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A storage tank is a container, usually for holding
liquids, sometimes for gases (gas tank). The term
can be used for both reservoirs (artificial lakes
and ponds), and for manufactured containers. The
usage of the word tank for reservoirs is common or
universal in Indian English, and moderately common
in British English. In other countries, the term
tends to refer only to artificial containers such as
ponds or small lakes.
Storage tanks may often operate under no pressure
(or very little), distinguishing them from pressure
vessels. Storage tanks are often vertical
cylindrical in shape, perpendicular to the ground
with flat bottoms and fixed domed roofs, hinged or
floating roofs. There are many Environmental
considerations and regulations applicable to the
design and operation of storage tanks, often
depending on nature the fluid contained within.
Above ground storage tanks (AST) differ from
underground (UST) varieties in the kinds of
regulations that are applied.
Reservoirs open or covered, if covered they would be
referred to as underground storage tanks or
reservoirs. Covered water tanks are common in urban
areas.
Container tanks are available in many shapes, but
large tanks tend to be cylindrical, or to have
rounded corners, to easier withstand hydraulic
hydrostatically induced pressure of contained
liquid. Most container tanks for handling liquids
during transportation are pressure vessels.
A large tank is sometimes mounted on a lorry, truck
or on an articulated lorry trailer, are referred to
as tankers. |
