Storage tank, abbreviated as TK, is used to store volumes of fluids for storage or as part of a process.

 

 

 

 

 

Storage Tank Types

Vertical tank (bolted and welded) (double wall and single wall)

• Open top tank (atmospheric)  -  Normally for petroleum products but can contain cooling water and fire water.

• Fixed roof tank (atmospheric, low pressure, high pressure)  -  Either be self supported or rafter/trusses supported depending on size.
  
  • Cone roof tank (supported and self supported)
  • Dome roof tank (supported and self supported)
  • Internal floating roof tank (supported and self supported)

• Floating roof tank  -  Roof sits directly on top of product.
  
  • External floating roof tank  -  Roof sits directly on top of product, open to atmosphere.
  • Internal floating roof  tank -  Roof sits directly on top of product, tank has a fixed roof.

Horizontal tank (double wall and single wall)

• Bullet tank  -  Presurized liquid gas tank.

Spherical tank  -  Presurized liquid gas tank.

 

Storage Tank Standards

API Standards

• API Std 620 - Standard for Design and Construction of Large, welded, Low-pressure Storage Tanks
• API Std 650 - Standard for Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage
• API RP 651 - Recommended Practice for Cathodic Protection of Aboveground Storage Tanks
• API RP 652 - Recommended Practice for Cathodic Protection of Aboveground Storage Tanks
• API Std 653 - Standard for Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction
• API Std 2000 - Standard for Venting Atmospheric and Low-pressure Storage Tanks: Nonrefrigerated and Refrigerated
• API Std 2015 - Standard for Requirements for Safe Entry and Cleaning of Petroleum Storage Tanks

NACE Standards

• NACE RP0193 - External Cathodic Protection of On-grade Metallic Storage Tank Bottoms
• NACE SP0102 - In-Line Inspection of Pipelines
• NACE SP0106 - Control of Internal Corrosion in Steel Pipelines and Piping Systems
• NACE SP0169 - Control of External Corrosion on Underground or Submerged Metallic Piping Systems
• NACE SP0188 - Discontinuity (Holiday) Testing of Protective Coating
• NACE SP0193 - External Cathodic Protection of On-Grade Carbon Steel Storage Tank Bottoms
• NACE SP0216 - Steel-Cased Pipeline Practices
• NACE SP0205 - External Corrosion Control of Underground Storage Tank Systems by Cathodic Protection
• NACE SP0285 - Corrosion Control of Underground Storage Tank Systems by Cathodic Protection
• NACE SP0502 - Pipeline External Corrosion Direct Assessment Methodology
• NACE SP0607 - Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries Cathodic Protection of Pipeline
• NACE Publication 51317 - Performance Failure of API 650 Oil Storage Tank Bottom Plates Due to Soil Side Corrosion
• NACE Publication 51318-11258 - Robotic Online Storage Tank Floor Inspection Case Study
• NACE Publication 51318 - Linings of Aboveground Storage Tanks
• NACE Publication 1E100 - Engineering Symbols Related to Cathodic Protection
• NACE TR21447 - Consequences of Coating Failures as Related to Interaction with Cathodic Protection

 

Mathematics Symbols

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Nomenclature & Symbols for Engineering, Mathematics, and Science 

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List of all Site categories  -  List of all Tags

 

Storage Tank Nomenclature & Symbols

• \( p_a\)  -  absolute pressure
• \( p_a \)  -  atmospheric pressure
• \( Ba \)  -  Barlow's formula
• \( BF \)  -  blind flange
• \( K \)  -  cavitation
• \( CRSN \)  -  corrosion
• \( H \)  -  enthalpy
• \( FLG \)  -  flange
• \( GV \)  -  gate valve
• \( GLV \)  -  globe valve
• \( q \)  -  heat
• \( Q \)  -  heat transfer
• \( L \)  -  latent heat
• \( LS \)  -  level switch
• \( MW \)  -  manway
• \( \dot m_f \)  -  mass flow rate
• \( NOZ \)  -  nozzle
• \( p \)  -  pressure
• \( \Delta p \)  -  pressure differential
• \( \Delta P \)  -  pressure loss
• \( PSV \)  -  pressure safety valve
• \( PV \)  -  pressure vessel
• \( PLC \)  -  programmable logic controller
• \( Q \)  -  sensible heat
• \( SOF\)  -  slip-on flange
• \( SG \)  -  specific gravity
• \( \sigma \)  (Greek symbol sigma)  -  stress
• \( TK \)  -  tank
• \( T \)  -  temperature
• \( TW\)  -  thermowell
• \( \eta \)  (Greek symbol eta)  -  viscosity
• \( H_2 O\)  -  water
• \( WH \)  -  water hammer
• \( WP \)  -  working pressure
• \( \sigma \)  (Greek symbol sigma)  -  yield strength

