Ni trogen Blanketing

A computer program has been developed to size blanketing systems for chem-
ical storage tanks. Here are the details.
T. J . DePaola and C. A. Messina, Linde Division, Union Carbide Corp., Tarrytown, N. Y. 10591
In many industries, inert gas blanketing is used in the stor-
age, transport, packaging, and handling of materials such
as foods, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products and chemi-
cals. Vessels which are blanketed range in size from
single-serving orange juice containers, to hundred thou-
sand barrel (16,000 m3) tanks used for the storage of etro-
leum derivatives. A computer ro ram has been x evel-
oped to size blanketing systems P a or c emical storage tanks.
NEED FOR BLANKETING
Blanketing is recommended or required in many situa-
tions. The most common reasons for blanketing are: reduc-
tion of operating hazards due to flammability, mainte-
nance of stored product uality, reduction of corrosion,
Perhaps the most important reason for blanketing is to
reduce operating hazards with flammable liquid prod-
ucts. Three elements are needed for a fire or explosion to
occur. These elements are combustibles or fuel (flam-
mable vapors), an oxidant or source of oxygen (usually air),
and a source of ignition. Together, these three elements
form the Fire Triangle. The source of ignition can be an
open flame, a static electrical dischar e, or other ignition
tially eliminates oxygen and lessens the chance of a fire.
Figure 1 shows a flammability diagram for the system
methane, oxygen, and nitrogen.
and reduction of product 7 oss due to evaporation.
source within the tank. Blanketingwit 1 an inert gas essen-
OXYGEN, VOLUME %
n.pnn(.d rim p.rmiulon 01 t k u.8. ~ u n a u d win-.
Figure 1 . Flammability diagram for the system methane-oxygen-nitrogen
at atmospheric pressure and 26C.
PlantlOperations Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4)
If only one element of the Fire Triangle is absent, or if
the relative concentrations of combustibles and oxidant
fall outside the flammable limits, a fire cannot occur.
One exception is ethylene oxide, a chemical that needs no
oxygen for a fire or explosion to occur (the upper
flammable limit of eth;ylene oxide is 100%).
I n general, if the vapor concentration is too rich or too
lean, a fire will not occur. However, using only vapor con-
centrations for flammability control is not com letely
centration into the flammable region. Increasing the tem-
perature or pressure usually enlarges the flammable re-
gion [ I ] . Tabulated flammability limits are usually given
for typical conditions (atmospheric temperature and pres-
sure) that prevail in chemical storage tanks, and therefore
may be incorrect in unusual situations.
The U.S. Bureau of Mines has published the Flamma-
bility Characteristics of Combustible Gases and Vapors,
which can be used as a general reference [ Z] . A more recent
publication by the NFPA lists flammability limits for
many products [ 3] .
Other types of combustible materials include particles
such as the fine dust often found in grain storage bins or
metal powders. These materials present a special type of
explosion hazard. I n general, however, dusts with particle
sizes above 400 pm will not explode [4].
Blanketing sensitive materials is often essential to main-
tain product quality. Some products degrade by reaction
with oxygen or moisture in the air. Blanketing gases can be
chosen such that they contain very small amounts of oxy-
gen and moisture. Also, when a storage tank is kept under a
positive pressure as rn blanketing, air infiltration, and
therefore product contamination, is minimized. Table 1
failsafe. Air leaking into a rich mixture can bring t E e con-
TABLE 1. TYPICAL MATERIALS REQUIRING INERT GAS
BLANKETING
Material HazardiProblem [SJ
Acetaldehyde
Aniline
1, 3 Butadiene
1, 1 Dichloroethene
Diethyl Zinc
Ethylene Oxide
Reacts with oxygen to form peroxides.
Contact with oxygen causes darkening.
Flammable; reacts with oxygen to form
peroxides.
Flammable liquid; explosive.
Ignites on contact with air; reacts vio-
lently on contact with water.
