Design Of Storage Tanks Research Articles

Machine learning-based analytical approach for mechanical analysis of composite hydrogen storage tanks under internal pressure

This study is a practical exploration of the application of machine learning for the mechanical analysis of filament-wound thin-composite hydrogen storage tanks under internal pressure. Our innovative approach seamlessly integrates classical laminate theory, comprehensive parametric analysis, and machine learning to advance the state-of-the-art in composite tank design. This versatile framework holds promise for addressing challenges in other structurally complex systems. A comprehensive parametric study was then conducted to explore the influence of key design parameters, such as internal pressure, tank radius, order of layer, and layer orientation. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the parameters that had the most significant impact on the mechanical behavior of the tank. In addition, five machine learning models, namely, Extreme Gradient Boosting, Adaptive Boosting, Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, and Random Forest, were examined to determine their predictive capability for the mechanical performance of these composite tanks. Key findings demonstrate XGBoost's superior predictive capabilities, achieving a remarkable 99% accuracy in predicting stress in the x-direction compared to Random Forest's 96%. XGBoost also outperformed Random Forest in terms of Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) with values of 26 and 0.02, respectively, versus 207 and 0.16. These results underscore XGBoost's potential to revolutionize hydrogen storage tank design. The development of a user-friendly GUI application further enhances the practicality of this research, allowing engineers and composite designers to efficiently simulate the mechanical behavior of these tanks in real time by adjusting the cursors for variables such as the pressure, radius, layer order, and layer orientation. This tool, with its intuitive interface and elimination of manual calculations, promises significant enhancements in the design process, providing a platform for the rapid assessment and optimization of tank architectures, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the design process.

Deep learning-driven predictive tools for damage prediction and optimization in composite hydrogen storage tanks

This research presents a comprehensive framework for predicting the damage in lightweight composite high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and optimizes their design to prevent failure. By integrating advanced analytical methods, numerical analysis, and deep learning techniques, we introduced a novel approach to enhance design optimization and damage prediction. The framework employs the 3D elasticity anisotropy theory to predict mechanical performance, incorporating failure criteria for accurate damage analysis. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of thickness, pressure, and diameter on the behavior of the tank. The analytical results were compared against finite element analysis using the WoundSim software, underscoring the significance of the modeling assumptions. Furthermore, we developed a new framework that combines deep neural networks with differential evolution optimization (DNN-DEO) to predict stress and damage in composite pressure vessels while identifying the optimal design parameters (pressure, radius, and thickness) to minimize failure risks and maintain high performance. A graphical user interface (GUI) was also designed to automate calculations and predictions, providing an intuitive tool for users. This integrated approach offers a powerful solution for optimizing the design and operation of lightweight composite hydrogen storage tanks, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of hydrogen storage systems.

Flow field explorations and design improvements of a hybrid rocket motor LOx feed line

The oxidizer system in a hybrid rocket motor needs to deliver the flow from a pressurized storage tank to multiple combustor ports. Pressure losses in the oxidizer system directly impacts combustor pressure and consequently the vehicle performance. However, oxidizer feed line designs till date have been done using simple 1D tools. Higher fidelity flow analysis methods have not been reported in the literature to identify loss generating features. Therefore, a design improvement study was carried out to identify and alleviate the impact of undesirable flow features in a typical oxidizer system design. An experimentally calibrated 3D RANS approach is applied to a typical LOx feed system which includes steps, splitters, ports, and pipes with multiple bends. These design features result in varying degrees of flow separation, secondary flows and vortical flow features and result in total pressure losses of up to 7 %. This loss means that the storage tank needs to be pressurized further to accommodate such losses and ensure combustor performance. A targeted design improvement approach that features simple, alternative, implementable solutions in the loss-generating regions is discussed. The best of these design improvements can reduce the total pressure loss to 4 %, indicating a 43 % reduction in the losses and reduced impact on storage tank design and combustor performance. Therefore, this paper demonstrates that a higher fidelity design enhancement process of the oxidizer feed system, which is often neglected in such detailed studies, can result in overall vehicle level design improvements to ensure mission targets are met effectively.

