Why is there no lightning rod on the oil storage tank
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This was a question posed by the workshop supervisor when I first arrived at the factory to participate in a technical competition. Was it due to negligence on the part of the designers? Could such tall tanks really not be at risk of catching fire or exploding from lightning strikes? Let’s test the freight forwarders. This post was last edited by aymzj on 2009-3-9 at 10:44.]
As long as the thickness of the tank roof wall is greater than 4 mm, no lightning rod is required, but proper grounding is necessary. Refer to: the chapter on oil tanks by Huang Chunfang, published by Sinopec Press.
To be on the safe side, it’s better to install it~
It won’t earn much money, but to be safe, it’s better to install it anyway.
As long as the thickness of the tank roof wall is greater than 4 mm, no lightning rod is required, but it must be properly grounded. This is stipulated by the standards.
It’s fine to have it in the tank area; there’s no need to put it on the tank itself
If things are done according to the specifications, there will be no problems. We usually don’t design such things, but some homeowners insist on adding them themselves, saying it’s for insurance purposes.
As long as the thickness of the tank top wall is greater than 5 mm, no lightning rod is required; however, it must be properly grounded. This is our factory’s policy: lol :lol
According to the specifications, no lightning rod is required as long as the wall thickness of the tank top is greater than 4 mm, but proper grounding design and installation must be carried out. If a suitable location can be found in the tank area, it might be advisable to install a lightning protection device with a large coverage area, as a precaution. Haha
As long as the wall thickness is sufficient and there is good grounding, there’s no need to install additional lightning protection. Overkill
1. Aluminum-roofed oil tanks should be equipped with lightning rods (wires) to protect the entire tank. 2. Although Class A B and Class B oils are flammable substances, fixed-roof steel oil tanks equipped with flame arresters have continuous electrical conductivity; when the thickness of the roof plate is 4 mm or more, direct lightning strikes cannot penetrate it. With proper grounding in place, lightning current can be smoothly conducted to the ground, thereby preventing fires. According to the current **standard ‘Design Code for Vertical Cylindrical Welded Steel Oil Tanks’, the minimum thickness of the roof plate for above-ground fixed-roof steel oil tanks is 4.5 mm. Therefore, both the newly built oil tanks and the existing old oil tanks at petroleum and natural gas stations that have been renovated or expanded and whose roof thickness is 4 mm or greater can completely do without lightning protection rods or wires. However, for old oil tanks whose tested roof thickness is less than 4 mm, lightning rods (wires) should be installed when storing Class A B and Class B oils to protect the entire tank. 3. Class C oils are flammable liquids with a high flash point; under the same conditions, their risk of causing fires is lower than that of more easily flammable liquids. Lightning sparks cannot ignite Class C oils in steel tanks; therefore, steel tanks used for storing flammable liquids do not require lightning rods (wires), and the grounding system only needs to be installed for the purpose of protecting against induced lightning. 4. Due to the tight sealing on the floating roof, the concentration of oil and gas above the floating roof generally does not reach the lower explosive limit; therefore, there is no need to install lightning rods (wires).
I advise you not to try to act as a lightning rod; a lightning rod also serves to attract lightning. If the thickness of the wall at the top of your tank meets the required standards, it will be sufficient to meet the lightning protection requirements. Refer to the specifications described on floor 11. This post was last edited by the Storage and Transportation Engineer on 2009-3-8 at 13:24.]
I think the workshop supervisor said that there was no lightning rod on the oil tank, but he didn’t say that no lightning rod would be installed nearby. The Sinopec Maoming ethylene plant caught fire due to a lightning strike in June 2008. It’s scary; it’s better to follow the standards. :P
The regulations have relevant provisions; meeting the requirements is sufficient, there’s no need to go overboard.
Our factory’s storage and transportation workshop has lightning rods installed at two opposite corners, not on the tanks themselves
Lightning rods should be installed on the tank to direct all lightning strikes to the oil pipes, which is even less safe. Experience has shown that this approach does not work; lightning rods should be placed in the tank area instead
Metal oil tanks have good electrical conductivity these days, so it shouldn’t be necessary. In fact, I think installing lightning rods is not a good idea, as lightning rods are meant to attract lightning; if the grounding isn’t proper, it can lead to serious problems
It’s better to follow the standards; standards are the essence of an industry, and they are derived from practice.
As long as the wall thickness at the top of the tank is greater than 4 mm, it is not necessary to install a lightning rod; the tank itself can serve as a lightning receptor. The tank must be properly grounded, with the grounding resistance meeting the specified requirements, and there are also specific requirements regarding the grounding points