Extremely flammable liquid; explo-
sive with wide range of flammable lim-
its.
Flammable liquid; explosive with
wide range OF flammable limits.
Reacts with moisture and oxidizingma-
terials.
flammable.
flammable.
H ydrazine
Maleic Anhydride
Phosphorus Trichloride Reacts violently with water;
Trichlorosilane Reacts violently with water;
Octoober, 1984 203
contains some typical materials requiring inert gas blan-
keting, and the hazard or problem avoided by blanketing.
Other products need some oxygen present to maintain
product quality. For example, inhibited monomer storage
requires a controlled amount of oxygen present for the in-
hibitor to function properly, otherwise the monomer will
degrade by polymerization. High and consistent product
quality is important to both manufacturers and distributors
(specifications, price), as well as to end users (reactivity,
purity).
Blanketing can also help minimize the formation of
unwanted and potentially hazardous reaction products.
For example, the reaction of acetaldehyde with ambient
oxygen produces organic peroxides which are highly
explosive.
Another related problem, the corrosion of storage ves-
sels and piping, may be caused by acids formed by reaction
ofcertain products with moisture. This situation is trouble-
some, and may even be dangerous. Replacing corroded
materials is expensive, labor-intensive and can slow or halt
pl ant operations. Blanketing reduces corrosion by
replacing moist air with dry inert gas.
In addition to reducing operating hazards, maintaining
product quality and reducing corrosion, inert gas blanket-
ing can reduce product loss of volatile materials resulting
from evaporation. Blanketing systems reduce loss by al-
l owi ng vapors to vent only when relief settings are
reached, unlike tanks open to the atmosphere, where
vapors are continually venting due to evaporation. Blan-
keting is especially desirable with an expensive, volatile
material. In addition, it is necessary with the storage of a
noxious or toxic product whose vapors could present
health or ecological hazards.
CHOICE OF BLANKETING GAS
Gases commonly used for blanketing include nitrogen,
carbon dioxide, nitrogen-carbon dioxide mixtures, natural
gas or methane, combustion-generated inert gas, and flue
gas.
Combustion-generated inert gas and flue gas have sev-
eral disadvantages. Being combustion products, they are
essentially nitrogen and carbon dioxide. However, they
can also contain significant amounts of carbon monoxide,
uncomhusted hydrocarbons, hydrogen, oxygen, and
water. These residual constituents reduce the purity of the
blanket gas and may cause problems themselves. With sul-
fur containing fuels, sulfur dioxide can present corrosion
problems as can oxides of nitrogen. In most cases, down-
stream treatment of combustion-generated inert gas and
flue gas is often required when a low moisture product is
needed. In other casec, caustic scrubbers or adsorbents are
used when the carbon dioxide must be removed.
Natural gas is used for blanketing when it is readily
available and can be recovered for its heating value. How-
ever, because it is combustible, its use is less desirable.
Another potential disadvantage is the dissolution of
methane in the stored product.
Carbon dioxide is soluble in many liquids and may con-
taminate stored materials. The solubilities of nitrogen and
carbon dioxide in various liquids are shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2. SOLUBILITIES OF NITROGEN AND CARBONDIOXIDE IN
VARIOUS LIQUIDS AT ATMOSPHEHC PRESSURE AND 25C [6]
Nitrogen Carbon Dioxide
(cm3/cm3) (cm3/cmS)
Amy1 Acetate 0.15 4.1
Carbon Disulfide 0.06 0.87
Methyl Alcohol 0.14 3.8
Petroleum (Crude) 0.12 1.2
Toluene 0.12 2.3
Water 0.016 0.82
This dissolved carbon dioxide may have a detrimental ef-
fect on the end use of the product. Carbon dioxide reacts
with moisture to produce carbonic acid which may form
undesirable carbonates i n stored products, and lower the
pH. The price of carbon dioxide depends greatly upon
availability, for it is produced mainly as a by-product
stream from oil refineries and fertilizer plants.
