Liquefied Natural Gas

STORAGE TANK:
• LNG is generally stored fully refrigerated at
-161°C and at atmospheric pressure.
• The storage tank systems used in LNG are
 Single wall tank
 Double wall tank
 Double integrity tank
 Membrane tank
Single wall tank:
• Wall made of low temp steel with external insulation covered by
vapour barrier.
Double wall tank:
• Inner wall made of low temp steel &outer wall of carbon steel with
insulation in between.
• Outer wall is not designed to with stand the cold liquid so this only
a single containment system.
Double integrity tank:
• Inner wall with suspended deck & an outer wall.
• Three permutations of mtl of construction are used
1. In first both inner & outer wall are of low temp steel
2. In second inner wall is of low temp steel &outer is of pre stressed
concrete.
3. In third both walls are of pre stressed concrete.
• In all three of these designs the outer wall is also
capable of containing cold liquid.
Membrane tank:
• It consists of per stressed concrete containment lined
with stainless steel membrane.
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT:
• Secondary containment may be provided in the form of
bunds.
• The bund height may be low, intermediate or high
since bund has to contain the full contents of the tank.
• Low bund has to be located at some distance, high
bund can be located close to the tank and intermediate
bund can be located at intermediate distance from the
tank.
FOUNDATIONS:
• Foundations for LNG tanks are two main types
 An elevated pile cap foundation with free air circulation
 Ring wall foundation with heating system.
INSULATION:
• For Single wall tank is polyurethane with metal jacket.
• For double wall tank perlite is used between two walls.
ANCILLARY FACILITIES:
• It includes refrigeration system & pumping facilities.
• Super heated liquid rundown from process units, heat in
leak into pipe work & flash vapour formed during loading of
ships.
• Maximum vapour load occur during ship loading where
refrigeration facilities are provided to deal with loads,
but peak vapour flows are sent to flare.
INSTRUMENTATION:
• A refrigerated LNG storage tank should provided with
suitable measurement gas flows for liquid level,
pressure level, temp in tank & boil off gas flow.
• Principle features of instrumentation are to prevent
overpressure & overfilling.
PRESSURE RELIEF:
• The tank requires pressure relief & vent disposal
arrangements.
• Pressure rises may occur due to heat in leak into tank,
high liquid in flow, in flow of superheated liquid, fall in
barometric pressure, failure of pressure control system,
heat input during fire or rollover.
FIRE PROTECTION:
• Hazardous area classification for flammable gas
detection & to range of fire control &
extinguishing systems such as water sprinkler,
foam, dry chemical systems.
• Protection measures such as containment system
which limits the size of the pool, protective
coating systems, foam systems & water deluge
systems.

ROLLOVER:
• Under certain conditions rollover of liquid occur
in LNG tank resulting in the rapid evolution of
large quantity of vapour with potential to over
pressure the tank.
• Stratification can occur in LNG tank if the density
of the liquid cargo charged to the tank is
significantly different from that of the heel
already in the tank.
• Measure taken to reduce risk of rollover are
1. Limitation of variation in LNG composition
2. Mixing of the tank contents by use of top &
bottom filling points
3. Mixing of tank contents by pump recirculation
4. Pressure content of the tank
5. Monitoring of parameters related to
stratification
6. Provision of high capacity vent
UNDERGROUND STORAGE:
• Problems experience in making the
containment leak tight and water proof and
with fissuring of the ground.
• The heat in leak resulted in boil off rate which
was uneconomic.
• The boil off for good above ground tank is of
the order of 0.04% per day volume that for
earth pit storage is 0.3%.
HYDROGEN
• Hydrogen is stored both as gas & as a liquid.
• Principle type of storage for gaseous hydrogen is
in pressure container which includes cylinders.
• Hydrogen is stored in small gas holders but large
ones are not favored for safety reasons.
• Another form of storage is in salt caverns, where
storage is affected by brine displacement.
• The gaseous hydrogen is stored in pressure
containers & above ground.
• The storage options are in a open or separate
building with minimum separation distance, in a
building with special room.
• If there are flammable liquids in the vicinity of the
storage necessary arrangements provided to
prevent flammable liquid spillage from running into
hydrogen storage area.
• Diversion walls are designed not too high barrier
which may create a confined space where hydrogen
leak get accumulated.
• Pressure relief should be designed so that discharge
upwards, unobstructed to the open air & does not
impinge on equipment.
• Hydrogen flares are practically invisible & may be
detected by heat radiated which should be in mind
while designing.
CHLORINE
• Storage of chlorine as a liquid is mainly at chemical works or at
installations where it is required for water treatment such as
waterworks, power stations &swimming baths.

