NIPLAST has supplied two storage tanks to Suretank, a manufacturer of CCUs (Cargo Carrying Units) for the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry. The tanks, to be used to store sodium bromide and hydrochloric acid in the Caribbean, were commissioned by the customer in polypropylene rather than their usual steel construction, due to the highly corrosive nature of these chemicals.
An unusual, but key, design request from the customer was that the Niplast tanks would be able to be transported horizontally within a purpose built mild steel frame based on an ISO container specification. To facilitate shipping from location to location, the empty tanks will be held in the horizontal position via a flanged bolted base and a polypropylene lined cradle. When configuring how to best locate and support the empty tank within the frame, Niplast and Suretank designers had to take into account transportation loads and acceleration factors. Upon arrival in the Caribbean, both tanks will remain in their steel frames, but lifted into the vertical before being put into use. This required Niplast designers to consider the axial and circumferential thermal expansion of the tank whilst remaining in the steel frames. Niplast is one of the UK’s longest established and leading plastic storage tank brands.
www.niplast.com