For several reasons, nitrogen is the most commonly used
blanketing gas. Because it is essentially non-reactive and
has low solubility in liquids, the risk ofproduct contamina-
tion is virtually eliminated. Nitrogen is also extremely low
in moisture and oxygen content. When the refrigeration
value of liquid nitrogen can also he used, it becomes an es-
pecially attractive blanketing gas.
The type of nitrogen supply depends strongly upon vol-
ume and use patterns. Compressed gas cylinders are best
suited for very low volume uses. As nitrogen requirements
increase, gas cylinders become impractical and uneco-
nomical to store and transport. Other methods used to sup-
ply nitrogen are bulk liquid storage, various forms of on-
site plants such as a cryogenic nitrogen plant (N-plant), and
pipeline supply from a nitrogen producing plant which
serves more than one customer.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OF A BLANKETING SYSTEM
Components of a Blanketing System
A blanketing system provides a means of allowing the
blanket gas in and out of the storage tank headspace on de-
mand. A conventional inert gas blanketing system, shown
in Figure 2, consists of the following equipment: gas blan-
keting regulator, pressure relief valve, vacuum relief
valve, and rupture disk (optional).
One important aspect of specifying a blanketing s stem
is sizing the equipment. The equipment and gctors
determining their size are discussed below.
The gas blanketing regulator reduces the supply pres-
sure to the desired blanket pressure. I t protects the storage
tank from a vacuum condition by supplying blanket gas to
the tank headspace, and is sized to satisfy the inbreathing
requirement [7J Inbreathing is caused by: 1) the contrac-
tion of vapors in the tank headspace resulting from a de-
crease in atmospheric temperature; and 2 ) the outflow of
liquid. To determine the inbreathing requirement due to
the contraction of vapors, a condition was chosen which
would represent the maximum rate at which the storage
tank could cool [fl. The amount of blanket gas required is
that which would prevent a vacuum condition when the
storage tank is rapidly cooled by a rainstorm on a hot,
sunny day. The amount of blanket gas required during liq-
uid withdrawal is that necessary to replace the volume of
liquid being removed.
The pressure relief valve protects the storage tank from
becoming overpressurized during normal operation. The
pressure reliefvalve capacity is determined by: 1) the max-
imum failed regulator capacity (includes expansion of
vapors resulting from an increase in atmospheric tempera-
ture), and 2) outbreathing due to the inflow of l i uid. The
the reliefvalve capacity needed to prevent the storage tank
maximum failed regulator capacity is used to ? etermine
PRESSURE SENSING LINE PRESSUREIVACUUM
RELIEF VALVE
n
INERTGAS
SUPPLY
Fi gure 2. Iner t gas bl anket i ng system,
Pl ant /Operat i ons Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4) 204 Oct ober, 1984
from being overpressurized if the regulator failed in a com-
pletely open position. The maximum failed capacity can
be found in the regulator sizing literature and may be the
same as the maximum regulated capacity, depending on
the manufacturer. The vapor vented, due to the inflow of
liquid, is determined by the amount of vapor displaced by
the liquid added. When the liquid has a flash point below
100F (37.8C), an adjustment must be made to account for
the additional vapor vented due to the evaporation of some
liquid [7J This is apparent especially when filling an
empty tank.
The vacuum relief valve protects the storage tank from a
vacuum condition by su plying air to the tank headspace
the regulator fails to open. The vacuum relief valve capac-
ity must equal or exceed the regulator capacity.
The rupture disk protects the storage tank from becom-
ing overpressurized during emergency situations. The
vapor venting capacity is that required when the tank is ex-
posed to fire [a. This venting capacity can be handled by
oversizing the pressure relief device. However, this is not
too common because the large gas volumes vented in
emergencies would re uire an extremely large, and there-
when: 1) there is a blan E et gas supply interruption; or 2)
fore expensive, relief 4 evice.
