Industrial tanks are used in the production process of various industries. It is used to store and transport liquid or dry content that ranges from powders, dry grain, potable water, gas, oil to hazardous liquid. Industrial tanks are available in different shapes and sizes. It can be made of plastic, steel, concrete, or fiberglass and placed in horizontal, vertical, or underground. The required standards, specifications, and material types of the tank greatly depend on the contents that are stored in the tank. MecHero Malaysia provides tank fabrication services in Malaysia for different types of tanks to fulfill your industrial requirements. Here we will classify the tank into few types according to the content they handle and some other factors.
What are the differences between the dry tank and the liquid tank?
Firstly, the dry and liquid tanks can be differentiated by the unit measurement of the content. If the content is measured in cubic meters or gallons, it is a liquid content. If it is measured in cubic feet and ton, it indicates a dry content. Additionally, if the content is prone to corrosion, we should always consider using a liquid tank. We must always take into account the corrosion level that is permissible by the tank itself to avoid corrosion. Dry storage tanks are normally built as upright silos. It can be made of stainless steel and aluminum, and have a flat bottom that is made of wood or steel flooring. In order to prevent outside elements damage the inside content of the tank, a dry tank must be designed to be airtight. Liquid storage tank comes from a variety of designs and normally made of stainless steel, it is usually cylindrical with an open-top or closed top. It can have a flat bottom, cone-bottom, or slope bottom. It will have a floating or fixed roof that can rise or fall with the level of liquid to adjust and reduce the vapor space in the tank. Liquid tanks are required to be built with meeting the requirement of maintaining PH level and varying temperature as well. Other materials of tanks such as polyethylene, thermoplastic, or glass-reinforced plastic are suitable to make for the liquid tanks as they have better chemical resistant for handling specialty chemicals.
Types of Industrial Storage Tank
1. Hot Water Storage Tank
It is built for industrial application that requires a constant supply of hot water for production. Hot water storage tank provides great energy-efficient use as it stores hot water that can be used whenever required. The water can be heated directly by the immersion heater inside the tank or heated by an external device such as the boiler. In addition, the tank is required to be insulated efficiently that allows the hot water to be stored for many days. The heat insulation of the tank can reduce energy consumption, maintain the operation temperature, and quicken the heating process.
2. Gas Storage Tank
It is a large container used for storing natural gas near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperature. There are different types of gas storage available in industries. Choosing the type of gas storage tank is mainly depending on the measurement, holding capacity, and shape of the tank. The first type of gas tank is Bullet tank, it is mostly used in the large plant to store liquefied gases which has a low melting point. It has a long cylindrical shape and can be installed horizontally or vertically. It is able to store a large amount of gases up to 30,000 gallons. Another type of gas storage tank is LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) storage tank which is particular used for handling Liquefied Natural Gas. It has one inner container that holds LNG and another outer container that holds insulation materials. Therefore, the LNG storage tank can store LNG at an extremely low temperature.
3. Fuel Storage Tank
The fuel tank is also known as a petroleum tank that can store a variety of types of industrial liquids, fuels, and vapor, as well as organic and non-organic liquids. It is a standard certified container that provides a safe and reliable storage place for hazardous substances and flammable liquids. Industrial fuel tank comes in a wide range of size and designs. We can classify it into two main types which are underground tanks and aboveground tanks. The aboveground fuel tank is more cost-effective due to its low upfront cost and maintenance cost. Unlike the underground fuel tank, the aboveground tank does not require deep excavation or backfilling works. Underground tanks are mainly used for storing hazardous contents or fuels. It can be put beneath the driveways and lawns, help to maximize the available space. However, the inspection and maintenance of the underground tank are costly and difficult. The chances of damage, leakage, and pollution will increase since we cannot inspect the condition of the tank often.
4. Oil Storage Tank
The oil storage tanks are used for holding oil temporarily for processing into various types of oil products. The design, material, structure, required safety, and environmental standard of the oil tank are based on the application. A modern oil storage tank is made of different materials such as stainless steel, carbon steel, plastic, and reinforced concrete. As mentioned before, a floating roof tank has a floating roof that falls and raises according to the level of oil in the tank. This is to prevent the accumulation of vapor in the tank and achieve a better safer environment. In contrast, the oil stored in a fixed roof tank will not be exposed. It is more suitable to store a low volume of oil in the fixed roof tank.
5. Chemical Storage Tank
Chemical tanks are used for storing propane, fertilizers, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, or other chemicals. It can be made of different material types and available in a wide range of designs and sizes. Stainless steel storage tanks are durable but costly. They are not suitable for storing many acids. Fiberglass tanks are suitable for many applications but not susceptible to certain chemicals like hydrofluorosilicic acid that can corrode glass. With the use of fiberglass tank, it may increase the maintenance cost as fiberglass tank has seams that may leak due to human error. Polyethylene storage tanks are considered the most versatile tanks in the market, it is affordable, strong, sturdy and able to handle any chemicals. Polyethylene tanks are made in a mold that reduces the possibility of leakage caused by human error.
The industrial tank should be efficiently designed and fabricated according to safety standards and other rules or regulations, especially for those storing hazardous content. Regular maintenance also should be carried out adequately to ensure a proper and secure condition of the tank. MecHero Malaysia supplies and fabricates a variety of industrial storage tanks for meeting your project requirements. You can always contact us at +6011-7000 7687 or email us at my.mechero@gmail.com for an inquiry about the fabrication of a storage tank for industrial use. As a steel and online hardware store Malaysia, we also supply a wide range of steel material, general hardware, or mechanical components. Tell us your requirements now and we can advise you accordingly.
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