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October 2006
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Improve selection and sizing of storage tanks

Guidelines help engineers select the best tank design for plant applications

HEYDARI GORJI and H. KALAT JARI, SAZEH Consultants, Tehran, Iran

Comments? Write:
[email protected]

Storage tanks are used to receive and hold raw materials for further processing into end-
products. Within the plant, the feedstocks and raw materials undergo several processes steps by
various operating units. Because the flow of feedstocks and other raw materials is not exactly
instantaneous, tanks are needed to hold various product streams. Finally, storage tanks are used
to hold and store finished products until distribution.

Storage tanks are classified in different ways. Tanks are classified depending on the nature of
the product to be stored (atmospheric, low pressure and medium pressure), operating
temperature (ambient and low temperature) as well as the type of construction (aboveground or
underground and double wall). A significant factor to consider when selecting storage tank is
effects from vapor pressure created by the stored product at the ambient temperatures.

Atmospheric and low-pressure tanks. Six basic tank designs are used for liquid storage
vessels: fixed roof (vertical and horizontal), external floating roof, domed external (or covered)
floating roof, internal floating roof, variable vapor space and medium pressure. A brief description
of each tank is provided here:

Fixed roof. The fixed-roof tank when compared to an open-top tank, which is used mainly in
water and wastewater treatment, contains product vapors with reduced potential for fire. Since
the liquid surface is exposed, the tank-vapor space results significant product evaporation
occurs.

Fixed-roof tanks are generally used to store products that do not readily vaporize at ambient or
stored temperature conditions. For instance, fixed-roof tanks can be used to handle non-volatile
products such as gasoil, lubricating oils, asphalt and fuel oil.

Regarding emission control, fixed-roof tanks without vapor-recovery facilities are restricted to
materials with a true vapor pressure (TVP) of less than 1.5 psia at the tank operating
temperature. This type of tank consists of a cylindrical steel shell with a permanently fixed roof,
which may vary in design from cone or dome shaped to flat. Each type can be further sub-divided
into non-pressure, low-pressure and high-pressure fixed-roof tanks:

Non-pressure fixed-roof tanks are used for storage at atmospheric pressure and are
provided with open vents.

Low-pressure and high-pressure fixed-roof tanks are used for storage at a low- and high-
internal pressure or vacuum respectively. They are provided with pressure/ vacuum relief
valves (breather valves) that should be set to be fully open at the design pressures.

Table 1 summarizes the maximum design conditions for each type of fixed-roof tanks.
Atmospheric tanks should not be used to store liquids at temperatures at or above its boiling
point. Losses from fixed-roof tanks are caused by changes in temperature, pressure and liquid
level. Fixed-roof tanks should be either freely vented or equipped with a pressure/ vacuum relief
valve.

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Floating roof. For this tank type, the roof is not fixed to the shell, but "floats" on the liquid; so,
no vapor space is created. Because the floating roof rests directly on the liquid surface, it
significantly diminishes stock evaporative losses and reduces the hazards associated with
handling a large, possibly combustible tank vapor space.

Floating-roof tanks are utilized when the TVP of the stored liquid at operating temperature is less
than 11.1 psia. For TVPs greater than 11.1 psia, a medium-pressure storage tank or vapor-
recovery system is mandatory. There is a preference for floating-roof over fixed-roof tanks as the
size of the tank can be increased, as the vapor pressure of the stored liquid increases, and the
flash point is below the storage temperature. Floating-roof tanks are preferred to store products
susceptible to high electric charge due to friction such as light products, kerosine and crude oil.

External floating-roof tanks. This tank type is designed to work at atmospheric pressure.
Although normally recommended only for diameters of 15 m and greater, this does not exclude
applying this design for smaller-diameter tanks under special circumstances. At minimum, the
diameter of an external floating-roof tank should be equal to its height to enable using a normal
rolling ladder for roof access.

A typical external floating-roof tank consists of an open-topped cylindrical steel shell equipped
with a roof that floats on the surface of the stored liquid. The floating roof consists of a deck,
fittings and rim-seal system

Floating decks are of two general types: pontoon and double-deck. Typical pontoon external
floating-roof tanks are shown in Fig. 1. With all types of external floating-roof tanks, the roof falls
and rises with the liquid level within the tank. External floating decks are equipped with a rim-seal
system, which is attached to the deck perimeter and contacts the tank wall. The purpose of the
floating roof and rim-seal system is to reduce evaporative loss of the stored liquid.

Typical external floating-roof (pontoon type).