Selection of Blanketing Equipment
Storage tanks are blanketed at various pressures, de-
pending on the application. For our purposes, low, me-
dium, and high pressure blanketing is limited to the ranges
defined below. The most common, low pressure gas blan-
keting, utilizes pressures in the range of 1/2 to 2 inches
water column (124-497 Pa g). These pressures are required
for field erected storage tanks, where the tank size ex-
ceeds approximately 30,000 gallons (113.6 m3), but can also
be used for certain applications in smaller tanks. Medium-
pressure blanketing utilizes pressures in the range of 2
inches water column (497 Pa g) to 15 psig (103 kPa g) and
high pressure blanketing exists when pressures exceed 15
psig. Medium and high pressure blanketing (sometimes
referred to as tank padding when pressures exceed a few
psig) are used when low pressures cannot be used due to
product storage requirements.
There are generally three types of regulators used for
blanketing: 1) external pilot operated; 2) internal pilot op-
erated; and 3) direct operated. The external pilot operated
system is a multi-regulator arrangement utilizing a sepa-
rate sensing regulator to control the main blanket gas con-
trol valve. The internal pilot operated system is a one valve
system, where the sensing regulator is part of the main
valve assembly. The direct operated regulator is a spring
or weight operated valve in which the opposing dia-
phragm assembly senses the tank pressure directly. All
three types of re ulators can he used for low, medium, and
high pressure Rlanketing. Direct operated regulators,
however, re uire a relatively large diaphragm for low
pressure gasxlanketing.
Pilot, spring, or weight loaded pressure and vacuum re-
lief valves are used, depending on the ap lication and re-
valves usually have the ability to attain lower set pressures
than spring loaded relief valves. Weight loaded relief
valves are usually used for lower set pressures (inches of
water), and spring loaded relief valves are usually used for
higher set pressures (>1 psig, or 6.9 kPa g). Pilot operated
relief valves have a wide range of set pressures, from
inches of water to thousands of pounds, and usually re-
quire less overpressure for full lift than spring or weight
loaded relief valves.
A rupture disk or reuseable emergency relief vent can be
used for emergency venting requirements, depending on
the application.
Plantloperations Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4)
lief pressures needed. Pilot and weig hpt loaded relief
Compotibility
Another important aspect of specifying a blanketing sys-
tern is compatibility.
The blanket gas must be compatible with the chemical
to maintain safe operating conditions and prevent product
degradation. This information was discussed earlier, un-
der the heading, the Need for Blanketing.
The blanketing equi ment materials of construction
prevent product contamination and malfunction of the
equipment due to material failure. If the blanket gas con-
tains hydrocarbons or other corrosive components, the dia-
phragm material and other materials should be chosen ac-
cordingly. Excessive amounts of moisture in the blanket
gas may also cause corrosion if the proper materials are not
chosen. The remote location of blanketing regulators,
when possible, will prevent their contact with the chemi-
cal vapor. In this case, it is not necessary to make the regu-
lator materials of construction compatible with the chemi-
cal. The relief valves, however, are almost always exposed
to the chemical vapor and must be constructed of the
proper materials.
The blanketing equipment materials of construction
must comply with federal, state, and local codes [9].
must be compatible wit K the blanket gas and chemical to
NITROGEN BLANKETING PROGRAM
An interactive computer program has been developed
by Linde to size blanketing systems for liquid chemical
storage tanks. The program is written in FORTRAN level
VS for the IBM 370 computer. The computer program de-
termines the size, in SCFH air capacity, of each compo-
nent in the blanketing system, including: the gas blanket-
ing regulator, pressure relief valve, vacuum relief valve,
and rupture disk. The equipment sizing calculations can
be used for low, medium, and high pressure blanketingap-
plications and are in compliance with industrial standards
[7J Also determined are the nitrogen consumption and
chemical evaporation loss using a model based on field
data [lo, 111. The nitrogen consumption and chemical
evaporation loss calculations can be used only for low
pressure blanketing applications.
