.72.
1ST SHELL COURSE: (Material A537M Gr.1)
td= 4.9*57*(14.8 0.3)*0.72 + 1
=
16.04 mm
194
tt= 4.9*57*(14.8 0.3)
=
19.47 mm
208
Hence we choose a 20mm thickness plate for the bottom course.

2ND SHELL COURSE: (Material A36M)

As the width of the first course is 2.5 m the H for the second course is 12.3
m (14.8-2.5).
td= 4.9*57*(12.3 0.3)*0.72 + 1
=
16.08 mm
160
tt= 4.9*57*(12.3 0.3)
=
19.6 mm
171
Hence we choose a 20mm thickness plate for the second shell course.