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Fig. 1

Internal floating-roof tanks. This tank design was developed in the mid-1950s to provide
protection of the floating roof from elements, including lightning strikes. The tank vapor space,
which is located above the floating roof and below the fixed roof, includes circulation vents to
allow natural ventilation, thus reducing accumulation of product vapors and mitigating the
formation of a combustible mixture (Fig. 2).

Internal floating-roof tank.

Fig. 2

Such tanks can be used when:

Snow loading on a floating roof may be a problem since snow or water on the floating roof
will affect the operating buoyancy

Contamination by rainwater of the liquid stored in a floating roof tank is unacceptable

Environmental or vapor loss problem with fixed-roof tanks are evident

Contact of the stored liquid with air should be avoided.

Internal floating roof can be installed in existing tank as well as new tanks.

There are two basic types of internal floating-roof tanks:

Tanks in which the fixed roof is supported by vertical columns within the tank

Tanks with a self-supporting fixed roof and no internal support columns.

Installing a floating roof minimizes evaporative losses of the stored liquid. Evaporative losses
from floating roofs may develop from the deck fittings, non-welded deck seams and annular
space between the deck and tank wall. In addition, these tanks are freely vented by circulation
vents at the top of the fixed roof. The vents minimize the accumulation of organic vapors in the
tank vapor space in concentrations approaching the flammable range. An internal floating-roof
tank that is not freely vented is considered a pressure tank.

Domed external floating-roof tanks. Domed external (or covered) floating-roof tanks have a
heavier deck used in the external floating-roof tanks as well as a fixed roof at the top of the shell,
such as an internal floating-roof tank. Domed external floating-roof tanks usually result from
retrofitting an external floating-roof tank with a fixed roof. The function of the fixed roof in the

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domed external floating-roof tank is not to act as a vapor barrier. However, it should block the
wind. Like the internal floating-roof tanks, these tanks are freely vented by circulation vents at the
top of the fixed roof. A typical domed external floating-roof tank is shown in Fig. 3.

Domed external floating-roof tank.

Fig. 3

Medium-pressure tank. Spherical-shaped storage tanks are used to store products with high
vapor pressure in very large capacity (Fig. 4). Spherical storage tanks can be 10 times larger
than bullet tanks.

Medium-pressure storage tanks.

Fig. 4

Bullet tanks are long cylindrical (usually horizontal) pressure vessels most frequently used
for liquid petroleum gas (LPG). The working pressure of these tanks can be from 1 to 70 barg or
greater. These tanks often have hemispherical head. High-pressure material such as propane

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and ammonia can be stored in these tanks at ambient temperature.

Sphere, hemispheroid and spheroid are rarely used in petroleum and petrochemical industries.

Selection of vertical tanks. Table 2 summarizes the types and ranges of tanks
recommended to store different classes of liquid products. Some important factors such as
evaporation losses, pumping losses, climatic conditions, air pollution, soil conditions and local
regulations shall also be considered when selecting the most suitable type(s) and size(s).

Selection of vertical tanks

TABLE 2
Click image for enlarged view

Sizing and design procedure. The presented procedure includes a method to calculate the
diameter and height of a fixed-roof and external and internal floating-roof tanks, minimum liquid
level and maximum liquid level in the atmospheric and low-pressure tanks. For floating-roof
tanks, tank capacity depends on the type of floating roof, roof seal, roof cover and internal tank
construction that may affect these guidelines.

Nominal capacity of the tank. Nominal tank capacity assumes that the flat-bottom tank is filled
to the top of the shell plate and is calculated by summing the net capacity of the tank (net
working capacity), dead capacity of the tank and liquid volume pumped out of the tank in three
minutes (between LLL and LLLL).

The later item is important from an operational point of view, because the operator will switch off
the pump three minutes after hearing the alarm or interlock shutdown system will switch off the
pump.

where:
VN = Nominal capacity of the tank
D = Diameter of the tank
H = Tank dead height
1

H 2 = Vapor space height or maximum safe working level

V 1 = Net working capacity of the tank
V 2 = liquid volume pumped out of the tank in three minutes.

Diameter and height of the tank. The following steps list the assumptions and operations to find
the diameter and height of the tank:

1. Assume the first larger value of net working capacity (V 1), from Table 3 (considering as V
≥V 1)
2. Read the related diameter to V from Table 3. Consider that the diameter of a floating roof
shall at least be equal to its height.
3. Calculate the nominal tank capacity (VN) from Eq. 1 using this diameter.

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4. Compare calculated nominal tank capacity (VN) with V :

If VN ≤ V, then select the related diameter and height of V from Table 3 as diameter and
height of the tank.