The computer program contains the necessary physical
property data of over 50 chemicals which are most com-
monly blanketed. Also included is the necessary weather
data for various locations in the United States.
The nitrogen blanketing program requires the input
data described in Table 3. An example of the nitrogen
blanketingprogram input and output is shown in Figure 3.
TABLE 3. INPUT DATA REQUIRED FOR NITROGEN BLANKETING
PROGRAhl*
Name of Chemical
Tank Location
Tank Information:
Capacity
Diameter or height
Average liquid content
Fill and discharge rates
Desi n pressure
Num a er of tank turnovers per year
Paint color and condition
Specify whether tank has cone or flat roof
Specify whether tank is horizontal or vertical
Specify if tank is heated or refrigerated and at what temperature
or temperature range
Regulator, pressurehcuum relief and rupture disk set points
Nitrogen supply pressure to regulator
* Chemical and weather data are also required when the chemical and tank location
are not in the nitrogen blanketing program data hanks.
October, 1984 205
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
* * X* * X* X* X* * * * X* * * * X* X CASE NO. 1 X* * * X* * * XX* * * * * * * * k * XX* * * * * *
************ CHEMlCAL 1NFOHmTl ON ****************
B KN Z K N E CHEMlCAL STORED
CHEMlCAL FORHU1.A gH6
MOLECULAR WEI GHT - 78. 1
FLASH POI NT, F - 12. 0
LATENT HEAT OF VAP. @ 60 F. BTUI L B - 210.
L I QUI D SPE CI F I C GRAVlTY (3 60 PI 60 [z 0. 884
ANTOZNE EQUATLON CONSTANT A - 14. 251
ANTOI NE EQUATl ON CONSTANT B - 1911. 57
ANTOI NE EQUATl ON CONSTANT C - 102. 17
(SEE NOTE 5)
* * * * * * * * * * A * * * * * TANK I NFORMATI ON ****************
TANK HAS CONE ROOF
TANK CAPACZTY , GALLONS - 100000.
TANK Dl AMETER, FEET - 30.0
TANK DESI GN PRESSURE, PSl G 2.00
TANK F I L L RATE, GPM - 500.
TANK DI SCHARGE RATE, GPM - 500.
AVERAGE L I QUl D CONTENT, % OF CAPACl TY - 75 .O
TANK TURNOVERS PER MONTH - 1.0
TANK HEI GHT. FEET 18. 9
-
-
(SEE NOTE 2)
********X***** TANK PRESSURE I NFO ****************
NI TROGEN SUPPL Y (I NL ET) PRESSUHE TO
REGULATOR, P SI G - 50.0
REGULATOR SET POI NT, I NCHES W.C. - 0.500
PRESSURE REL l EF SET POI NT, I NCHES W.C. - 0.865
VACUUM REL l EF SET POI NT, I NCHES W.C. - 0.865
BURSTl NG DI SC SET POI NT, I NCHES W. C. - 2.000
-
-
************** PRESSURE REGULATOR ****************
I NBREATH DUE TO TEW. DECREASE, SCFli 2384.
MI N. REGULATOR CAPACI TY , SCFH 7028.
I NBREATH DUE TO L I QUI D OUTFLOW, SCFl l - 4005.
(SEE NOTE 1)
************* PRESSURE REL I EF VALVE * * * * * * * * * * * * A*
MAX. REGULATOR CAPACI TY , SCFtt - 7088.
OUTBREATH DUE T O L I QUl D I NFLOW, SCFl l - 8590.
TOTAL FLOW REQUI REMENT, SCFI 1 156 78.
