G S Lele This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of various structures of ammonia storage tanks. It also provides the various codes and standards applicable for flat bottomed, vertical and cylindrical storage tanks. The author also lists rel- evant safety aspects to be considered for storage of liquid ammonia. AUTHOR G S Lele is a chemical engineer and an alumnus of Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Nagpur. He is presently Deputy General Manager - Process, with Uhde India Ltd, where he is actively involved with the Cryogenic Storage Group. He has participated in the conceptualization, design and commisisoning of Uhde India's cryogenic storage projects. Chemical Industry Digest. May 2008 85 ' ' ~ "'" Ammonia Storage Introduction S torage of liquid ammonia has been done in the chemical industry for the past several decades, right from the time ammonia began to be com- mercially produced. Due to the inherent physical prop- erty of ammonia, the earlier designs for handling liq- uid ammonia used the pressurized storage concept as ammonia liquid could be stored at ambient tempera- tures. However the tanks were to be designed for el- evated pressures. To enable liquid ammonia to be stored at near atmospheric conditions meant that am- monia had to be cooled and refrigerated to -33C. Inspite of the best insulation methods utilized, a re- frigeration system is required to keep the ammonia in liquefied form. ally have outer tanks or walls made from pre-stressed concrete, reinforced concrete with an earth embankment or one of the metals specified for the inner tank. Types of the ammonia storage tanks Primarily, there are 3 prevalent methods for stor- ing liquid ammonia. Pressurized storage at ambient temperature for small capacities (up to 100 MT) in horizontal pres- sure vessels (pressure: 12-18 kg/ cm 2 g) Until the 1970's it was normal practice to store re- Semi-refrigerated storage in spheres for capacities upto 2000 MT (pressure 4-6 kg/ cm 2 g) Atmospheric pressure storage at -33C for large ca- frigerated ammonia in single con- tainment tanks. Since that time it has increasingly become the prac- tice for the inner tank for ammonia to be surrounded by an outer tank or wall. The outer tank or wall is in- tended to prevent the release of the liquefied products into the sur- rounding area in case of leakage from or damage to the inner tank. This philosophy results in in- creased safety for the surrounding area. Such constructions are known as double containment and full containment tanks. The double ~ - - - - - - - - - - . . . _ _ pacities (2000 MT and higher) with For large scale atmo- spheric cryogenic storages for liquefied gases like am- monia, design can be se- lected from three basic types as defined in BS 7777 taking into account local regula- tions, location of the storage tank with respect to adjacent plants, inhabitants and type of product stored. containment tanks and full containment tanks gener- 86 siporex blocks Inner cup liqammonia 1----=san""-d-------1 siporex foam glass blocks FIG- 1 Typical double containment tank Mineral wool insulation PUF insulation with AI cladding .--- !+---tank ~ - - Annular space Chemical Industry Digest. May 2008 the following types: o Single wall tank o Double wall tank o Double wall full containment tank Disadvantages of pre- ssurised storages There are certain limitations in storage of ammonia in pressurized tanks. Some of them are outlined below: Limitations in terms of storage ca- pacity (1000- 2000 MT), as present day large capacity plants need more stor- age space. A major factor is the safety aspect wherein escape of ammonia under pressure is potentially more danger- ous than leakage of ammonia from an atmospheric tank. Construction of pressurized spheri- cal tank is much more difficult and costly per MT of ammonia stored in comparison with an atmospheric tank. Atmospheric ammonia stor- age tanks For large scale atmospheric cryo- genic storages for liquefied gases like ammonia, design can be selected from three basic types as defined in BS 7777 Ammonia Storage (single, double and full containment design) taking into account local regulations, location of the storage tank with respect to adjacent plants, inhabitants and type of product stored. Toxicity, flammability, explo- sive limits, auto ignition temperature & density of va- por need special attention. Single wall tank In this type of design, primary container (Inner tank) is provided to hold liquid at low temperature and vapor product under normal I design operating conditions. Insulation is provided on the external sur- face to minimize heat leakage. External secondary containment is provided in the form of low height dyke wall to contain the liquid com- ing out due to rupture of inner tank. Emission to at- mosphere of vaporized gas is reduced by providing suitable foaming system. This design has been adopted for storages of gases because of its low toxic- vapor ammonia OIL PUMP AMMONIA CONO NSER OIL COOLER