If VN > V, then pick the next greater value for V from the Table 3 and go to Step 2 until VN
≤ V.

Nominal capacities of standard

vertical cylindrical tanks, m3
TABLE 3
Click image for enlarged view

Tank-height calculation for a fixed-roof tank. To find the tank for a fixed-roof tank, follow these
steps:

Bottom dead height. Tank dead height is the distance between tank outlet nozzle
(connected to pump suction) and tank floor. Consider the height needed to prevent vortexing in
the connection point of the outlet nozzle with the tank on the outlet line [This height is assumed
equal to outlet line diameter (d 1).]

In this regard, tank dead height (LLLL) is calculated by:

where: h = d 1 + 5 in.

Please note that the minimum size of H 1 is 24 in. (see Fig. 5).

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Fixed-roof storage tank.

Fig. 5

External (open top) floating roof tank.

Fig. 6

Vapor space height of the tank can be calculated by:

where: d 2 = overflow line diameter.

The minimum value of H 2 is 18 in. Note: If the level switch high-high is considered in a fixed-roof
tank, then the overflow nozzle is not installed.

Floating roof. To find the tank for a floating-roof tank, follow these steps:

Calculation example

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Bottom dead height. The same procedure used for the fixed-roof tank should be applied.
However, designers should consider that the roof must be supported approximately 1.2 m from
the bottom for external floating roof and 1.6 m of the bottom for internal floating-roof tank, to keep
the roof floating; therefore:

External floating-roof tank: H ≥ 1.2 m

1
Internal floating-roof tank: H ≥ 1.6 m.
1

Maximum safe working level. Maximum safe working level is a level in which any additional
product will overflow and contact or damage will occur. This level is taken approximately 0.6 ~
0.8 m below the top curb angle.

External floating-roof tank: H ≥ 0.8 m

2
Internal floating-roof tank: H ≥ 0.6 m for D <15
2

H 2 ≥ 0.8 m for D ≥15.

Low-liquid level in the tanks. Low-liquid level (LLL) in fixed and floating-roof tanks is the
summation of tank dead head (H 1) and height of the liquid in three-minute suction (hb), which

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can be calculated as below:

or hn = HLL – (H 1 + hw), whichever is greater

where:
Q = Pump discharge flowrate, m3/hr
D = Tank diameter, m
h = Liquid height above LLLL in three-minute suction, m.
b

High-liquid level in the tanks. After calculating H 2,high-liquid level (HLL) height from tank
bottom for fixed- and floating-roof tanks can be calculated as:

ht is the height between high-high liquid level (HHLL) and HLL and calculated as:

ht shall be at least 100 mm.

Note: Some internal parts such as heating coils inside tanks may affect the height and liquid
levels.

Overflow-liquid line sizing. The overflow line inside diameter is determined as:

where:
W = Vessel inflow, kg/sec
∆P = Pressure drop (pa), [as experience, 996 Pa can be used]
N = Friction loss (for simple overflow = 1.5)
ρ = Density, kg/m3
d = Overflow internal diameter, m.
2

LITERATURE CITED

1 American Petroleum Institute, "Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage," 10th ed., Standard 650, Washington,
DC, 1998.
2 Mead, J., The Encyclopedia of Chemical Process Equipment, Reinhold Publishing, New York, 1964, pp. 941
– 956.
3 Burk, H. S., et. al., "Conceptual Design of Refinery Tankage," Chemical Engineering, No. 88, Vol. 17, Aug.
24, 1981, pp. 107 – 110.

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4 Iranian Petroleum Standard, "Process design of liquid and gas transfer and storage," December 1997.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to thank the Board of Directors and Process Division Director of Sazeh Consultants
Company for their support.

Aliakbar Heydari Gorji is a senior process engineer at SAZEH Consultants in

Tehran, Iran. He is a PhD student of chemical engineering and holds BS and
MS degrees in chemical engineering, all from the Amirkabir University of
Technology (Tehran Polytechnic). His area of specialization has included gas
separation with membranes and his industrial experience has focused on
simulation, basic and detail design of gas and petrochemical plants. He can be
reached at e-mail: [email protected].

Hamid Reza Kalat Jari is a senior process engineer in the process department
of SAZEH Consultants in Tehran, Iran. Mr. Kalat Jari has been with Sazeh
Process department for four years. Previously, he worked for four years with
Total Fina Elf and eight years with National Iranian Gas Company as a process
engineer and process control engineer. He holds a BS degree in chemical
engineering from the Sharif University of Technology and an MS degree in
chemical engineering from Tarbiat Modarres University. He can be reached at
e-mail: [email protected].

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