Multi-disciplinary Sustainable Engineering: Current and Future Trends – Tekwani, Bhavsar & Modi (Eds)

© 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-02845-6

Design of caustic recovery tank for bottle washer machine

Jaimin Pandya
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Atmiya Institute of Technology and Science, Gujarat, India

Reena Trivedi
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Nirma University, Gujarat, India

Gokulesh Patel
KHS Machinery Pvt Ltd., Gujarat, India

ABSTRACT: In the beverage industries, water is an essential raw material with a consump-
tion of approximately 2.5 liters per liter of beverage. Water used by a bottle washing machine
is about half of the total of water used in the form of caustic soda solution. Caustic soda
solution can be reused after removing dirt from it through filtering and sedimentation proc-
esses. Thus, water can be saved as well as the cost of caustic soda solution be reduced. In the
presented work, an above ground steel sedimentation tank is designed as a caustic recovery
system. The design is based on various codes and standards. It includes the design of the
tank shell, roof and bottom. It also includes the design of leg supports, thermal insulation,
and attachments such as stiffening ring, lifting lug, manholes, stairs, and the design of piping
attachments such as air vents and tank cleaning nozzle.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the beverage industries, water used by a bottle washing machine is about 1.25 liters per
liter of beverage, in the form of caustic soda solution. So, the recovery of caustic soda solu-
tion is a very important factor in the water resources management in industrial activities and
development. It can be reused after removing dirt from it through filtering and sedimenta-
tion process. In the presented work, an above ground steel sedimentation tank is designed as
a caustic recovery system, because inspection and maintenance are very difficult in case of
underground tanks and the mobility of system is also very important. The tank design should
be based on various codes and standards, like Indian standard, API standards and Euroco-
des. API 650 and IS 803 have a similar approach for design and Eurocode is based on the
Load Resistance Design or Limit State Design method, which factorizes load and resistance
properties based on reliability theory. So, Eurocode requires more and accurate information.
Eurocode is more detailed; it covers a large range of structures. API, on the other hand, uses
the Allowable Stress Design method based on the unfactored values and does not tell anything
about the probability of failure. The methods given in API 650 are only for tank design and far
more straight forward than the Eurocode. So, API 650 makes the design work easier.

2 BASICS OF SEDIMENTATION TANK

In most of the cases, a sedimentation tank is nothing more than a large tank, often with a
special solid material removal system. Types of dirt present in the caustic zone of a bottle
washer may include colors, fibers, glue, label, beverage residues, dust, straws, sand, lemon
slices, cigarette butts, etc. In most of the cases, the caustic zone of a bottle washer has the
following conditions:

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 Table 1. Technical parameter of bottle washer caustic zone.

Characteristics Bottle washing machine

Volume 40 m3 (40,000 liter)

Temperature 60°C
NaOH concentration 1.5% to 3%
PH value 8–10
Total Suspended Solids mg/l 120
Time required for sedimentation process 8–12 hours
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Figure 1. Geometry of caustic recovery tank.

In the geometric design of the tank, a conical bottom is required to remove dirt. Half
apex angle of conical bottom should be in standard value so that manufacturing cost can
be reduced and should be less than or equal to 45°. The diameter of the tank will affect the
transportation of the tank. A tank with a very high diameter requires special permissions
and transportation cover, so it is taken as 2.6 meter for this case and the height is taken as 8
meter. For high H/D ratio, steel required will be more. Roof angle can be taken as 15° which
is most conventional for a tank roof.

3 DESIGN OF CAUSTIC RECOVERY TANK

3.1 Design of tank wall, roof and bottom

Material for the tank should be according to API 650 section 4; for tank wall steel A516 grade
70 was selected. It had an allowable stress of 160 MPa for design and 180 MPa for testing.
For the fabrication of 8m cylindrical shell, API 650 and IS 803 suggest four numbers of
courses. A516 Gr70 steel plates of 2 m width were used for the said designing. According to
API 650 and IS 803, for tank having nominal tank diameter less than or equal to 15 m should
have minimum cylindrical shell thickness of 5 mm in corroded condition. So, with corrosion
allowance of 3 mm, cylindrical shell thickness was 8 mm. API 650 and IS 803 suggest follow-
ing formula to decide shell thickness:

4.9 × D G × ( H − 0.3)
t= + Corrosion Allowance (1)
E S

where E is weld efficiency and S is allowable strength according to API 650.

