Evaluation of volumetric losses in fuel storage containers

Abstract

Fuel handling safety regulations provide that fuel storage containers must be audited periodically to
determine their integrity. Among the various types of controls there are visual inspections, thickness controls of
the walls of vessels and piping and tightness testings [1,2,4,5]. The regulations establish the type of test to be
performed, incorporating international standards such as oil standards (API) [3] and environmental standards
(EPA). Those tests generally perform the filling of the containers with an inert gas at a given pressure, which is
evaluated for a certain period of time. On the other hand the same standards provide that the test method must
determine with some certainty the magnitude of potential losses in litres of fuel per hour, and that the methodology should be of such sensitivity that can detect a minimum amount of losses (for example 0.2 litres per hour).
Since the test determines a flow of inert gas, it must be corrected so that the loss that would occur if the tank
had been filled with fuel is properly reflected. This paper shows the development of a methodology for determining the volume of fuel leaks from the results of tests with an inert gas..