(SEE NOTE 1)
262OK
487. 8 kJ I kg
378 m3
9. 1 m
5.8 m
13.8 kPa g
1.89 m3/rni n
1.89 m3/mi n
344. 8 kpa g
124 Pa g
215 Pa g
215 Pa g
497 Pa g
**m3 /hour**
63.9
107. 3
188.3
189.9
230. 1
420. 0
188.3
13886.6
ASPIRATOR BLANKETING
I n some blanketing ap lications, it
have a controlled level o P oxygen in
complish this type ofhlanketing
oped a design concept called aspirator blanketing. For this
type of tank blanketing, a gas eductor would be used to
vary the blanket gas composition according to process
requirements.
206 October, 1984
Basically, the same equi pment would be used for
aspirator blanketing as for normal tank blanketing with the
exception of the aspirator, or gas eductor. A simplified
aspirator blanketing system i s shown in Figure 4. The
blanketing regulator maintains the storage tank headspace
pressure at the set point via a sense line. The aspirator is
installed between the blanket regulator outlet and the stor-
age tank inlet. When the headspace pressure drops below
Plant/Operations Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4)
J ANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRI L
HAY
J UNE
J ULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
BREATHLNG WORK 1 NG
MEAN MEAN MEAN CHEMLCAL CHKMI CAL TOTAL
TEMP TEMP TEMP LOSS LOSS CHKMI CAL NI THOGKN
DEG F DEG F DEG F LBS LBS LOSS CONSUMP
( SEE NOTE 6) ( SEE NOTE 7) ( SEE NOTE 4) LBS SCF'
41.7
46 .O
53.4
63.1
71.1
78.6
82.3
81.4
75.1
64.2
52.4
45.0
52.6
55.3
60.8
68.0
75.1
82.7
86.7
85.4
79.8
69.3
59.5
51.1
30.3
35.7
44.9
58.9
66.0
15.4
79.0
77.9
68.3
56.8
45.1
36.7
74.
77.
82.
77.
91 1
96.
107.
103.
112.
92.
76.
64.
MEAN MONTHLY BREATHl NG CHEMl CAL LOSS, LBS = 88.
MEAN MONTHLY WORKI NG CHEMl CAL LOSS, LBS
MEAN MONTHLY TOTAL CHEMI CAL LOSS, LBS
MEAN MONTHLY NI TROGEN CONSUMPTI ON. SCY
s
LB = 0.4536 k
DEG K = ( DEG F + 459.67)/1.8
SCF = 0.0283 m
*ALL FLOWS ARE SCFH OF AI R Q 60 F.
~API STANDARD 2000, THI RD
EDI TI ON, J ANUARY 1982.
2THE HEl GHT WAS CALCULATED
FROMTHE TANK VOLUME AND DI AMETER.
3BURSTI NG DI SC USED FOR EMERGENCY
RELI EF, SUCH AS FI RE EXPOSURE.
4 ~ 1 BULLETl N 2523, FI RST
EDI TI ON, NOVEMBER 1969.
= 271.
= 359.
= 16167.
132.
152.
191.
256.
321.
394.
434.
424.
358.
264.
186.
147.
206.
229.
274.
333.
412.
490.
540.
527.
470.
356.
262.
211.
16131.
16430.
16S5 7.
16176.
16222.
15403.
15132.
15325.
16102.
16663.
16509.
17352.
~ANTOI NE EQUATI ON OF THE FORM:
LN(P) = A - B/ (T t C)
WHERE: P I S VAPOR PRESSURE, nun HG
(nun HG = 0. 133 kPa)
T I S TEMPERATURE, K.
THE TEMPERATURES ARE THE MEAN
DAI LY TEMPERATURES FOR THE HONTH.
THE MEAN I S TAKEN OVER A PERI OD OF
30 YEARS.
7"BACKGROUND DQCUMUNTATI ON FOR
STORAGE OF ORGANI C LI QUI DS",
TRWENVI RONMENTAL, I NC. , RESEARCH
TRl ANGLE PARK, NC, HAY 1981.
