Metal tanks: liquid storage. General

Mass storage of liquids, for the various products encountered in the oil, petrochemical and chemical industries, is mainly carried out in welded metal tanks, installed in the open air and resting on the ground (overhead tanks).

The capacities of these tanks vary widely. For many chemicals, they are no more than a few hundred cubic meters, whereas in the oil industry, crude oil tanks, for example, far exceed these limits. Some loading terminals in the Middle East, for example, have 240,000 m ³ tanks, while it is not uncommon to find 100,000 to 150,000 m ³ tanks at European receiving terminals.

The products stored are many and varied. For each of them, there is a storage capacity that is functionally and economically suited to the characteristics of the intended stock. The purpose of the article "Metal tanks for liquid storage" is to examine the various types of overhead tanks used, and to provide the reader with sufficient information to enable him to make the most rational choice.