Precautions for Operating Stainless Steel Oil Tanks

　　Storage tanks are used to store refined chemical substances such as acids, alkalis, alcohols, gases, and liquids. These tanks are widely used in the North China region and come in a variety of types, broadly categorized as follows: oil storage tanks, stainless steel tanks, rotomolded tanks, fiberglass tanks, ceramic tanks, rubber tanks, and welded plastic tanks.

　　The following are几点 to keep in mind when operating stainless steel storage tanks (in the case of oil storage):

　　(1) Fire and explosion prevention measures for oil storage tanks and tank farms shall comply with the provisions of GB50183 and GB50074. Low-expansion air foam fire suppression systems shall comply with the provisions of GB50151.

　　(2) The tank farm area shall be kept clean and tidy; there shall be no dry grass, oil stains, or combustible materials inside the fire containment dike.

　　(3) The drainage system in the tank farm shall be equipped with water seal wells. Drainage pipes outside the fire containment dike shall be fitted with valves. When draining oil tanks, a dedicated person shall be assigned to monitor the operation and promptly remove any residual oil from the water seal wells.

　　(4) Non-explosion-proof electrical equipment and high-voltage overhead lines shall not be installed within the tank farm area.

　　(5) The tank farm shall be equipped with fire containment dikes as required, and these dikes shall be kept in good condition.

　　(6) The top of the oil storage tank shall be free of oil stains and standing water. Thermal insulation measures shall be implemented for the oil inlet and outlet pipelines and valves of the oil storage tank.

　　(7) The light-transmitting openings, gauge hatch covers, and gaskets on the top of oil storage tanks shall be kept in good condition, and the hatch covers shall be tightly sealed. The oil-level measurement ports shall be fitted with metal gaskets that do not produce sparks.

　　(8) Flame arresters shall be installed on the breather valves and hydraulic safety valve bases of oil storage tanks. The flame arresters shall be inspected at least once every quarter.

　　(9) Oil storage tank inlet and outlet pipelines shall be equipped with flexible hose compensators.

　　(10) The tank body of steel oil storage tanks shall be equipped with lightning protection and anti-static grounding devices, and their grounding resistance shall not exceed 10Ω. Grounding points shall be provided along the bottom edge of the tank at intervals of no more than 30 meters, and each tank shall have no fewer than two grounding points.

　　(11) Each spring, the lightning protection and static electricity grounding system should be thoroughly inspected, and the measured grounding resistance values must meet the specified requirements.

　　(12) The floating roof of a floating-roof tank shall be connected to the tank wall by two flexible copper wires, each with a cross-sectional area of no less than 25 mm².

　　(13) The oil level in the storage tank should be maintained within the safe capacity range.

　　(14) When the level of solidified oil exceeds that of the heating coil, first use the steam riser to heat the oil. Once the solidified oil has melted, then switch to heating with the steam coil.

　　(15) Synthetic fiber clothing and shoes with metal nails should not be worn when working on tanks. Non-explosion-proof flashlights should not be switched on or off at the top of the tank.

　　(16) Hot work and tank-cleaning operations on oil pipelines within the tank farm area shall comply with industry regulations.

　　(17) If an oil storage tank catches fire, immediately report the incident and halt all operations at the tank involved. Organize firefighting efforts and activate the emergency response plan as appropriate.