The bottom of a 3,000-liter oil storage tank is leaking, and the oil is seeping into the foundation. How can it be replaced?
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As the title suggests, oil has seeped into the foundation. How can the oil beneath the tank be removed so that conditions are met for welding repairs to be carried out?
1. First, stop the fueling and drain the remaining fuel from the tank. 2. Use high-pressure water or air to clean the bottom of the storage tank and the contaminated foundation area, aiming to flush out any remaining oil. 3. For aeration treatment in areas contaminated by oil, adsorbent materials such as activated carbon can be used to accelerate the evaporation of oil and gas. 4. Detect the oil and gas concentration to ensure it is below the lower explosive limit and meets safety standards. 5. If conditions permit, consider using a professional oil recovery company for the treatment. 6. After completing the above steps, carry out hot work to repair the storage tank. Be sure to follow safety procedures to prevent accidents. .
Under normal circumstances, oil is lighter than water; therefore, if conditions permit, water can be used for displacement – the oil is removed first, and then the water is drained.
Nitrogen replacement is required, and this must be done after all flammable liquids in the tank have been removed. After nitrogen purging, if maintenance is to be carried out inside the tank, air purging is also required. Whether the replacement is qualified still requires sampling and analysis. Safety first; nitrogen displacement must prevent suffocation accidents. Wish safe maintenance.
Pay attention to the question: it is the oil that has seeped into the foundation, and it is necessary to displace the oil from within the foundation. Nitrogen clearly cannot displace the oil in the foundation.
The foundation should have an impermeable layer; it’s unusual for a foundation to allow oil to seep through. I apologize for the misunderstanding in interpreting the question, as I failed to grasp its meaning.
There was a defect in the weld at the bottom of the tank, which allowed oil (organic solvents) to penetrate into the foundation of the tank bottom, thereby dissolving and causing the waterproof layer of that foundation to flow out.
There’s not much that can be done regarding this estimate; originally, when there was a leak at the bottom of the tank, air was introduced through the leak detection holes at the bottom of the tank, by sealing the edge plates surrounding it, in order to locate the source of the leak. I once used epoxy for repair, but the results were very poor ； The risk of replacing the cutting base plate is too high ； If the leak is not large, it is still feasible to use a cover, provide nitrogen protection at the bottom of the tank, and ensure proper protection for the personnel.
Yes, I can’t think of a good solution for now; the only option is to fill the tank with water, allowing it to seep through the leaks into the base of the tank, and then leak out through the leak detection ports. It’s been over two months with no progress.