For the roof of the tank, a conical roof is mostly used. For a tank with a small diameter
there is no need of a supported roof and so a self-supporting cone roof can be used. It can
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 be formed such that the surface of a right cone is supported only at its periphery. In API 650
and IS 803 a roof thickness of less than 5 mm is not allowed. Including corrosion allowance,
the roof wall thickness should be 8 mm. IS 803 suggests the following formula to decide roof
thickness:

D
t= (2)
5 × sin ϕ

where, ϕ = roof angle.

For the conical bottom, design is not covered in API 650 and IS 803. But IS 803 and API
650 consider a minimum thickness of 6 mm in corroded condition, with a corrosion allow-
ance of 3 mm and for economical fabrication the conical bottom can be considered of stand-
ard thickness i.e. 10 mm.

3.2 Calculation of thermal insulation for tank

Insulation of a tank is required to prevent heat loss, because the temperature of caustic soda
solution is about 60°C in a bottle washer and Rockwool insulation products are the economi-
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cal choice for insulating material, and for cladding stainless steel or aluminized steel is used.
Total heat loss can be calculated by considering an equivalent hollow composite cylinder for
the tank as follows:

2π Li (TNaOH − TAir )
Qi = (3)
r r r
ln 2 ln 3 ln 4
1 r1 r2 r3 1
+ + + +
hNaOH r1 K SA516 K incsulation
o K cladding hAir × r4
A

Total heat transfer in given time will be equal to heat loss by hot caustic soda solution.

Q t = m C × (T1 T2 ) (4)

To avoid heat transfer by convection, the insulation thickness can be decided such that
outside cladding metal surface will remain the same as the atmospheric temperature for the
assumed time period. So, the following result can be obtained by the explained theory and
the optimum thickness can be found out, which is 40 mm in this case.

3.3 Design of stiffening rings

A tank needs to be provided with stiffening rings to maintain roundness when the tank is
subjected to external loads like wind load. Here, L shape angle is selected for the stiffening
ring. According to API 650, the required minimum section modulus (in cm3) of the stiffening
ring can be determined by the following equation:
2
D2H ⎛ V ⎞
Z= ×⎜ (5)
17 ⎝ 190 ⎟⎠

where V is design wind speed in km/h, Diameter and Height are in meter.
It can be calculated from Indian standard IS 875: part 3 from the basic wind speed (Vb).
Basic wind speed (Vb) for any site can be obtained from Figure 1 of IS 875: part 3 and should
be modified to include the following effects to get the design wind velocity at any height (Vz)
for the chosen structure. It can be mathematically expressed as follows:

Vz k ×k k × Vb (6)

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 Figure 2. Variation of temperature drop with thermal insulation.
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where, K1 = risk coefficient = 1.08 for assumed basic wind speed and structure, K2 = ter-
rain, height and structure size factor = 1.09 for terrain category 1 and class A structure with
respect to height of the structure, K3 = topography factor = 1.00
So Design wind speed Vz = 233 km/h or 65 m/s.
Design wind pressure Pz = 0.6 × (Vz)2 = 2535 Pa.
According to API 650, the minimum size of the angle for use in a built-up stiffening ring should
be 65 × 65 × 6 mm. Four stiffening rings can be used as matter of safety with an equal distance of
1600 mm. Fillet weld joints of 12 mm between rings and tank shell are assumed to be sufficient.

3.4 Design of leg support

Caustic recovery tanks require access under the tank for sludge outlet, so leg support can be
selected. For large tanks, a round steel pipe is particularly suitable, because it has the same
area moment of inertia in all directions and good torsional resistance. The pipe must be
painted for corrosion resistance. The seal welds on both ends should be adequate for protec-
tion against atmospheric dampness and corrosion. Centroidal axes of pipes were used such
that the legs coincide with the centerline of the tank shell; thus, eliminating the eccentric
loading in the column. Loads on support legs were vertical due to weight and horizontal
due to wind forces. Generally, additional moments from piping or other equipment were not
being considered. It was assumed that tops of the support legs were to be welded to a rigid
vessel wall which is actually flexible.
No of legs, N = 6 and Projected area for wind load, A = 29.3 m3.
Mass of the vessel in empty condition, Me = 7000 kg; weight We = 68700 N
Mass of the vessel in operating condition, Mo = 55000 kg; weight Wo = 539825 N
Force coefficient for circular structure considering H/D ratio, Cf = 0.8
Wind force Pw = Cf × A × Pz = 0.8 × 29.3 × 2535 = 59420 N.
Moment at base due to wind loading = Mb = P × (H + L) = 386230 Nm
Maximum total compressive axial load will be at downwind side always in filled
condition.