EPA CONTRACT 68-02-3174,
Figure 3. (Continued from page 206) Example of nitrogen blanketing program input and output.
the set point, the regulator opens, flowing inert gas into
the headspace via the aspirator. This flow through the
aspirator causes a negative pressure to develop at the air
inlet of the aspirator, which causes air to be aspirated into
the inert gas stream. A fixed orifice and globe valve are
used to modulate the air flow into the as irator. A check
valve is installed to prevent backflow of ciemical vapors.
For applications requiring more precise control of the
oxygen concentration in the blanket gas, a fixed orifice
and control valve would be used to modulate air flow into
the aspirator. The signal to operate the control valve would
be derived from the variable inlet pressure to the aspirator
via a proportioning relay. This system would provide an
essentially constant oxygen concentration in the blanket
gas for a given application.
AIES!4URE/VACUUH PRESSURE SENSING UNE RELIEF VALVE
CHECK
VALVE
FIXED GLOBE
ORIFICE VALVE
INHIBITED MONOMER STORWE
Figure 4. Aspirator blanketing system.
Plant/Operations Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4) October, 1984 207
Evaluate:
1) Process
operating hazards
2) Product: flammability,
sensitivity, reactivity,
corrosivity, value,
health and ecological
hazards, etc.
Evaluate
Need for
Regulator, pressure/
vacuum relief
and rupture
disk capacities
determined in
SCFH of air
low and average I
I temperatures Nitrogen consumption
L,,---J and chemical
evaporation loss
determined in
SCF/month and
Aspirator blanketing would enable a blanketing system of moisture and excess oxygen in the storage tank
to maintain the desired oxygen concentration in the blan- headspace. This enhances the safety aspect of blanketing
ket gas without connecting air or oxygen lines to the inert when small amounts of oxygen in the headspace are
gas supply line. This reduces the chances ofcontaminating required.
the inert gas supply with oxygen. Aspirator blanketing, as Inhibited monomer storage is one application where
opposed to blanketing with air, would reduce the amount aspirator blanketing could be used. For example, styrene
208 October, 1984 Plant/Opemtions Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4)
and acrylic ester monomers need some oxygen present for
the inhibitor to function properly, otherwise the monomer
will degrade by polymerization. Also, reduced moisture in
the storage tank leads to enhanced monomer storage life
and improvements in the polymerization process.
Actually, any blanketing application that could tolerate
small amounts of oxygen and moisture could utilize
aspirator blanketing to reduce the inert gas consumption.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Safety
Inert gas blanketing does not eliminate the need for
other safety measures, such as electrical rounding, proper
etc. The benefits of inerting are realized only in the stor-
age tank headspace and not in the external surroundings of
the tank. The flammable vapors vented from the inerted
tank during outbreathin may be subject to ignition as they
mix with air at the vent &charge opening. The vapors can
also settle and accumulate in a trench or other poorly venti-
lated area.
Tanks blanketed with an inert gas should be clearly
marked to insure that no worker will enter without the
proper equipment, such as an air supply mask, life line,
etc. [ I ] . Additional care should be taken to disconnect the
inert gas supply from the storage tank being entered.
location and spacing of tanks, fire fig a ting equipment,
Purging a Storage l an k Into Service
When a new storage tank (which will store blanketed
materials) is put into service, or an existing one changes
service, it may be necessary to purge the tank with inert
gas prior to filling. Three methods of purging commonly
used are: 1) vacuum purging, 2) syphon purging, and 3) di-
lution purging.
In vacuum purging, a vacuum is pulled on the storage
tank and it is then backfilled with inert gas [12]. This is
probably the most efficient method, but least likely to be
used since relatively few liquid storage tanks can with-
stand a vacuum.
For syphon purging [I], the storage tank is filled with
liquid (product or water). Inert gas is fed into the storage
tank as the liquid is drained. Since there will be some re-
sidual moisture if water is used, this method cannot be
used for moisture-sensitive chemicals.
