Abstract
Abstract Some corrosion progress trends specific for cylindrical steel shells of typical above-ground fuel tanks are first identified experimentally and then quantitatively compared with one another. The inference is based on many random thickness measurements related to the selected corrosively weakened coating sheets and carried out at various moments of the tanks in question service time. It is shown in detail that in this type of structures, due to the manner of their use and, particularly, the material stored inside, the corrosion process is in general significantly accelerated over time. For this reason, a nonlinear formal model describing the simulated corrosion development anticipated for the future fuel tank service time seems to be the best choice in forecasting its remaining time to failure.
Highlights
Evaluation of the forecasted durability of the corroded steel tank used to store liquid petroleum products is counted as one of the basic duties of technical supervising personnel in fuel tank farms
A typical cylindrical shell of a steel on-the-ground tank used to store liquid petroleum products is usually made of several rings differing in thickness, the thinnest of which are located at the top, while the thickest ones are placed at the bottom near the tank floor
The authors’ experience seems to indicate that, relatively frequently, after long-term service of the tank the bearing capacity of the shell becomes to be limited by the bearing capacity of one of the highest located rings, the one permanently bonded to the top stiffening ring
Summary
Evaluation of the forecasted durability of the corroded steel tank used to store liquid petroleum products is counted as one of the basic duties of technical supervising personnel in fuel tank farms. The rings, in terms of reliability analysis, form a classical serial system, as the weakest ring is authoritative when the bearing capacity of the whole shell is evaluated This is not necessarily the ring exhibiting the lowest bearing capacity, as the ring strained to the highest, i.e., usually the thickest one, located at the bottom, is considered the weakest. The quantitative evaluation of the changes of this type is so far difficult to ascertain This means that an attempt at modelling of this phenomena requires at least an access to the expanded database of experimental results. The theoretical models used for conventional simulation of corrosion progress are associated with the corresponding shell thickness results measured in situ, in the framework of the inventories of real fuel tanks located at one of the bases in southern Poland, carried out at different times of their service use. These studies, are in general only the parts of more extensive considerations, ending with more general conclusions and difficult to interpret unequivocally
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