Liquefaction and filling of liquid methane and oxygen bipropellant in a common bulkhead tank equipped with a zero boil-off system

An experimental setup incorporating a tank with a non-insulated common bulkhead inside and a zero-boil-off system outside was designed and established to investigate the transient thermodynamic characteristics of bipropellant liquid oxygen and methane during liquefaction, filling, and zero-boil-off storage processes. The results demonstrate the advantage of the non-insulated common bulkhead tank in storing liquid oxygen and liquid methane. The non-insulated common bulkhead provided an additional heat transfer pathway, allowing the cold energy released by liquid oxygen to be used to improve the cooling rate of methane and stabilize its storage state during the liquefaction and filling processes. Furthermore, the influence of the operational modes of the zero-boil-off system on the storage states of the fluids was examined. The cooling power delivered by the zero-boil-off system was identified as the most critical factor affecting the storage state of the fluids in the common bulkhead tank. In the absence of cooling power, the temperature rising rates in the liquid oxygen and liquid methane compartments were 4.3 K/h and 4.4 K/h, respectively. Compared with the results during the helium circulator standby stage, the pressure difference between the two compartments increased by 62.73 % in the absence of cooling power. The findings indicate the necessity of maintaining adequate cooling power to achieve stable zero boil-off storage, providing guidelines for the design and operation of practical liquid oxygen-liquid methane common bulkhead storage tanks with zero boil-off requirements.

Numerical simulation study on explosion characteristics of large vault tanks with different height-to-diameter ratios

ABSTRACT This study employs Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to investigate the effects of the Height-to-Diameter (H/D) ratio on the explosion characteristics of gasoline-air mixtures in storage tanks, and the flow field, flame propagation velocity, and explosion overpressure were analyzed. The research shows that the dynamic change of the vortex in the tank is the key to the explosion oscillation, its generation accelerates the flame propagation, and its weakening inhibits the explosion. As the H/D ratio increases, the peak speed of flame propagation decreases, and when the H/D ratio increases from 0.5 to 0.9, the peak speed decreases by 200%. The study also reveals that with the decrease of H/D, both peak explosion overpressure and flame velocity increase. The maximum overpressure appears near the tank top, and when H/D is 0.5, the maximum overpressure of the tank top is 3.75 MPa. The simulation result shows that internal explosion pressures exceed the tanks’ design limits across all H/D ratios, which indicates that it is necessary to take reasonable pressure relief measures to prevent and control the explosion disaster of the vaulted tanks. The research results provide important theoretical and practical guidance for the safe design of storage tanks and the prevention of explosion accidents.

Measurement and theoretical analysis of effective thermal conductivity of lanthanum pentanickel powder beds for hydrogen storage in different particle sizes and bed porosities

Particle diameter and bed porosity change due to the expansion and contraction of metal hydride particles during hydrogen absorption and desorption, which leads to variations in the effective thermal conductivity of metal hydride beds. Therefore, the effective thermal conductivity of the metal hydride beds under different bed porosities and particle diameters must be measured for the design of metal hydride-based hydrogen storage tanks. In this study, the effective thermal conductivities of four kinds of lanthanum pentanickel (LaNi5) powder beds with different bed porosities and particle diameters were measured in various gas atmospheres with gas pressure varying from 0.1 to 4.0 MPa. The volume mean diameters of the four kinds of LaNi5 powders equal 335.2, 196.4, 147.7, and 23.7 μm, respectively. Subsequently, the effects of bed porosity and particle diameter on the effective thermal conductivities were analyzed through the modified Zehner–Schlünder–Damköhler model considering the Smoluchowski effect. Experimental results show that particle diameter and bed porosity influence markedly the effective thermal conductivity of lanthanum pentanickel (LaNi5) powder beds. However, the findings of theoretical analysis based on the modified Zehner–Schlünder–Damköhler model reveal the considerably weaker effect of particle diameter on the effective thermal conductivity under identical bed porosity compared with the measurement results. Such a finding was observed because the variation in particle diameter inevitably changed bed porosity during the effective thermal conductivity measurement, which also affected the effective thermal conductivity of the beds. In addition, decreasing bed porosity and increasing particle diameter can remarkably improve the heat transport via the gas–solid mixture pathway, which improved the effective thermal conductivity of the beds and thus explained the experimental results.