Dilution purging is the simplest and most common
method used to purge storage tanks [12]. The inert gas feed
into the tank as well as the vent stream, containing inert
gas and contaminant, are both continuous. Dilution purg-
ing is based on the assumption that the contents of the tank
are well mixed. The feed and vent flow rates, as well as
the location of the inlet and outlet nozzles, must therefore
promote effective mixing of the storage tanks contents.
For exam le, the inert gas feed nozzle should be located as
inert gas from venting before it has a chance to mix with the
tanks contents. Analyses of the contents at different points
in the tank should be performed to make certain that the
contaminant concentration is below the required level.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Inert gas blanketing is used in many industries, ranging
from food to petroleum. It is used at various stages in pro-
duction, from the raw material to the finished product, in-
cluding transportation. The most common reasons for
blanketing are: to reduce operating hazards, maintain
product quality, reduce corrosion, and reduce product loss
due to evaporation.
far from t B e vent nozzle as possible. This will prevent the
Selection of the inert gas and blanketing equipment
varies from a lication to application. Proper equipment
selection anxi esi gn can increase the safe operation of a
storage facility, as well as save significant operating costs.
The computer program developed by Linde will help the
customer to select and size the proper equipment for each
and any blanketing, application. A summary of the proce-
dure used to select and design a nitrogen blanketing sys-
tem is shown in Figure 5.
Remember, inert gas blanketing does not eliminate the
need for other safety measures [ I ] . The benefits of in-
erting are realized only in the storage tank heads ace, not
in the external surroundings. Extreme care mustte taken
when working on inerted tanks to insure that the pro er
life support and safety equipment are used by workers fI].
LITERATURE CITED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
NFPA 69, Explosion Prevention Systems (1978).
Zabetakis, Michael G., Bureau of Mines Bulletin 627,
Flammabilitv Characteristics of Combustible Gases and
Vapors (1965).
NFPA 325 M, Fire Hazard Properties of Flammable Liq-
uids, Gases, Volatile Solids (1977).
Bartknecht, W., Explosions-Course Prevention Program,
Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg (1981).
NFPA 49, Hazardous Chemicals Data, (1975).
Linke, William F., Ph.D., Solubilities of Inorganic and
Metal-Organic Compounds, Washington, D. C. (1965), Vol. I
API Standard 2000, Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure
Storage Tanks, Third Edition (J anuary 1982).
API Bulletin 25118, Evaporation Loss From Fixed-Roof
Tanks (J une 196:2).
NFPA 30, Flamlmable and Combustible Liquids Code
( 198 1).
EPA Contract #68-02-3174, Background Documentation for
Storage of Organic Liquids (May 1981).
API Bulletin 2523, Petrochemical Evaporation Loss From
Storage Tanks, First Edition (November 1969).
Nitrogen Purging and Inerting, L-5547, Union Carbide
Corporation (1983,).
pp. 479-493, VO~. I1 pp. 575-590.
Thomas DePaola is a Development Engineer in
the Bulk Gas products Development Department
of the Linde Division, Union Carbide Corpora-
tion. He is responsible for developing and
evaluating industrial gas applications in the chem-
ical industry. He holds Bachelor and Master De-
grees in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan
College, and is a member of the AIChE and ACS.
Since 1982, Celeste A. Messina has been Market-
ing Manager, Chemical Industry, in the Bulk Gas
Products Market Development Department of the
Linde Division, Union Carbide Co oration Her
responsibilities include evaluating xveloping in-
dustrial gas applications and investigating com-
mercial uses of gas technology extensions. Previ-
ously, she worked for 4 years in synthesis research
for Union Carbides Molecular Sieve Department.
She holds B.A. degrees in Mathematics and in
French from the College of New Rochelle, and a
B.S. degree in Chemistry and a M.S. degree in
Physical Chemistry from the University of Paris.
Hyolder of a M.B.A. degree in Finance/Marketing
from Fordham University, she is amemberofACS.
PlandOperations Progress (Vol. 3, No. 4)
October, 1984 209