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Low-pressure storage tanks store material with vapor pressures lower than 10.3 kPa (low volatility). A slight pressure or vacuum can cause damage to the tank because remember, pressure is force exerted over an area (P=F/A); storage tanks have huge surface areas of thousands of m2 (A>>>); therefore, a small pressure will generate a huge force capable of causing such damages.

For example, a water gauge pressure of -2.5 inches, or the height of a cup of tea, is just enough vacuum to suck in many tanks.

How much pressure is too much pressure? The typical lung pressure of a person is 24” of water gauge. Only one-third of that pressure is enough to lift the roof off a big storage tank.

In this newsletter, Georges Melhem, Ph.D., FAIChE, presents a Process Safety Office® SuperChems™ software-based model to study the dynamic behavior of thermal inbreathing of low-pressure storage tanks during a sudden cooling rainstorm. He covers:

Objectives Thermal Inbreathing per API 2000 Proposed Model Modeling Results API 2000 Conservativeness Conclusions References

Bonus!

This newsletter also includes access to a complimentary 34-minute presentation by @Neil Prophet on the potential causes leading to the Reynosa gas explosion incident as well as methods for analyzing incidents to have a better understanding of the hazardous outcomes.

Have a great and safe day.

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