Types of Industrial Storage Tanks

Industrial storage tanks come in various types, each designed to store specific materials such as water, chemicals, oil, gases, and other bulk liquids or solids. The choice of tank type depends on the substance being stored, environmental conditions, and regulatory requirements. Here are the major types of industrial storage tanks:

1. Fixed Roof Tanks

• Description: These tanks have a permanent, non-movable roof attached to the top of the cylindrical shell.
• Common Uses: Used for storing liquids with low vapor pressure, such as water, petroleum products, and chemicals.
• Advantages:
  • Simple design.
  • Cost-effective for storing liquids that don’t emit significant vapors.
• Disadvantages:
  • Limited vapor space, leading to vapor losses in volatile liquids.

2. Floating Roof Tanks

• Description: These tanks have a roof that floats directly on the surface of the stored liquid, rising and falling with the liquid level.
• Types:
  • External Floating Roof: Used in open tanks.
  • Internal Floating Roof: Used in tanks with a fixed outer roof but a floating internal roof.
• Common Uses: Typically used for storing volatile liquids such as crude oil, gasoline, and other petroleum products.
• Advantages:
  • Reduces vapor loss and minimizes the risk of fire or explosion.
  • Limits the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires regular maintenance to ensure the roof functions properly.
  • More expensive than fixed roof tanks.

3. Open-Top Tanks

• Description: These are simple tanks without a roof, used for storing solids, liquids, or slurries.
• Common Uses: Water storage, wastewater treatment, or storing materials that do not require protection from environmental exposure.
• Advantages:
  • Easy access for cleaning, filling, and maintenance.
• Disadvantages:
  • Exposure to contaminants, evaporation, and weather conditions (rain, dust, etc.).

4. Cone-Bottom Tanks

• Description: These tanks have a conical base that allows for the easy draining of liquids or solids.
• Common Uses: Used for materials that require complete drainage, such as thick liquids, chemicals, or solids (grains, powders).
• Advantages:
  • Efficient draining and cleaning.
  • Ideal for viscous liquids and solids.
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires proper support to handle the conical structure.

5. Horizontal Cylindrical Tanks

• Description: Cylindrical tanks mounted horizontally on saddles or supports.
• Common Uses: Used to store smaller volumes of liquids, such as fuel, oil, and chemicals.
• Advantages:
  • Can be used in spaces with height restrictions.
  • Ideal for smaller volumes.
• Disadvantages:
  • Difficult to clean compared to vertical tanks.
  • Requires more space for horizontal installation.

6. Vertical Cylindrical Tanks

• Description: These tanks are upright cylindrical structures commonly used for bulk storage.
• Common Uses: Used for storing large volumes of water, chemicals, petroleum products, and other liquids.
• Advantages:
  • Space-efficient for large-volume storage.
  • Easier to clean and maintain than horizontal tanks.
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires stable foundation and supports due to large height and weight.

7. Spherical Storage Tanks

• Description: Spherical tanks are used to store gases or liquids at high pressure.
• Common Uses: Commonly used for storing compressed gases such as LPG, LNG, or propane.
• Advantages:
  • Even distribution of pressure across the surface, making them suitable for high-pressure storage.
  • Reduces the risk of structural failure under pressure.
• Disadvantages:
  • Expensive to construct and maintain.
  • Requires specialized construction techniques.

8. LNG/LPG Tanks

• Description: Specialized tanks designed to store Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) under cryogenic conditions.
• Common Uses: LNG storage tanks are used in the energy industry to store natural gas in liquid form, while LPG tanks store propane, butane, and other gases.
• Advantages:
  • Capable of storing gases in their liquid state, reducing volume significantly.
  • Designed for very low-temperature environments.
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires careful insulation and temperature control.
  • Expensive due to the materials and construction techniques required for cryogenic storage.

9. Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)

• Description: Tanks that are installed below ground level.
• Common Uses: Used for storing petroleum products (fuel), chemicals, and water.
• Advantages:
  • Saves space above ground.
  • Protects stored materials from temperature fluctuations and fire hazards.
• Disadvantages:
  • Difficult to inspect and maintain.
  • Potential risk of leaks and soil contamination if not properly maintained.

10. Above-Ground Storage Tanks (ASTs)

• Description: Tanks installed above ground, typically made from steel, fiberglass, or plastic.
• Common Uses: Used for storing chemicals, petroleum products, water, and other liquids.
• Advantages:
  • Easy to inspect, maintain, and repair.
  • Lower risk of soil contamination compared to USTs.
• Disadvantages:
  • Exposed to environmental conditions like weather and temperature fluctuations.

11. Pressure Vessels

• Description: Tanks designed to store gases or liquids under high pressure.
• Common Uses: Commonly used for storing compressed gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and industrial gases.
• Advantages:
  • Designed to handle high internal pressures.
  • Suitable for volatile and flammable gases.
• Disadvantages:
  • Strict regulatory requirements for design, construction, and operation.
  • Expensive and requires regular safety inspections.

12. Double-Walled Tanks

• Description: Tanks that consist of an inner tank and an outer tank with space between them, often used for leak detection and secondary containment.
• Common Uses: Used for storing hazardous materials such as fuel, chemicals, and flammable liquids.
• Advantages:
  • Provides extra protection against leaks and spills.
  • Secondary containment helps prevent environmental contamination.
• Disadvantages:
  • More expensive than single-walled tanks.
  • Requires regular monitoring of the space between walls for leaks.

13. Bolted Steel Tanks

• Description: These are made from prefabricated steel panels that are bolted together on-site.
• Common Uses: Water storage, agricultural storage, and industrial liquids.
• Advantages:
  • Modular and easy to assemble.
  • Can be disassembled and relocated.
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires regular maintenance to ensure bolts and seals remain intact.
  • Prone to corrosion without proper coatings.

14. Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Tanks

• Description: Tanks made from fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), a lightweight and corrosion-resistant material.
• Common Uses: Storing corrosive chemicals, wastewater, and water.
• Advantages:
  • High corrosion resistance.
  • Lightweight and easy to install.
• Disadvantages:
  • Not suitable for high-pressure applications.
  • Susceptible to UV damage without protective coatings.

15. Polyethylene (Plastic) Tanks

• Description: Tanks made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or other types of plastic.
• Common Uses: Water storage, chemical storage, agricultural applications.
• Advantages:
  • Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and cost-effective.
  • Easy to install and transport.
• Disadvantages:
  • Limited to lower pressures and temperatures.
  • Can degrade under prolonged exposure to UV light.

16. Cryogenic Tanks

• Description: Tanks designed for storing cryogenic liquids at extremely low temperatures (e.g., liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen).
• Common Uses: Industrial gases, medical applications, and liquefied natural gases (LNG).
• Advantages:
  • Capable of maintaining extremely low temperatures.
  • Reduces gas volume, making it easier to store large quantities of gases.
• Disadvantages:
  • Expensive and requires careful monitoring of temperature and pressure.
  • Requires specialized construction materials to handle low temperatures.

Conclusion:

The type of industrial storage tank chosen depends on the material being stored, its physical and chemical properties, storage volume, environmental conditions, and regulatory requirements. Each type of tank has its own advantages and disadvantages, so careful consideration must be given to the specific needs of the storage application.