Why are large storage tanks considered non-standard equipment?

What does “non-standard” mean in people’s minds?

"Non-standard equipment: 1. Non-standard equipment refers to devices that do not fall within any established standards; they are not part of any standardized series, and require individual design before they can be manufactured in single units or in small batches. The inherent characteristics of such equipment mean that their evaluation procedures and methods are more complex and difficult compared to those of standard equipment. 2. Non-standard equipment refers to equipment for which **no fixed standards exist; as a result, manufacturers cannot produce it in bulk during the manufacturing process, and it can only be manufactured upon each individual order, based on specific design drawings. 3. “Non-standard equipment” refers to equipment that is not manufactured in accordance with **established uniform industry standards and specifications; rather, it is designed and manufactured according to the specific needs of its intended use. And devices whose appearance or performance is not listed in the **equipment product catalog.

This is because storage tanks are generally designed with a capacity determined according to the production needs of each factory, and there is no standard for this. As for the ratio of tank thickness and diameter to height, there are standards and requirements.

\"Non-standard\" does not mean that the equipment does not meet standards. Ordinary pressure vessels and atmospheric pressure vessels are all non-standard equipment, as the dimensions, materials, thickness of the plates, size and quantity of connections, as well as various other components vary depending on the process conditions. It is simply impossible to produce them in bulk; that’s why they are called non-standard equipment

Generally, manufacturing plants that produce standard products categorize those that are manufactured frequently in order to save time on design; such products are designed and produced in a standardized manner. These are what are known as standard tanks. Tanks that require redesign, on the other hand, are considered non-standard equipment. It seems like the person asking this question has just started working at a manufacturing plant

Standard equipment comes in the form of a series of pre-defined data sets; in other words, the tanks already come with established design data. On the other hand, custom-designed equipment is usually created according to the specific needs of each organization, and its data is not part of any predefined series!

In 2002, the Ministry of Construction of the People’s Republic of China approved the publication of an atlas on vaulted oil tanks, with the catalog number 02R112; the leading agency responsible for its compilation was the Daqing Petrochemical Design Institute. However, in previous construction projects, for designs with the same volume, different design firms used different diameters and heights

I would like to share my thoughts as a designer: although there are reference manuals available, the climate and geological conditions at the location of the storage tank vary, as do the types of fluids stored. The material used for the tank, its wall thickness, whether it has wind-resistant elements, and whether anchor bolts are necessary all differ as well. The atlas can only serve as a reference.

By looking at what standard equipment includes, it’s easy to understand what non-standard equipment is. Pumps, compressors, and the like are standard equipment; they are devices that can be purchased by selecting an appropriate model when constructing a facility. On the other hand, the vast majority of stationary equipment, due to differences in operating conditions and equipment specifications, cannot be manufactured through selection, and thus can be considered non-standard equipment.