Use of artificial intelligence methods in designing thermal energy storage tanks: A bibliometric analysis

This bibliometric study examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods, such as machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), in the design of thermal energy storage (TES) tanks. TES tanks are essential parts of energy storage systems, and improving their design has a big impact on how effectively and sustainably energy is used. With the increasing availability and advancements in AI techniques, researchers explored their application within the field of TES tank design to address challenges related to structural analysis, material selection, and optimization. However, a comprehensive analysis of the current state of research, trends, and potential areas for improvement is lacking. This study aims to bridge this gap by analysing scientific papers, patents, and publications in conference proceedings from the Scopus database to identify trends, research gaps, and areas of importance in this domain. The novelty of this study lies in its focused examination of AI methods specifically applied to TES tank design, providing a unique perspective on the intersection of these two important fields. By conducting a thorough bibliometric analysis, this study offers original insights into the current landscape and future directions of AI-enabled TES tank design research. The methodology involves a systematic search query and the use of VOSviewer software for keyword analysis. The results indicate a notable increase in publications during recent years (2020-August 2023), aligning with the growing focus on sustainable energy solutions. The most frequent keywords, such as TES, genetic algorithm (GA), and phase change material (PCM), suggest a focus on improving optimization of TES tanks with AI, while the least common keywords highlight specific areas with limited work and opportunities for future studies. In conclusion, this bibliometric analysis underscores the potential of AI to enhance the design and performance of TES tanks, emphasizes the value of further research in this area, and identifies opportunities for future advancements in AI-enabled TES tank design to contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability efforts.

Enhancement of heat transfer through the incorporation of copper metal wool in latent heat thermal energy storage systems

The design of thermal energy storage (TES) tank is the key part that can limit charging and discharging process. Most research findings highlight that the use of fins augments the heat transfer rate. This work experimentally investigates the use of aligned copper wools as fillers to enhance the thermal performance of a lab-scale shell-and-tube TES tank filled with phase change material (PCM). Two copper wools with different fibre thicknesses were chosen and discretely laid around the TES tank tubes in two design patterns. Accordingly, five shell-and-tube TES tank configurations were obtained, including the reference, for performance evaluation. The TES tank was loaded with n-octadecane as PCM for all the cases studied. The results showed up to a 16 % reduction in melting time with the inclusion of copper wool. The TES tank significantly increased the mean power during charging (53 %) and discharging (205 %). The addition of metal wool into the TES tank enables the PCM to release the heat at a constant temperature during the entire phase transition process. And the overall efficiency of the TES tank was found to get improved. Therefore, a copper wool integrated TES tank would be a beneficial addition to thermal energy storage systems.

The response characteristics and damage effects of large LNG storage tanks subject to the coupled effects of explosion shock waves and fire

As the demand and import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) increase, large LNG receiving stations are being constructed. LNG leakage can lead to fire or explosion accidents. The simultaneous occurrence of explosions and fires, often inevitable, is more damaging than the effect of a single load. This study utilizes finite element analysis software LS-DYNA and the ALE algorithm to examine the response characteristics and damage effects on large LNG storage tanks under the combined impact of explosion shock waves and high-temperature loads (with the explosion preceding the fire). The findings indicate that post-explosion, the concrete outer tank's compressive strength diminishes as temperatures rise. The dome deflection of the storage tank's external tank surpasses the standard limit at 400 °C and fails at 600 °C. This research identifies the critical failure mode of the concrete storage tank's outer tank under the joint impact of explosion shock waves and fire. It provides a foundation for the anti-explosion design of such storage tanks.

Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Reinforcement under Low-Temperature Impact

Abstract Ammonia is an important carrier of hydrogen energy, and the large-scale storage of liquid ammonia is the next trend of cryogenic energy storage. At present, the international mainstream liquid ammonia tank is generally about 50, 000 m3. The outer storage tanks generally adopt a metal structure, and the material applied for larger concrete full-capacity tanks is worth doing further research. Steel reinforcement bars (rebar) are an important construction material for full-capacity cryogenic energy storage tanks. The performance of rebar is an important index in the process of designing the strength of building structures. The factors affecting the properties of rebar are diverse, and reasonable control of each influencing factor can improve the performance of rebar used for liquid ammonia storage tanks. This paper carries out the study on the mechanical properties of the steel reinforcement bars from the concrete of the main container under low temperatures for storing liquid ammonia. Through experimental research on the failure of steel used in external tanks, it has been shown that temperature has a significant impact on the ductile-brittle transition. Further treatment can effectively prevent the brittleness of steel bars, improve the safety and reliability of storage tanks at low temperatures, and is of great significance for the design and construction of subsequent large liquid ammonia storage tanks.

