THE INFLUENCE OF HOT STORAGE TANK BASE INSULATION SYSTEMS ON ENERGY AND COST SAVINGS

Storage tanks are used to hold a variety of organic liquids or gases including raw materials, intermediates, final products or usable byproducts. Tanks can vary in design and equipment, and the type of construction depends on the storage temperature and properties of the products being stored. A detailed assessment is necessary to ensure that all aspects are taken into consideration, so products can be stored and handled in the safest and most-efficient manner. The growing worldwide demand for chemical products and proper storage and handling makes energy efficiency of storage tanks a key requirement. Each year, large amounts of energy are wasted due to hot storage tanks not having proper insulation systems in place. Energy loss in hot storage tanks With tanks that operate above ambient conditions, the tank walls and roofs are often viewed as the main sources of energy loss. However, the heat loss at tank walls and roof will fluctuate when the liquid level increases or decreases but the heat loss through the bottom will always remain constant. This can be explained by the fact that when the storage tank is only filled at 10% of its capacity, the tank bottom will always be in...