Sizing of Tank Blanketing System

Environmental Protection Products

Excerpt From API 20001

Sizing
When sizing for tank blanketing, it is
imperative to consider both:
a. blanketing gas replacement for liquid loss
during pump-out, and
b. the condensation/contraction of tank
vapors during atmospheric thermal cooling.
Required amount of blanketing gas and
correct size of valve must be determined on
the basis that both conditions could occur
simultaneously.
The maximum flow rate through the
blanketing valve will determine the size of
relief valve. If a flow rate less than that listed in
Table C is required, restricted nozzles are
available to limit the flow to 70, 50, 30 or 10
percent of the 100 percent rated capacity.
Use of restricted nozzles, where applicable,
will minimize the size of safety relief valve
required. The BV1 is also available with a 110
percent piston for increased capacity.

For tanks with a capacity of 20,000 bbl or

more, the requirements for the vacuum
condition are very close to the theoretically
computed value of 2 SCFH of air, per square
foot of total shell and roof area.
For tanks with a capacity of less than
20,000 bbl, the requirements for the vacuum
condition have been based on 1 SCFH of air,
for each barrel of tank capacity. This is
substantially equivalent to a mean rate of
vapor space temperature change of 38C
[100F] per hour. (See Table B, page 2)

Note
1. API 2000, Section 2.4 Table 2.

To Size a Blanketing Valve

1. Determine the gas flow rate due to pumpout (from Table A, page 2).
2. Determine the gas flow rate due to
atmospheric thermal cooling (from Table B,
page 2).
3. Add the requirements of 1 and 2 and select
valve size based on air capacity (from Table
C, pages 3).

Gas Formula
English Units

V = 907 C2CvP1
V

Values C2 and G
Gas
Air
Natural Gas (0.60G)
Nitrogen

Metric Units
X

GT

V = 263 C2CvP1

= SCFH

GT

= Nm3/hr

C2 = Correction factor for specific heat ratio

Cv = Valve sizing coefficient

C2 = Correction factor for specific heat ratio

Cv = Valve sizing coefficient

P1 = Pressure at valve inlet, (psia)

X = 0.66 for P1 47.7 psia

P1 = Pressure at valve inlet, (bara)

X = 0.66 for P1 3.288 bara

0.69 for P1 > 47.7 psia

= Specific gravity

0.69 for P1 > 3.288 bara

= Specific gravity

= Temperature, R (F + 460)

= Temperature, K (273 + C)

Cv Valve Sizing Coefficients

C2
1.00
0.98
1.00

www.tycovalves-eu.com

G
1.00
0.60
0.97

Valve Size
RA:
BV-1:
BV-1:
BV-1:
BV-1:
BV-1:
BV-1:
Y1:
Y1:
Y1:
Y1:
Y1:

[1/2-inch]
[1-inch]
[1-inch]
[1-inch]
[1-inch]
[1-inch]
[1-inch]
[2-inch]
[2-inch]
[2-inch]
[2-inch]
[2-inch]

Nozzle Size
15 mm
25 mm
25 mm
25 mm
25 mm
25 mm
25 mm
50 mm
50 mm
50 mm
50 mm
50 mm

No Options
110%
100%
70%
50%
30%
10%
100%
70%
50%
30%
10%

Tyco reserves the right to change the content without notice

Cv
0.385
14.5
13.2
9.2
6.6
4.0
1.3
43.6
30.5
21.8
13.1
4.4

AGCDR-0063-EN-0506

Sizing of Tank Blanketing System

Environmental Protection Products

Table A (English) - In Breathing Rate Due to Pump-Out

Multiply Maximum Pump-Out Rate In:

By

To Obtain

U.S. GPM
U.S. GPH
Barrels/hr
Barrels/day
Liters/min
m3/hr

8.021
0.134
5.615
0.234
2.118
35.30

SCFH
SCFH
SCFH
SCFH
SCFH
SCFH

air
air
air
air
air
air

required
required
required
required
required
required

Table A [Metric] - In Breathing Rate Due to Pump-Out

Multiply Maximum Pump-Out Rate In:
U.S. GPM
IMP GPM
Barrels/hr
Barrels/day
Liters/min

By

To Obtain

0.215
0.258
0.151
0.0063
0.057

Nm3/hr
Nm3/hr
Nm3/hr
Nm3/hr
Nm3/hr

air
air
air
air
air

required
required
required
required
required

Table B1 - In Breathing Rate Due to Thermal Cooling

Tank Capacity
Barrels
60
100
500
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000

Gallons
2,500
4,200
21,000
42,000
84,000
126,000
168,000
210,000
420,000
630,000
840,000
1,050,000
1,260,000
1,470,000
1,680,000
1,890,000
2,100,000
2,520,000
2,940,000
3,360,000
3,780,000
4,200,000
5,040,000
5,880,000
6,720,000
7,560,000

In Breathing Air Required

[m3]

SCFH

[Nm3/hr]

[9.5]
[15.9]
[79.5]
[159]
[318]
[477]
[636]
[795]
[1590]
[2385]
[3180]
[3975]
[4770]
[5560]
[6360]
[7150]
[7950]
[9540]
[11130]
[12700]
[14300]
[15900]
[19100]
[22300]
[25400]
[28600]

60
100
500
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
24,000
28,000
31,000
34,000
37,000
40,000
44,000
48,000
52,000
56,000
60,000
68,000
75,000
82,000
90,000

[1.6]
[2.7]
[13.4]
[26.8]
[53.6]
[80.4]
[107.2]
[134]
[268]
[402]
[536]
[643]
[750]
[830]
[911]
[992]
[1070]
[1180]
[1290]
[1400]
[1500]
[1600]
[1800]
[2000]
[2200]
[2400]

Note
1. API 2000, Section 2.4, Table 2.