 

Storage Tank Terms

• See A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

A

• Absolute pressure  -  A pressure at absolute zero can only exist in a total vacuum and any pressure above this is called absolute pressure.

• Acid gas (sour gas)  -  Any significant amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) contains a natural gas that can cause corrosion.

• Anchor bolt  -

• Anode  -

• Atmospheric pressure  -  The pressure exerted upon the earth's surface by the air because of the gravitational attraction of the earth.

B

• Baffle  -  Reduces disturbance and surges from the inlet fluids in horizontal or vertical.  The most used type is a perforated plate in the shape of a segmented circle.

• Base plate  -  A plate attached to the bottom of the support that sits on the foundation.

• Barlow's formula  -  The point just before or at when a pipe or tubing fails under pressure.

• Blind flange  -  A piping component for covering or closing the end of a pipe, valve, vessel or tank.

C

• Catalyst  -  A material that aids or promotes a chemical reaction between other substances but does not react itself.

• Cavitation  -  The creation and collapse of bubbles in a liquid.

• Corrosion  -  The thinning of a pipe wall that is typically caused by a chemical reaction from a corroding fluid or agent and is limited almost exclusively to metal products.

• Corrosion allowance  -  The amount of material in a pipe or vessel that is available for corrosion without affecting the pressure containing integrity.

• Corrosion inhibitor  -  A substance that slows down the chemical reaction rate of corrosion on metal that is exposed to the environment.

• Crude  -  A mixture of naturally occuring liquid hydrocarbons before refining.

• Crude oil  -  See crude.

D

• Data plate  -  On all vessels. Gives the manufacturer, year manufactured, pressure, temperature, and any other indormation needed about the vessel.

• Davit arm  -

• Design pressure  -  The pressure the vessel is designed for.

• Design temperature  -  The temperature the vessel is designed for.

• Distillate  -  Products of distillation formed by condensing vapors.

E

• Enthalpy  -  Measures the sum of internal energy changes in heat under constant pressure of the system.

F

• Flange  -  A bolted connection where two pieces of pipe, equipment, fittings or valves are connected together to form a piping system.

• Flush-type cleanout  -

G

• Gate valve  -  One of the most frequently used valve in piping systems and is classified as either "rising-stem" or "nonrising-stem" valves.

• Gas boot vapor  -

• Gauge hatch  -

• Globe valve  -  A type of valve used for regulating fluid flow, both on/off and throttling, it is a control valve.

• Grounding lug  -

• Gusset plate  -  A thick steel plate used to strengthen joints on new and retrofitted structures.

H

• Head  -  The end closure of the vessel.

• Heat  -  A form of energy that causes physical change in what is being heated.

• Heat transfer  -  The exertion of power that is created by heat, or the increase in temperature.

• Heavy crude  -  Crude oil with a high proportion of heavy hydrocarbons and metallic content.

• Holiday  -  A discontinuity in painted or coated surfaces.

I

• Inlet with spreaded  -

• Inside diameter  -

J

• Jacket vessel  -  An external cavity around the vessel, controlling the temperature of the contents of the vessel through a cooling or heating fluid.

K

L

• Latent heat  -  The energy absorbed or released by a substance during a constant temperature or phase change from a solid to liquid, liquid to gas or vise versa.

• Level interface  -

• Level switch  - Provides a discrete input to the PLC.  The level switch is typically used as a method of control in tanks and vessels.

• Light crude  -  Crude oil with a light proportion of light hydrocarbons fractions and low metallic compounds.

• Liquid  -  A specific volume and can hold any shape it is contained within.

• Liquefied natural gas  -  Natural gas cooled to a liquid state.

