Product Selection & Design Guide

Foam Dams
Seals &
4 Floating Suctions / Skimmers & Floating Roof Skimmers
HMT provides Floating Suction Systems designed to enable the removal of the stored product
near the product surface, contaminant-free. HMT’s Floating Suctions are engineered to operate
in conjunction with all types of floating roofs or without a floating roof.

PIVOT MASTER
Drains
The HMT Floating Suction System is designed to meet all requirements of the storage tank size
and submerged environment. All components are compatible with the stored product providing a
long life and trouble free system that will be custom designed for your specific application.

HMT Floating Suction systems between 3” and 10” in diameter frequently utilize the HMT Pivot
Master Flex Joint. rigid piping (carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum) and custom designed
pressure tested flotation chambers. Larger systems require center- or offset-swivel joints

Floating Suction &

seen below. HMT pre-fabricated Floating Suction Systems can be shipped to the site for final
assembly and installation by an HMT service crew or installed by others.

Skimmers
4.1 General Product Overview
There are a wide variety of “Floating Suction” styles, and many customers are unaware of the
different designs and their intended uses. The three broad categories are: Floating Suctions,
Floating Skimmers, and IFR (or EFR) Skimmers. For each, there are also a variety of joint types,
materials, and sizes. When you are asked to provide a ‘Floating Suction’, please remember

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these variations to help you determine what will best meet the customer’s needs. A pdf summary
can be found on the portal under HMT Inc > E&M > Floating Suction & Skimmer Systems,

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this can be sent to the customer to assist in the usage discussion.

4.1.1 Joint Selection

Refer to the Pivot Master Drain Systems section for information on Pivot Master Joints.

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Floating Roofs

Staytite Center Swivel Joint (Left) and EZM Offset Swivel Joint (Right)
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 Product Selection & Design Guide

Foam Dams
Seals &
PIVOT MASTER
Drains
Floating Suction &
Skimmers
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& Gas Slug
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Typical Floating Suction System Listing Major Components

4.2 Floating Suctions

Floating Roofs
A Floating Suction system is connected to a pump and is meant to accommodate significant flow
rates with the inlet well beneath the product surface. The most common type of Floating Suction
that HMT provides is a single-arm system with pontoons parallel to the main suction pipe.
These systems range in size from 3” to 36” and may be made from aluminum, carbon steel, or
stainless steel.
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 Product Selection & Design Guide

Foam Dams
Seals &
PIVOT MASTER
Drains
Floating Suction &
Skimmers
Single-Arm Floating Suction with Pontoons Parallel to the Suction Pipe (Under Steel Roof)

4.2.1 Related Forms and Programs

• Floating Suction – Imperial / – Metric {Excel}

o Input sheets for Floating Suction, tank, and roof information

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o The same information is used in the MRL tool

o Products Portal: Input & Data Sheets

• Floating Suction MRL Program v1.07g {Excel}

o Program for Floating Suction design

o Generates an MRL that can be sent to Blackwell for quotes

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o Includes ‘Reference Guide’ sheet for new users, featuring minimum design
requirements

o Portal: E&M > Floating Suction & Skimmer Systems

4.2.2 Major Design Criteria

It is crucial to obtain an accurate specific gravity from the customer for these systems. If the true
specific gravity is lower than the design value, there is a high risk that the system will not float Floating Roofs
during normal operation. If the true specific gravity is higher than the design value, the inlet may
be too close to the product surface and cause cavitation in a pump. Excessive buoyancy could
also result in sufficient force to damage the underside of a floating roof.

As with Pivot Masters, the geometry is key! Refer to the Floating Suction MRL Program
‘Reference Guide’ for all required parameters in order to properly design a Floating Suction.
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 Product Selection & Design Guide

Foam Dams
Seals &
4.2.3 Common Variations

The standard system can be designed using HMT Pivot Master Joints [3”, 4”, 6”, 8”, and 10”],
(Staytite) Center Swivel Joints, or Offset Swivel Joints. The joint type should be clearly stated on
the bid, scope of work, or Input Sheet.

PIVOT MASTER
Drains
Joint Styles for Floating Suctions and Skimmers

Under a floating roof, the Floating Suction will need a roller. If it is an Aluminum Internal Floating

Floating Suction &

Roof, the AIFR will need a runway mounted to the bottom to handle the ‘Up Force’ load from

Skimmers
the Floating Suction. In either case, there is a maximum ‘Up Force’ based on roof type, which
sets the upper buoyancy limit. Having “twice the required buoyancy” (a common customer
requirement) is not possible with this style.

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Floating Suction with Roller; With and Without AIFR Runway

The runway is bolted into the underside of the AIFR. For HMT Aluminator and Unideck floating
roofs, the runway bolts into the main structure. The vertical members drop from the main

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structure below the pontoons to a horizontal grid of aluminum channel. This distributes the

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upward system load and provides a smooth surface for the roller.

On skin and pontoon AIFRs, the runway should be attached such that the vertical support
members are not in direct contact with the sheeting. Otherwise, the corner of the support could
puncture the AIFR.

When there is no floating roof, the pontoons can still be parallel to the pipe, but no roller will be
required. In this case, the pontoons may also be parallel to the product surface. For pontoons Floating Roofs
‘Parallel to the Product’, a pivoting frame will be installed at the inlet, allowing the pontoons to
rotate and remain horizontal at all product levels.
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Foam Dams
Seals &
PIVOT MASTER
Drains
Floating Suction &
Skimmers
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AIFR Runway: Isometric View (Top Left), Elevation View (Top Right) and Attachment (Bottom)

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Floating Roofs
Floating Suction with Pontoons Parallel to Pipe and Parallel to the Product

Tanks that are relatively narrow (compared to their height) present another problem. These often
require a Dual-Arm system or a coiled hose system. The upper arm may be suspended from
the tank shell or the roof depending on the tank. Regular pipe supports and pontoon stabilizer
supports may also be welded to the tank bottom.
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 Product Selection & Design Guide

Foam Dams
Seals &
PIVOT MASTER
Drains
Floating Suction &
Dual-Arm Floating Suction

Skimmers
4.2.4 Very Narrow Tanks

HMT does not have a proprietary coiled hose Floating Suction/Skimmer, but works with MESA
Rubber Co. to supply Floating Suctions and Floating Skimmers in tanks that are too narrow to
accommodate the pipe lengths required to reach the maximum fill height. These systems can be
installed under a floating roof and/or include a guide pole to keep the skimmer in position when

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no floating roof is present.

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MESA Floating Suction / Skimmer

Resist-All-Clad™ hoses are designed for use in hydrocarbon, M.T.B.E., alcohol, and spent
caustic service. The length and lay pattern of these systems will vary with tank height and hose
size. Custom sizes and designs to fit the requirements of a particular tank can be coordinated
between HMT Engineering and MESA Engineering. Floating Roofs

4.3 Floating Skimmers

A Floating Skimmer system is typically much smaller than a Floating Suction system and meant
to draw off lighter products within inches of the surface. Rather than being connected to a pump,
Skimmer systems are often gravity fed, resulting in a much lower flow rate. HMT Skimmer
systems typically use 3”, 4”, or 6” Pivot Master Joints, but other swivel joints may also be used.
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