Storage tank maintenance strategy in oil storage

As the most important static equipment in oil storage, atmospheric pressure storage tanks, in the long course of time under the influence of the environment, external forces, and the force of different mediums, are apt to meet the problems of partial anti-corrosion coating failure,corrosion of the body and its accessories, ageing of seal, and cracking of welded joints, which require regular check and repair. In order to optimize the maintenance cycle, this research, based on the current standards and regulations, systematically reviewed the basic principles of cutout test, online test, Risk Based Inspection(RBI) and their advantages and disadvantages in engineering application. This research also analyzed the shortcomings of the current storage tank test programs, then further proposed a test program combining RBI technology and online acoustic emission technology of bottom plate. By applying the cut-out magnetic flux leakage scanning test program, the field verification of the proposed test program is carried out, which proved its feasibility. Therefore, a comprehensive test strategy combining the cut-out test and “RBI+ bottom plate acoustic emission” was developed, which enabled to fully acquire the corrosion state of the storage tank in all aspects. At the same time, the research made optimization to the storage tank maintenance program after taking into consideration the anti-corrosion coating failure treatment and welding joint buried defect inspection and disposal, so as to formulate a scientific and economical test and maintenance strategy. The findings of this study hold significant practical value for the field of engineering, particularly in terms of guiding the implementation of tank inspection and maintenance and ultimately. These findings have the possibility to improve comprehensively the service of storage tanks.