q j > )/:" ECONOMIZER FIG - 2 Typical screw compressor refrigeration system RODS&BARS FLATS & STRIPS Stockist & Suppliers Of' Stainless Steel Pipe. * Pipe, Fitting. * Sheet, Coils. * Rods, Flats. * Copper, Brass. sHEETs, PLATEs & co1Ls * P. B. Monel. * lnconal. * Hastalloy. * Titanium. & PIPE FITIINGS Of All Grades. * 304, 304L,316, 316L, 321,310, 410,420, & 430. REFRIGERATION QUALITY COPPER TUBE CONTACT: Post Box No. 3 717, 1 0/12, New Hira Building, 1st Floor, Room No. 15, 1 st Parsiwada, Mumbai-400 004. Tel: 022-2385 4314/2386 8818, Fax: 2387 8403 E-mail : mehta@greatmetal.com, Website : www.greatmetal.com ity hazards. For ammonia, these designs have been used in some plants which have been located far away from populated areas due to safety reasons. Double wall tank LIQUID AMMONIA Vapors Inner cup Ammonia storage tank A double contain- ment tank is designed and constructed so that both the inner & outer tanks are ca- pable of containing the refrigerated liquid stored independently. The inner tank con- tains the refrigerated liquid and vapor un- der normal operating conditions. The outer tank (which is located < 6m distance from in- ner tank) is intended to contain refrigerated product leakage from the inner tank but is not intended to con- tain any vapor result- Chemical Industry Digest. May 2008 87 Ammonia Storage ing from product leakage from the in- ner tank which means, it will be re- leased to atmosphere. The outer container is normally provided in the form of "Bund Wall" of height corresponding to hold equivalent amount of liquid in the storage tank. This concept again has been used for storage of non-toxic gases like hydrocarbons world-wide, but not for storage of toxic material like ammonia. The present day tanks are constructed on elevated concrete foundations to avoid the problem of ice formation and propagation in the soil below. Addi- tionally, double integrity tanks provide an extra va- por space of 15 - 20% de- pending on dimensions. tures down to -165 C. API STANDARD 620 10th edition, Feb. 2002 -Addendum 1, June 2004 - Design and construction of large, welded, low pressure storage tanks. Appendix R- Low pressure storage tanks for refrigerated products. - DIN 4119, sheet 1 & 2, Edition 1961 for roof structure design. IS 4544: 2000 Double wall full containment tank In this type both the inner and outer tanks are ca- pable of containing the refrigerated liquid stored in- dependently. The inner tank contains the refrigerated liquid under normal operating conditions. h ~ roof is supported by the outer tank. The outer tank 1s ca- pable of containing both the refrigerated liquid and the vapor resulting from product leakage and is located between 1-2 meters from the inner tank. In such tanks, secondary containment in the form of dyke wall is not required. The double containment tank design, also known as the "cup-in-tank" (Double Integrity) design is widely adopted for Ammonia Storage Tanks. The in- ner cup of the tank is separated from the outside tank by a suspended deck resting on the top of the inner cup. A typical sketch of a full containment tank is attached as Fig 1. The present day tanks are constructed on elevated concrete foundations to avoid the problem of ice for- mation and propagation in the soil below (a problem experienced with tanks resting on the surface with con- sequences of likely damage to tank bottom plates due to frost heaving). Additionally, double integrity tanks provide an extra vapor space of 15 - 20% depending on dimensions, which is very useful for maintaining tank pressure within operating limits especially un- der emergency conditions. Applicable codes & standards BS -7777- 1993 Applicable for flat bottomed, vertical and cylindri- cal storage tanks for low temperature service. Part 1- Guide to the general provisions for design, construction, installation and operation. Part 2- Specification for the design and construc- tion of single, double and full containment metal tanks for the storage of liquefied gas at tempera- It is a standard for ammonia code of safety. - Prescribes a code of safety concerning the hazards related to ammonia. - It also describes the properties and essential infor- mation for safe handling and use of ammonia. ANSI K61.1-1999 It prescribes safety requirement for the storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia. - This standard is intended to apply to the design, construction, repair, alteration, location, installa- tion, and operation of anhydrous ammonia sys- tems including refrigerated ammonia storage sys- tems. - This standard does not apply to o Ammonia manufacturing plants . o Refrigeration systems where ammonia is used solely as a refrigerant o Ammonia transportation pipelines o Ammonia barges and tankers