Wo 4 × M b
Co = + = 189033 N (7)
N N D

Maximum total tensile axial load will be at upwind side always in empty condition.

We 4 × M b
Te = − + = 87592.5 N (8)
N N D
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 For the lateral load F per column F = P/6 = 9.9 kN.
For pipe leg support DN 300 pipe with 12 mm thickness is selected. So, Axial compressive
stress will be of 16.08 MPa and bending stress will be of 13.44 MPa.
For combined column stress in compression, the most widely used procedure is straight-
line interaction method, used in the AISC handbook and for this case the design is safe under
combined stress.

fa fb
+ = 0.16 ≤ 1 (9)
Fa Fb

The design of support should be safe under buckling and for a matter of safety a braced
leg support must also be used. For bracing, a horizontal pipe can be used of DN 150 (OD
165.1 mm) and 8 mm thickness. A thickness of 10 to 20 mm for reinforcement pad would
be sufficient as a transition ring. Leg to shell transition ring connecting weld should have a
minimum weld size of 8 mm. Base plate attachment weld should have a minimum weld size
of 10 mm. A base plate of 30 mm thickness can be selected. Generally, 8 to 12 anchor bolts
of M 30 are used in these structures.
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3.5 Design of lifting lug

According to standard SANS 10131, lifting lug geometry of the lifting lug can be as follows:
Lifting lugs is used for loading and unloading tanks in empty condition and to place tanks
on foundations. According to API 650, there should be a minimum of two lugs on each tank.
Generally lifting lugs are fabricated from A36 Steel. The thickness of lifting lug can be found
out by considering it as a simple cantilever beam. For this case the thickness of lug can be 40
mm and the doubling plate can be 20 mm thick. Lug to plate fillet weld 12 mm and plate to
tank fillet weld 10 mm in 20 mm thick plate.

3.6 Design of piping attachments

Following pipes should be attached to the tank:
1. Inlet of standard pipe size DN 100 and overflow line of standard pipe size DN 150 at
upper part of cylindrical shell, outlet of standard pipe size DN 125 at bottom part of
cylindrical shell and sludge outlet of standard pipe size DN 300 at bottom of the tank.
2. Air vent on the roof, each tank should have provisions for both normal and emergency
venting. Two pipes of diameter 4 inch (DN 100) can be used as air vents.
3. Cleaning pipe for nozzles on the roof. For caustic recovery tank having diameter of 2.6 m
and height of 8 m, cleaning nozzle should have minimum opening size of DN 150, operat-
ing pressure of 2 bar and flow rate of 50 l/min.
4. Attachment to push solid wastes out of DN 80 or DN 100, if solid waste are frozen.

Figure 3. Lifting lug geometry according to SANS 10131.

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 Each of the piping attachments should have proper support with tank shell. Design of
pipe, piping supports, reinforcement and other parameter of design should be according to
section 5.7 of API 650 based on fabrication and erection criterion.

3.7 Design of attachments for maintenance

A caustic soda recovery tank would require two manholes for maintenance, on the roof and
at the bottom part of the cylindrical shell. Shell manhole will be under hydrostatic loading, so
the design of shell manhole is different than of roof manhole. Both roof and shell manholes
should be designed according to section 5.8 of API 650. Both inside and outside stairs should
be designed according Australian standard AS 1657.

4 CONCLUSION

Above ground a steel sedimentation tank can be used for the caustic recovery of a bottle
washer. In this paper, a standard design procedure of a caustic recovery tank for a bottle
washer has been developed and explained through various codes and standards with relevant
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examples.

REFERENCES

Almukhtar R and Ageena N, 2012, Water Recycling/Reuse in Factories Case study Soft Drink Factory,
Engineering & Technology Journal, Vol.30, No.1.
American Petroleum Institute, 2013, API 650: Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage.
Bureau of Indian Standards, 2006, IS 803: Code of Practice for Design, Fabrication and Erection of
Vertical Mild Steel Cylindrical Welded Oil Storage Tanks.
Bureau of Indian Standards, 2006, IS 875, Code of Practice for Design Loads.
Henry M. Bednar, 1986, Pressure Vessel Design Handbook, second edition.
Moss Dennis, 2003, Pressure vessel design manual: illustrated procedures for solving major pressure
vessel design problems, third edition.
Standards South Africa, 2004, SANS 10131 Above-ground storage tanks for petroleum products.
Yunus Cenjal, 2002, Heat Transfer: A practical approach, second edition.

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