Technological Institute of the Philippines

18. SULFURIC ACID STORAGE

TANK

EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATION SHEET

CODE T-103

NAME Sulfuric Acid Storage Tank

TANK VOLUME 11.3611 m3

TANK CAPACITY 17.0417 m3

TANK DIAMETER 2.1425 m

TANK HEIGHT 4.5 m

DESIGN PRESSURE 200.1321kPa

WORKING PRESSURE 181.9381kPa

SHELL THICKNESS 4.4139 mm

HEAD AND BOTTOM THICKNESS 2.0025mm

NUMBER OF EQUIPMENT 1

MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION Carbon Steel

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SULFURIC ACID STORAGE TANK

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17. SULFURIC ACID STORAGE TANK

Design Description:
Sulfuric Acid Storage tank is a container used to hold and store water in its operating
parameters and to withstand the pressure to maintain at its phase.

Design Description:
The storage tank is a cylindrical tank and with a torispherical head and bottom to
eliminate sharp
corners or regions into which fluid currents would not penetrate.

Data and Assumptions:

1.) The capacity of the tank is for 7 day operation
2.) The mass of sulfuric acid needed in the mixer is 2963.88 kg/day. (refer to the
material balance)
3.) The density of sulfuric acid at 98% is 1826.1 kg/m3(Perry’s Chemical Engineering
Handbook 8th edition, sec 2-91)

DESIGN CONSIDERATION
1. The filing capacity is 80%
2. Safety factor of 2
3. The efficiency of tap-welded joints is 80% (Plant Design and Economics for
Chemical Engineers, 5th ed, Peters and Timmerhaus, pg. 555 Table 12-10)
4. The minimum corrosion allowance is 4 in (Process Equipment Design, Hesse, pg
73)
5. The height to diameter ratio of the tank is 2 (Perry’s Chemical Engineering, 7th ed.
By Perry and Green, pg. 10-139)
6. A 316 Stainless Steel material of construction is used to avoid negative effect of
materials handled. (Coulson and Richardson, 4th ed. p296).
7. The maximum allowable tensile stress for a 316 Stainless Steel of temperature is
579 MPa
(Stainless Steel Handbook, D Gandy p5-6)

Design Calculation:

kg
Feed Flow rate = 2963.8
day

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kg
ρH2SO4 = 1826.1
m3
kg
2963.8 day
Feed Volumetric Flow Rate = kg
1826.1 m3

m3
Feed Volumetric Flow Rate = 1.623
day

For 7 days storage operation:

m3
Total Feed Volume = (1.623 ) (7 days)
day

Total Feed Volume = 11.3611 m3

Tank should be 80 % full,

11.3611m3
V=
0.80
V = 14.2014m3

Tank Volume
Volume allowance of 20%
[Pressure Vessel.Couper,J.R., Penney,W.R.,, Fair, J.R., Walas, S. M. (2004).
Chemical Process Equipment: Selection and Design]

Vtank = 1.2V
Vtank = 1.2(14.2014 m3 )
Vtank = 17.0417m3
Solving for the diameter using torispherical head (Silla, 2003):

𝑉𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 = 0.0809𝐷3
𝜋 2
Vtank = 𝐷 𝐻 + 2(0.0809𝐷3 )
4
Where:
D=diameter

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H=2D
(Perry’s Chemical Engineering Handbook. 7th Edition. Perry,R., Green, J.. Page 10-
139)
𝜋 3
Vtank = 𝐷 + 2(0.0809𝐷3 )
2
𝜋
17.0417 m3 = 𝐷3 + 2(0.0809𝐷3 )
2
𝐷 = 2.1425 𝑚
Tank Height
𝐻 = 2𝐷
𝐻 = 2(2.1425 𝑚)
𝐻 = 4.2851 𝑚
Use 4.5 m as tank height.

Working Pressure
𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝑃𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 + 𝜌𝑔𝐻
Since the tank is vented,𝑃𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 = 101.325 𝑘𝑃𝑎
kg m kPa
𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 101.325 𝑘𝑃𝑎 + [(1826.1 3 ) (9.81 2 ) (4.5 𝑚)] ( )
m s 1000 𝑃𝑎
𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 181.9381 𝑃𝑎 = 𝑃𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔

Design Pressure
Maximum Operating Pressure=10% Working Pressure
[Pressure Vessel.Couper,J.R., Penney,W.R.,, Fair, J.R., Walas, S. M. (2004).
Chemical Process Equipment: Selection and Design]

𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 = 1.1𝑃𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 = 1.1(181.9381 𝑘𝑃𝑎)
𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 = 200.132 𝑘𝑃𝑎 ≈ 0.2001𝑀𝑃𝑎

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Shell Thickness
From Table 13.2 Typical Maximum Allowable Stresses for Plates Under
ASME BPV Code Sec. VIII D.1 (The Appropriate Material Standards Should
be Consulted for Particular Grades and Plate Thicknesses),

𝑁
𝑆 = 88.9 ≈ 88.9 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑚𝑚2

Computing for the shell thickness,

P𝐷𝑖
ts = +C
2𝑆𝑒 − P
Corrosion Allowance=2 mm

(0.2001 MPa)(2142.5 mm)

t= + 2 𝑚𝑚
2(88.9 𝑀𝑃𝑎)(1) − (0.2001 MPa )

t = 2.4139 mm + 2 mm

𝒕𝒔 = 𝟒. 𝟒𝟏𝟑𝟗 𝐦𝐦 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 𝐦

Shell Outside Diameter

t s = D𝑜 − Di
D𝑜 = 0.0044 m + 2.1425 m
D𝑜 = 2.1469 𝑚
Use 2.5 m as Outside Diameter

Head and Bottom Thickness

For Torispherical head thickness:
Pi R c Cs
th =
2Jf + Pi (Cs − 0.2)
Where:
Rc = crown radius
Rk = Knuckle radius
Cs = Stress Concentration
f = design stress
J = joint factor
Pi= internal pressure

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Crown Radius, Rc
R c = Do
R c = 2.1469 𝑚

Knuckle Radius, Rk
R k = 0.06R c
R k = 0.1288 𝑚

Stress Cocnentration, Cs
1 2.1469 𝑚
𝐶𝑠 = [3 + √ ]
4 0.1288 𝑚

𝐶𝑠 = 1.7706 𝑚
For Allowable Working Stress in Carbon Steel

𝑆 = 𝑆𝑢 𝐹𝑚 𝐹𝑎 𝐹𝑟 𝐹𝑠

Su = 110000 psi (Process Equipment Design, Hesse, Table 3-3. Pg 62)

Fs = 0.25 (Fig 2.6, Process Equipment Design by Brownell and Young, p25)

Fm = 1 for Carbon Steel

Fa = Fr = 1 since radiographing and stress relieving is not required

0.00689476 𝑀𝑝𝑎
𝑆𝑒 = (110000 𝑝𝑠𝑖) ( ) (1)(1)(1)(0.25)
1 𝑝𝑠𝑖
𝑆𝑒 = 189.6059 𝑀𝑃𝑎

Head Thickness
Pi R c Cs
th = +𝐶
2Jf + Pi (Cs − 0.2)
(0.2001 MPa)(2.1469 𝑚)(1.7706 m)
th = + 2 𝑚𝑚
2(0.8)(189.6059 MPa) + [(0.2001 MPa)(1.7706 𝑚 − 0.2)]

t h = 0.002 m ≈ 2.0025 mm

Bottom Thickness
t b = t h = 0.002 m ≈ 2.0025 mm

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