Tyco reserves the right to change the contents without notice

Sizing of Tank Blanketing System

Environmental Protection Products

Table C (English) - Flow Capacities in SCFH @ 60F Gas Temperature, 100% Nozzle
Inlet
Pressure

Outlet
Pressure

(psig)
15
20
25
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200

1 psig
or
less

Type RA, 1/2-inch

0.60G

0.97G

Natural Gas

Nitrogen

468
547
625
704
880
1042
1203
1363
1525
1685
1847
2008
2168
2330
2490
2651
2813
2973
3135
3296
3456

BV-1, 1-inch
Air

375
439
502
565
706
835
966
1095
1224
1353
1482
1611
1740
1870
1999
2128
2257
2386
2515
2644
2773

369
432
494
556
696
823
951
1078
1205
1333
1460
1587
1713
1841
1968
2095
2223
2350
2477
2605
2732

Note

0.60G

0.97G

Natural Gas

Nitrogen

16027
18725
21424
24122
30182
35699
41217
46735
52252
57770
63288
68805
74323
79840
85358
90876
96393
101911
107429
112946
118464

12862
15028
17193
19359
24222
28650
33078
37506
41934
46362
50790
55219
59647
64075
68503
72931
77359
81787
86215
90643
95071

Y1, 2-inch
Air

0.60G

0.97G

Natural Gas

Nitrogen

79675
99691
117916
136141
154366
172591
190816
209041
227266
245491
263715
281940
300165
318390
336615
354840
373065
391290

63942
80005
94631
109258
123884
138510
153136
167762
182388
197015
211641
226267
240893
255519
270145
284772
299398
314024

12688
14801
16933
19066
23856
28217
32578
36939
41300
45662
50023
54384
58745
63106
67467
71829
76190
80551
84912
89273
93635

Air

62975
78796
93201
107606
122011
136416
150822
165227
179632
194037
208442
222847
237252
251657
266062
280468
294873
309278

Table D - Correction Factors

1. To obtain capacities at a temperature other

than 60F, multiply capacity in Table C by
appropriate temperature correction factor in
Table D.

Actual

Correction

Actual

Correction

Temperature F

Factor

Temperature F

Factor

100
120
150
200
250

0.9636
0.9469
0.9233
0.8876
0.8558

-20
0
20
40
60
80

1.087
1.063
1.041
1.020
1.000
0.9813

Table C [Metric] - Flow Capacities in Nm3/hr @ 0C Gas Temperature, 100% Nozzle

Inlet

Outlet

Pressure

Pressure

Type RA, 1/2-inch [15 mm]

0.60G

0.97G

[barg]

Natural Gas

Nitrogen

1.0
2.0

13
19

10
15

3.0
4.0

26
32

BV-1, 1-inch [25 mm]

0.60G

0.97G

Natural Gas

Nitrogen

10
15

435
651

349
522

21
26

20
26

886
1107

39
45

31
36

31
36

52
58

41
47

64
71

11.0
12.0
13.0
14.0

5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0

70 mbarg
or
less

Y1, 2-inch [50 mm]

0.60G

0.97G

Natural Gas

Nitrogen

344
514

711
888

700
875

2927
3656

2349
2934

2313
2890

1325
1549

1066
1243

1049
1224

4386
5115

3520
4105

3466
4043

41
46

1769
1990

1420
1597

1399
1573

5844
6574

4690
5276

4619
5196

52
57

51
56

2211
2432

1774
1952

1748
1922

7303
8032

5861
6446

5772
6349

77
84

62
67

61
66

2653
2873

2129
2306

2097
2271

8762
9491

7032
7617

6925
7502

90
97

72
78

71
76

3094
3315

2483
2660

2446
2620

10220
10950

8202
8788

8078
8655

Note
1. To obtain capacities at a temperature other
than 0C, multiply capacity in Table C by
appropriate temperature correction factor in
Table D.

Air

Air

Table D - Correction Factors

Actual

Correction

Actual

Correction

Temperature [C]

Factor

Temperature [C]

Factor

[-30]
[-20]
[-10]
[0]
[10]
[20]

1.060
1.039
1.019
1.000
0.982
0.965

[30]
[40]
[50]
[100]
[150]

Tyco reserves the right to change the contents without notice

0.949
0.934
0.919
0.855
0.803

Air