The above standard also prescribes guidelines for installation of refrigerated storage tanks (above- ground). Some of these are outlined below: - Tanks shall be supported on suitable non combus- tible foundations designed to accommodate the type of tank being used. - Adequate protection against flotation or other wa- ter damage shall be provided wherever high flood water might occur. - Tanks shall be supported in such way that heat shall be supplied to prevent the effects of freezing and subsequent frost heaving of the soil. Wherever dike is employed, the capacity of the dike enclosure shall be 110% of the capacity of the larg- est tank served. - Each refrigerated tank container shall be equipped with an approved liquid level gauging device and high liquid level alarm. - In addition to the above, this standard also gives 88 Chemical Industry Digest. May 2008 Ammonia Storage the guidelines for, Requirement of number of compressors Provides guidelines for the pressure relief valves capacity, location etc Requirement of minimum safety equipment Other general guidelines Types of insulation used As liquid ammonia is stored in refrigerated condi- tion in the atmospheric tank, it is important to keep heat ingress into the tank to the minimum possible. Insulation plays a key role in this aspect. The insula- tion type and thickness decides the overall boil off rate from the storage tank, i.e. the kg of ammonia evapo- rated per day per ton of tank capacity. The boil off rate therefore is indicative of the atmospheric heat ingress into a storage tank when other tank operations are not taking place. The commonly used insulation for the tanks is Polyurethane foam (PUP) which is cast in situ on the outside tank shell and covered with aluminum cladding. Insitu application of PUP is also used for large bore piping and equipments. For small bore pip- ing, pre-cast PUP split sections are available. Other than the tank outer surface, insulation is re- quired to be provided at various other places in and around the tank. It can be summarized as below: Shell bottom- foam glass (load bearing insulation) along with sand Below annular space between cup and shell - Siporex block or perlite block or wooden block. The presence of ammonia vapor in the annular space between the cup and shell acts as an insu- lating media and helps in reducing the heat in- gress from outside. In some cases, the annular space is filled with a naturally occurring insulat- ing material like perlite. Suspended deck top - mineral wool (resin bonded glass wool). Between the suspended deck and the top roof, the presence of ammonia vapor acts as an insulating media. There is no insulation required on the top of the roof as no liquid comes in contact with the suspended deck. Generally a sand layer is placed between cup bot- tom and shell bottom plate Safety aspects for ammonia storage system As ammonia storage terminal and its associated fa- cilities are generally located away from plants, follow- ing considerations in design are made to ensure safety ISO 9001-2000 Certified Company Walk-in Stability chamber
B- 1261127, Ansa Industrial Estate, Sakivihar Road, Sakinaka, Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 072. (India) Tel: 28477547 148110111 Fax: 28475672, www.wadegati.com E-mail: wadegati@vsnl.com I wadegati@bom7.vsnl.net.in Hyderabad Office: 9246528404 I 9985768860 of storage tank and connected operations: Remote shut-off valves on liquid ammonia roam inlet and outlet line to I from ammonia storage tank. Dual measurement for tank level/pressure and in- terlocking with refrigeration compressors, ammo- nia receipt and pumping, emergency vent to flare. Dual level measurement for the annulus portion of the tank and annulus draining facility. This is im- portant as there is a possibility of damage to the cup bottom plates due to buoyancy effect (caused when annulus level exceeds cup level). Refrigeration system based on reliable screw com- pressors. Optional auto loading/unloading facil- ity for tank pressure control can be included. Stand-by equipment for critical duties and utilities. Closed vent and drain system for ammonia. Redundancy in critical instrumentation & control. Adequate fire water grid and water curtain around ammonia pumps and road tanker loading stations. Thermal relief valve are installed on the ammonia lines where there is any possibility for blockage or heat ingress. Ammonia leak detection system for storage instal- lation. Chemical Industry Digest. May 2008 89
en Ammonia Storage
Lightening protection and earthing protection for storage tank Emergency power to one refrigeration holding com- pressor to maintain tapk pressure during power failure. Flare for controlled venting under extreme emer- gency situation. Safety and vacuum relief valves on tank top (de- signed as per API 520). Wind direction indicator. Emergency plant lighting. 0