The relationship between thermal management methods and hydrogen storage performance of the metal hydride tank

Solid-state hydrogen storage tanks are key equipment for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen storage. However, the low heat transfer properties of hydrogen storage tanks result in the inability to meet the hydrogen supply requirements of fuel cells. In this study, different thermal management approaches were explored through the design of LaNi5-based solid-state hydrogen storage tanks. We experimentally studied the effects of different internal heat transfer methods, that is, expanded natural graphite (ENG), copper foam, and copper fins on the hydrogen absorption and desorption performance. We also studied the effects of external cooling methods with natural convection, air cooling, and water cooling, respectively. Under the same external cooling method of natural convection, a solid hydrogen storage tank filled with 5 wt.% ENG has similar performance to a tank filled with copper foam. Compared to natural convection, air and water cooling can significantly improve the heating performance of metal hydride (MH) beds by increasing the external heat transfer coefficient. The effect of water cooling is better than that of air cooling, and in these two enhanced performance conditions, the tank filled with copper foam performs better than with ENG. In the case of water cooling, by adding copper fins to a hydrogen storage tank filled with 5 wt.% ENG, the tank was saturated with hydrogen absorption in only 29.4 min, which is 55.6 % shorter than the hydrogen uptake time in a hydrogen storage reactor without copper fins. And its stable hydrogen desorption (1 NL/min) has reached 98.1 % of the total hydrogen released. The results show that the effective thermal conductivity and heat transfer area of metal hydride bed play key roles in improving heat transfer and reaction rate. In addition, heat transfer is more important than mass transfer to improve the performance of the hydrogen storage tank.

Cross-Scale Reliability Analysis Framework for LNG Storage Tanks Considering Concrete Material Uncertainty

The reliability of liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks is an important factor that must be considered in their structural design. Concrete is a core component of LNG storage tanks, and the geometric uncertainty of concrete aggregate material has a significant impact on their reliability. However, owing to the significant size difference between the concrete aggregate compared to the LNG storage tank, structural analysis using an accurate finite element model that includes all the geometric characteristics of the aggregate incurs significant analytical costs. In particular, for reliability analysis requiring a large number of samples, the computational costs incurred by finite element models are infeasible. Therefore, a dual acceleration strategy based on the asymptotic homogenization method and surrogate model technology is proposed to improve the efficiency of LNG storage tank reliability analysis. In the cross-scale analysis of a LNG storage tank based on asymptotic homogenization, order reduction of the LNG storage tank analysis model was realized. Based on this, a surrogate model construction method with the aggregate fraction and mass moment as inputs was proposed to further accelerate the reliability analysis of LNG storage tanks. Subsequently, a Monte Carlo method was used to perform a reliability analysis of the LNG storage tank considering the uncertainty of the concrete aggregate geometry and distribution under the action of liquid weight and wind load. The analysis showed that the wind load has a significant influence on the safety of the design of the roof of a LNG storage tank. The directionality of the wind load has a significant impact on the distribution of the sample point response for reliability analysis and the failure mode of the LNG storage tank. Owing to the directionality of the wind load, the response distributions of the maximum displacement and maximum stress of LNG were more concentrated, and the reliability of the LNG storage tank decreased after considering the wind load. In particular, the stress reliability of the tank decreased by 5.86%. When only the liquid load was considered, the maximum displacement and stress exhibited asynchronous failure, and the two almost never occurred simultaneously. When the wind load was considered, the failure mode of the LNG storage tank was dominated by the maximum stress. Moreover, the numerical example also demonstrated that the degree of freedom involved in structural analysis, as well as the time of structural analysis can be significantly reduced. So, the proposed cross-scale analysis framework can significantly improve the efficiency of reliability analysis. The conclusions established in this study provide theoretical and methodological guidance for the reliable design of LNG storage tanks.