M

• Manway  -  An opening on a tank or vessel designed as an entryway for personal access and equipment.

• Mass flow rate  -  The average velocity of a mass that passes by a point.

• Maximum operating pressure  -  The maximum pressure permissible at the top of the vessel during normal operation.

• Maximum operating pressure  -  The maximum temperature permissible that provides sufficient flexability during normal operation.

N

• Nameplate  -  On all vessels. Gives the manufacturer, year manufactured, pressure, temperature, and any other indormation needed about the vessel.

• Nozzle  -  A nozzle, abbreviated as NOZ, is a An opening in a tank or vessel for a flanged connection.

O

• Oil outlet  -

• Outside diameter  -

• Overflow  -

P

• Petroleum  -  See crude.

• PH  -  How acidic or alkakine water is.

• Pressure  -  It is the force exerted perpendicular to the surface of an object and is expressed as force per unit area.

• Pressure differential  -  The pressure difference between two points of a system.

• Pressure loss  -  The difference in upstream and downstream pressure.

• Pressure safety valve  -  Used to protect vessels and tanks from overpressure. It is designed to protect critical system components such as pressure vessels, tanks and flange ratings.

• Programmable logic controller  -  The types of signals are analog output (AO), analog input (AI), discrete output (DO), and discrete Input (DI).

Q

R

• Raw water  -  Untreated water.

S

• Saddle  -  Used to support horizontal and vertical designs in locations to support the concentrated loads at on each end of the vessel.

• Sample box  -  A sample box is a series of pipe, valves and fittings located on a pressure vessel or tank that is used to manually determine the height of the liquid or where the interface between oil and water resides.

• Sand pan  -

• Saturated steam  -  The point (temperature and pressure) when steam is in contact with the liquid water (boiling) it came from.

• Sensible heat  -  The heat added to a substance which increases its temperature but not the phase is called sensible heat.

• Shell  -  The cylinder portion of the vessel.

• Shell nozzle  -

• Shell platform  -

• Slip-on flange  -  Designed to slip over the outside of pipe, long-tangent elbows, reducers, and swages.

• Sour gas  -  See acid gas.

• Specific gravity  -  The density or ratio of any substance to another substance.

• Stack gas  -  Anything that comes out of a burner stack in gaseous form.

• Stress  -  The force per unit area of cross-section.

• Stub end  -  Allows a flange to swivel in order to mate with another flanges bolt holes that may not align perfectly.

• Sweet crude  -  Crude oil with a sulfur content less than 0.5% by weight, no sulfur smell.

T

• Tail gas  -  The lightest hydrocarbon gas released from a refining process.

• Temperature  -  The amount of heat or cold, but it is neither heat or cold.

• Tension strength  -  The capacity of a material to resist a force tending to stretch it.

• Thermal expansion  -  The increase in length, area or volume due to the increase (in some cased decrease) in temperature.

• Thermowell  -  Used in temperature measurement and provide isolation from the temperature sensor and the process fluid.

• Truck connection  -

U

V

• Vacuum breaker  -  A vent on top of the vessel that allows air to be pulled into the tank.

• Vacuum tank  -  Uses high-pressure hoses to clean out liquids and sludges without any damage to the object being cleaned.

• Vapor recovery  -

• Venting roof nozzle  -

• Vessel internals  -  Vessels have internals to help them effectively process the fluids go through it.

• Viscosity  -  The measure of the internal friction/resistance to the flow of a liquid.

• Vortex breaker  -  When the flow exits a nozzle it will create a vortex.  A cross of plates on the discharge nozzle will prevent the discharge from swirling.

W

• Water  -  Can exist in three of the four phases of matter: gas, liquid, or solid.

• Water hammer  -  A valve is suddenly opened or closed.

• Water outlet  -

• Weep  -  A term applied to a minute leak.

• Welding  -  The fabrication process that fuses like materials togeather by heating them to a suitable temperatures, this can be acomplished by brazing, soldering or welding.

• Wet gas  -  A gas containing a relatively high portion of hydrocarbons that are recoverable as liquids.

• Wier box  -

• Working pressure  -  The normal pressure that a system operates at.

X

Y

• Yield strength  -  The minimum stress that leads to permanent deformation of the material.

Z

 

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