What is tank blanketing?

Tank blanketing with nitrogen means to cover a liquid with gas to protect the tanks and the medium. But how does tank blanketing work and who needs it?
Tank blanketing with valves (inerting) is indispensable in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, (petro)chemical, food and beverage production. Not only fuels, but also various chemicals, bulk materials, vapours, gases or dusts can form an explosive mixture in combination with atmospheric oxygen or in interaction with other substances and must be protected from these dangerous reactions during storage. In silos, bulk solids in combination with water or atmospheric oxygen cannot only react in an extremely flammable manner, but also have a toxic effect. Therefore, ATEX is also a relevant topic for tank blanketing.

The food and beverage industry often requires protection from microbiological influences which may contaminate the product and make it uneatable. To displace the atmospheric oxygen, the void volume in the tank head space (vapor space) is slightly pressurised with an inert gas (for ex. nitrogen, carbon dioxide or noble gases like argon), whereby the pressure of the inert gas is slightly higher than the ambient pressure.

Industrial nitrogen is most commonly used in tank blanketing. The pressure difference prevents air from entering the tank interior and the atmospheric oxygen from reacting with the medium. The inert gas pressure can vary in the tank due to temperature changes or weather influences or fluctuating levels – the tank “breathes”. The task of the tank blanketing system is consequently to continuously maintain the inert state, no matter how and to what extent the volume change in the vapor space has occurred.

Storage tank differentiation – various valve solutions needed

Tank blanketing (padding) is the process of filling the empty space of a liquid storage tank with an inert gas. The pressure of the inert gas is in a millibar range higher than atmospheric pressure. Tank blanketing valves for tanks with fixed roofs are therefore required to be, among other things, of a very high control accuracy. Furthermore, tank blanketing is only used for fixed roof and sealed tanks. The tanks should hold a stable pressure.
In the case of storage tanks with a floating roof, an air cushion must never be allowed to form between the floating roof and the liquid to be stored, as otherwise the roof runs the risk of tilting. Such storage tanks require venting valves.

Tank blanketing in a nut shell

Medium is combustible

Protecting the tank from explosion – blanketing maintains the tank‘s vapour space above the flammable liquid and reduces the potential ignition hazard. ATEX may be relevant for tank blanketing.

Medium is perishable

Protection from damage to the media – blanketing protects food from oxidation, contamination or evaporation.

Medium reacts with air

Air contains oxygen, moisture and other contaminants which can degrade or contaminate the stored product, which leads to internal corrosion. Tank blanketing creates a positive pressure inside the tank and this ensures that in the event of a leakage the gas will leak out rather than having the contaminants infiltrate the tank.

Medium is “dangerous”

Protects environment from media. Vapour recovery prevents harmful vapour from escaping into the atmosphere.

Why is nitrogen mostly used for tank blanketing?

• Nitrogen (in most cases) does not react with other substances when mixed with the vapours of stored products
• Nitrogen is non-flammable
• Nitrogen can reduce the concentration of oxygen and keeps the vapour non-flammable by eliminating oxygen-rich air
• Dry nitrogen prevents water contamination of the product – Water can lead to corrosion of vessels and piping
• Minimizes evaporation losses (and product losses)
• But: Purity of the nitrogen is important to maintain the quality of the stored product!

Do you like that article? Share it with your friends and colleagues.