Oil and Gas Industry : Tank, Sphere & Bullet Specification

Description

In Chemical plants, storage tanks, sphere and bullets are ubiquitous.

Any Chemical, Petrochemical, Refinery, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceutical facility and for that matter any facility burning fuel or treating waste water will have tanks. It may have either sphere or bullet depending on whether LPG, Propane or Ammonia is processed.

Since it is commonly present, the knowledge of selecting, sizing and specifying tanks, sphere and bullet is taken for granted. However, this is not the case.

When I started work in the petrochemical Industry about 30+ years back in a Tank farm being constructed, there were no manuals, books or procedures. There was no access to any standards. None of the experienced seniors were willing to teach, coach or mentor. When I moved a EPC firm, the same problem continued.

Now, we are in a different era. Every information is available at our fingertips. But the students suffer from excess information which brings in a lack of focus.

This course aims to equip the students to with sufficient knowledge to be able to select, size, specify and review process design with confidence. The aim is to set the students on the path to gain excellence in the subject. 

(Update August 2022)The course has lectures, examples and activities to help the students to understand and apply the concepts.

Currently, there are 16 examples , 6 activities, quizzes and worked out assignments for  ensuring hands on skill development.

(Update July 2022): The examples cover Tank  Selection and Sizing  for Acetic Acid , Acetone, Paraxylene, Toluene, High Speed Diesel, MEG, TEG and Gasoline service.

(Update August 2022): Further an activity based lecture system has been introduced.  With this, the student has the opportunity to breakdown the existing tank engineering information as per the course structure to make sense how the process of Tank Selection, Sizing and Specification taught in this course  can be put into practice. For those students who have no access to any tank database, a sample tank engineering information is provided in the lesson. The student can use this sample tank engineering data to analyze and progress the activity.

(Update June 2023): Started adding LNG tankage requirements. As a first step, type of tankages to store LNG discussed. To add more in few days to come.

WHAT THE COURSE IS NOT ABOUT

This course is NOT about  Design, Fabrication, Inspection, Installation or Detailed Engineering of chemical storage and   its associated piping, instruments and electrical items.
However, points can be discussed in the Q & A section.

The students would benefit from interacting with an experienced professional who is keen to share the knowledge and experience to benefit the future generation.

Get Started Now. Click the "Take This Course" Button in the upper right to enroll.

The topics covered are as follows:

• Classification of Tanks

  • Based on Service, Internal Pressure, Roofs & Bottoms

• Tank Selection Criteria

  • Vapor Pressure, Flash Point & Flammable Limits

  • Flammable Fluid Classification

• Tank Sizing Criteria

• API 2350 overfill protection for Tanks

• Tank Height Determination

• Tank Automation and Controls (Apr 22 Addition)

• Factors affecting Tank Type Selection  (July 2022)

• Effect of Temperature on Tank Type Selection (July 2022)

• Effect of Vapor Pressure on Tank Type Selection (July 2022)

• Effect of AIT  on Tank Type Selection (July 2022)

• Effect of Flash Point on Tank Type Selection (July 2022)

• NFPA based Tank Type Selection Matrix (July 2022)

• Vapor Pressure based Tank Type Selection Matrix (July 2022)

• Nitrogen Blanketing (July 2022)

• Tank Type Selection Summary (July 2022)

• Static Electricity and Tank Selection

• 9 Examples of Tank Selection (July 2022)

• 4 Example of Tank Sizing (July 2022)

• Applicable Codes and Standards

  • API650

  • API620

  • BS EN 14015

• Venting

  • Causes

  • Emergency Venting options

  • Open Vents

  • Pressure Vacuum Relief Valves

  • Pilot Operated Vent Valves

  • Emergency Hatch

  • Gauge Hatch

• Tank Connections & Appurtenances

  • Tank Seals

  • Frangible Roof

  • Tank Gauging (Brief)

  • Temperature Instruments

  • Water Draw-off Sump

  • Tank Mixing Equipment  (Brief)

  • Flexible Piping Systems for Roof Drain and Oil Skimming System

• Foundations (May '22 addition)

  • Tank foundation

  • Tank Shell

  • Tank Bottom

  • Staircase & Walkway

• Tank Specification

  • Engineering Work Process for “Tank Pre-Order” Specification development

  • Development of Process Datasheet for an External Floating Roof Tank

  • API 650 Clauses that Purchaser needs to specify (April '22 addition)

    
    

• LPG Sphere and Bullet (July 2022)

  • General Rule for Storage Type Selection

    • Pressurized Storage types

    • LPG  Properties

    • LPG Hazards

    • Deciding on Aboveground vs Mounded  LPG Storage

    • Why Mounded Bullets?

    • Bullet Vs Sphere

    • Working Capacity of Sphere & Bullet

    • Operating & Design Temperature of a Sphere

    • Operating and Design Pressure of Sphere & Bullet

    • Sphere Fittings

    • Sphere Bottom Connection

    • Sphere  Level gauging

    • Sphere Pressure relief

    • Sphere Relief valve installation

    • Sphere Shutoff valves

    • Sphere Emergency shutoff valves

    • Sphere Layout principles

    • Sphere Drain, insulation and icing in valves

• Quizzes

• Assignment

• Activities (August 2022)

• Relevant Youtube Videos & Documents

• more to be added

• Udemy Certificate on completion

You will also get a one to one interaction with the industry veteran instructor on the topic.

Get Started Now. Click the "Take This Course" Button in the upper right to enroll.

Who this course is for:

• Young Engineers in EPC Contractor environment
• Currently Plant Operations or Technical Services folks aspiring to make a career transition to EPC contractor environment
• Young Tank Fabrication Company Professionals
• Young Engineers aspiring to work in an EPC contractor environment
• Tank Farm Operations and Maintenance Professionals