• It is generally stored under pressure at atm temp but may be

stored fully refrigerated at -34°C & atm pressure.

STORAGE SYSTEMS:
• It should be stored in bulk only & have a capacity appreciably
greater than a full load from a road tanker or rail tanker.

• Number of vessels used should be minimum to avoid complexity &

proliferation of potential leak sources, but flexibility & continuity of
supply requires at least two vessels.

• Stored liquid could be released by failure of vessel holding & by

failure of pipe work or equipment connected to vessel
• Critical factor in preventing escapes
Isolation of stocks from external equipment
Isolation of process vessels
Protection from external damage
Maintaining design conditions & relieving abnormal
conditions
Disposal of purged or vented mtl
Retention of spillage near the point of origin & for the
treatment.
MATERIAL CONSTRUCTION:
• The normal mtl used is mild steel & is satisfactory
for the handling of dry gaseous or liquid chlorine
but not for wet chlorine.
• There are upper & lower temp limits for mild
steel which should not be exceeded.
STORAGE VESSELS:
• The storage vessels are horizontal for smaller
capacities and spherical for larger ones.
• The mini design temp should be -35ºC & mini
design pressure should be 12 bar
• Connections in storage vessel are
1. Liquid chlorine inlet
2. Liquid chlorine outlet
3. Vent & padding air lines
4. Instrument connections
5. Relief systems
• The vessels should be located above ground &
provided with bunds.
ANCILLARY FACILITIES:
• Expansion vessel to take vented chlorine in the
event of over filling.
• A gas absorption unit for vented materials.
• Equipment for transfer of chlorine from storage to
consumer plants.
• Vaporization equipment to provide chlorine gas to
consumer plants.

INSTRUMENTATION:
• Storage vessel should be provided with suitable
measurements & alarms on liquid contents,
pressure, temp.
• Over filling should receive particular attention &
provided with chlorine gas detector system.
PRESSURE RELIEF:
• Pressure relief should be ultimate safeguard &
arrangements be double stream system with isolation
valves.
• Mechanical interlock on the isolation valves to
safeguard against risk.
• An expansion vessel should be provided to receive the
relief.
ABSORPTION SYSTEM:
• There should be suitable arrangement for the
absorption of any chlorine vented.
• The gas absorption system receives chlorine gas from
normal venting & via expanding vessel, gas from the
relief system.
TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS:
• Two methods most commonly used are padding gas
pressure & pumping.
• The padding gas may be nitrogen or compressed
dry air, it is held in a receiver with an operating
pressure & with protective devices &
instrumentation so that storage cannot be over
pressured.

• The pumping may be utilized where higher pressure

is required & installed inside of tank & of external
pumps.

.
 VAPOURIZERS
• It is not good practice to draw the gas from the vapour space
of chlorine storage vessel.

• Three heating media are used in chlorine vaporizers hot

water, steam, Heat transferring fluids.

• The main types of vaporizers used are

1. Vertical tube bund

2. Coiled tube immersed in heating bath

3. Concentric tube

4. Kettle
INSPECTION:

• Initial inspection made when vessel is brought

into service & first thorough in-service
inspection within 5yrs of commissioning.

• Inspection Interval should not exceed 5yrs