Influence of the Behaviour Coefficient on the Damage Level of an RC Elevated Tank under Seismic Loading

In Algeria, the seismic design of elevated concrete storage tanks is carried out in accordance with seismic standard, involving a behavior coefficient of the structure. This behaviour coefficient is used to determine the internal forces and to estimate the inelastic deformations undergone by the structure. For the elevated water tank, considered as reverse pendulum structure, this coefficient assumes a constant value (R=2) in the Algerian seismic code. Taking into account a single value, whatever the seismic zone, the site of implantation and the geometric characteristics of the structure, can lead to design errors leading to oversizing, hence an additional cost of the structure. Thus, faced with the need to design resistant structures while minimizing construction costs, it is important to precisely determine the value of this behaviour coefficient to introduce into the evaluation of the structure's response. In this research, the seismic performance of an RC elevated tank is analyzed, using a nonlinear approach based on the Pushover method, initially using the behavior coefficient prescribed by the Algerian seismic code, then secondly using the behavior coefficient approximated by a power-type law, taking into account the seismic zone, the type of soil, the height of the structure and the storage capacity. The results of this study highlight the influence of the value of the behavior coefficient on the seismic performance and the level of damage to an elevated tank.

Simplified earthquake response analysis of rectangular liquid storage tanks considering fluid-structure interactions

A simplified model of a rectangular liquid storage tank is proposed to estimate the earthquake responses of the system while considering the effects of fluid-structure interactions. The complicated three-dimensional structural behavior of a rectangular tank is represented by the simple combination of the fundamental modes of a rectangular-ring-shaped frame structure and a cantilever beam. The governing equation for the system is derived from Lagrange’s equation. The earthquake responses of deflection, hydrodynamic pressure and its resultant force and moment, base shear and overturning moment due to the structural deformation are obtained from the solution of the governing equation. The effective masses of the system and their heights are presented with the effective added masses and their heights from the hydrodynamic effects. The total earthquake responses are obtained with the convective earthquake responses taken into consideration. The proposed simplified model is applied to example rectangular liquid storage tanks with various aspect ratios, and the accuracy of the model is demonstrated. The proposed simplified model can be employed for the seismic design of a rectangular liquid storage tank, and reliable estimations for earthquake responses of the considered fluid-structure interaction system are obtained without sophisticated and/or complicated dynamic analysis.

Design of effluent storage tanks in Arctic conditions (Tyumen, Tomsk)

Purpose: The development of the Arctic settlements’ infrastructure is associated with the installation of the modern water supply and sanitation systems. Low air temperatures and permafrost soils significantly complicate the construction and operation of tanks designed for effluent collection and storage. Approach: For the effective energy saving, pre-design heat engineering calculations are conducted for effluent storage tanks with PPS thermal insulation. Research findings: Calculation techniques and results are compared, which served as a basis for the construction of calculation diagrams. Practical implications: The obtained dependences allow to rapidly and accurately determine the heat loss when the tank is completely or partially filled with water. Originality/value: This study will considerably facilitate the decision-making process at the design stage of facilities locating in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

On the design of a solar heat storage tank at 120°C

ABSTRACT This work presents the materials selection process, the design and the dimensioning process of a latent heat storage tank that works between a high temperature heat pump and an Organic Rankine Cycle unit. The selected heat storage material is the S117 Phase Change Material that has a melting point at 117°C matches the operational temperature of the system at approximately 120°C. The tank configuration is selected for optimised heat transfer process, resulted from practical experience of the project partners and it is described in details in the document. The simulation results from the Computational Fluid Dynamic study of the tank are also presented here. This work should be useful for engineers designing compact heat storage tanks for medium temperature applications.

Effects of EPCM particle properties on creep damage of the molten salt packed-bed thermal energy storage system

One of the concerned aspects in the design of molten salt packed-bed thermal energy storage (TES) tank with encapsulated phase change materials (EPCMs) is to evaluate the creep damage because of molten salt tanks have to withstand elevated temperature and stress level in charging and discharging processes. This paper aims at estimating the creep damage and investigating the effects of EPCM particle properties on creep damage performance of EPCM-TES tank. First, a commercial scale molten salt EPCM-TES tank applied in 50MWe tower plant is designed. Second, a method to evaluate the creep damage of packed-bed tank in service life is developed based on the integration model coupling FVM and FEM. Then, the effects of particle diameter and melting temperature of EPCMs on creep damage are discussed. Finally, a novel diameter-changed and melting temperature-changed two-layered EPCMs packed-bed structure with lower creep damage is proposed. The results are concluded as follows. (1) The creep damage of bottom wallboard is more significant than that of other wallboards in operation. (2) The EPCMs with smaller particle diameter or higher melting temperature is helpful to reduce the creep damage of tank. When particle diameter decreases from 42 mm to 20 mm or melting point rise from 365 °C to 395 °C, the creep damage of bottom wallboard can be reduced by 4.8 times and 58 %, respectively. (3) The creep damage of novel two-layered EPCM-TES configuration with lower creep damage time and stress is weaker than single-layered form. Compared with single-layered form filling with higher particle diameter and melting temperature of EPCMs, the creep damage of bottom wallboard in two-layered structure can be reduced by 53 %. This work can provide insights on the optimization design of the EPCM packed-bed TES configuration for lower creep damage in service life.

