Oil Storage Tank

Basic Definition and Structure of Vertical Storage Tanks

A vertical storage tank is a vertically‑mounted sealed container, generally cylindrical in shape. It consists of the tank shell, tank roof, tank bottom and auxiliary components (e.g. manholes, access ladders, inlet and outlet pipelines). With height greater than diameter, it enables large‑volume storage within a limited footprint. Classified by material, they include carbon‑steel, stainless‑steel and fiberglass‑reinforced plastic (FRP) types, with capacities ranging from several cubic meters to tens of thousands of cubic meters (common large‑size tanks range from 5,000 m³ to 50,000 m³).

Key structural features:

Tank Shell: The main body bearing pressure from the stored medium.

Tank Roof: Divided into fixed roofs (cone roof, dome roof) and floating roofs (to reduce vapor loss).

Foundation Design: Geologic conditions shall be taken into account to prevent settlement and corrosion.

Classification and Application Scenarios of Vertical Storage Tanks

Based on service conditions and design specifications, vertical storage tanks are mainly categorized as follows:

Fixed‑roof Tanks: Applied for low‑volatility liquids (e.g. water, diesel oil) with relatively low costs.

Floating‑roof Tanks: Used for volatile media such as crude oil and gasoline, cutting evaporation loss by over 80% (refer to API Standard 650).

Pressure Tanks: Capable of withstanding high pressure (0.1‑2.5 MPa), for storage of hazardous goods such as liquefied gas.

Typical industry applications:

Petrochemical Industry: Storage of crude oil, refined oil products and chemical solvents.

Food & Pharmaceutical Industry: Storage of edible oil, alcohol and other substances, complying with sanitary standards such as FDA certification.

Environmental Protection Sector: Temporary storage of wastewater or recycled resources.

Comparison with Other Types of Storage Tanks

Versus horizontal storage tanksVertical storage tanks occupy less land area yet require higher foundation costs.Horizontal storage tanks are preferred for high‑pressure or small‑capacity storage (e.g. LPG tank trucks).

Versus spherical storage tanksSpherical tanks feature superior pressure‑bearing capacity (up to 3 MPa) but come with high costs, and are mostly deployed under extreme operating conditions.