A one- and three-dimensional coupled model and simulation investigation for the large-scale oil-heating type Mg-based hydrogen storage tank

A large-scale oil-heating type Mg-based hydrogen storage tank is the key device for the high-efficiency and high-safety Mg-based solid hydrogen storage and transportation. However, the complicated heat and mass transfer in the Mg alloy bed and oil tube during the hydrogen desorption process impede the design of high-performance hydrogen storage tanks. In this work, a one- and three-dimensional coupled model considering the impact of oil velocity and temperature on the internal heat and mass transfer was developed to simulate the hydrogen desorption process of large-scale oil-heating type Mg-based hydrogen storage tanks. This model was then solved by the finite element method, and the simulation results agreed well with the experimental data obtained from an Mg-based hydrogen storage tank. Moreover, simulation results indicate that the oil velocity has a considerable impact on the hydrogen desorption performance of the Mg-based hydrogen storage tank, and a recommended oil velocity of 4 m s−1 was identified. In addition, high oil temperature and low hydrogen desorption pressure benefit the hydrogen desorption performance, thus should be determined by the application scenarios. Besides, the complete hydrogen desorption time was barely affected by the initial bed temperature, which is suggested as ≥ 573 K to meet the high rate requirement of hydrogen supply, otherwise as room temperature to reduce energy costs. The model and simulation results presented in this work provided a foundation for the design of high performance large-scale oil-heating type Mg-based hydrogen storage tanks that can be applied practically in the field of hydrogen energy.

A multi-zone thermodynamic model for predicting LNG ageing in large cryogenic tanks

During the storage and transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG), generation of boiloff gas (BOG) and change in the LNG composition, also known as LNG aging, are inevitable. Thus, a thermodynamic model that can accurately predict LNG aging during long-term operation is critical. This study presents a novel aging model, in which the LNG tank is divided into five zones: the vapor phase region, thermal stratification, bulk liquid region, boundary layer, and surrounding thermal insulation region. The heat and mass transport into different regions were calculated separately, and the thermal conductivity of the solid walls was considered as a function of temperature. Following model validation, simulations were performed for various thermal insulation conditions, ambient temperatures, and initial liquid compositions. From the results, the errors of the pressure, BOG rate and total heat flux could be approximated to 17, 7, and 14% respectively, for the previous models omitting the variation of thermal conductivity with temperature. As the initial methane fraction increased (i.e., N fraction decreases), the BOG rate decreased at the initial stage, while the BOG rate became less sensitive with the initial LNG composition as evaporation proceeded. Such an effect is determined by the variation in the latent heat of vaporization and total heat loss. This study can provide guidance for the design and operation of LNG storage tanks.

Design code review on seismic demand and base detailing criteria: an application to wine tanks in Marlborough

Marlborough is the largest wine-growing region in New Zealand. The seismic events of Lake Grassmere 2013 and Kaikōura 2016 caused severe business disruption to the wineries due to the poor performance of wine storage tanks and connected non-structural components. The damage recorded raised two main discussions concerning the NZSEE 2009 guidelines for seismic design of liquid storage tanks. The first is related to the appropriateness of the determination of the importance level to adopt for the design of tanks. In fact, importance level 1 (IL1) (structures presenting a low degree of hazard to life and other property) was adopted for most wine tanks, and therefore, the horizontal forces designed were extremely low. Adopting importance level 2 (IL2) (normal structures) would have increased the overall seismic demand to design them for and therefore limited their structural damage but potentially increased the structural cost. The second concerns the design detailing of the critical connections. In fact, the current guidelines/standards lack provisions. The authors compare the NZSEE 2009 guideline with Eurocode 8 (EC8) and API 650 through the design of six tanks with typical dimensions used in the New Zealand wine industry. Results show that assigning importance level 1 results in seismic design demand similar to EC8 and API 650, thereby showing that other countries have a similar approach to New Zealand. A further comparative analysis also highlighted that connection detailing design including the hierarchy of strength is totally missing in all three standards/guidelines, which lacks information.