On Thursday, August 19, the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (Gubkin University) reported that its research team had developed a technology helping reduce storage losses of petroleum products. The solution delivered jointly with Vzryvobezopasnost research & production company decreases evaporation by a third.
Spherical floats, placed inside storage tanks for liquid hydrocarbons, prevent evaporation by forming a coating acting as a barrier. Additionally, it helps avoid the combustion of tank vapours, Gubkin University's Press Office informs.
As light ends evaporate, this causes an accumulation of gas, which, in turn, requires the discharge of the resulting gas into the atmosphere to prevent the rupturing of the tank. Significant economic losses follow, not to mention a negative impact on the environment. Using the new technology, it takes three times longer to reach the threshold limit value of vapours.
Annual atmospheric evaporation losses of petroleum derivatives at Russia's storage facilities exceed 100 thousand tonnes. The Gubkin University's solution can help save up to 28 tonnes of petroleum products annually per a 2000-cubic-metre tank.
Let us recall that TPU's experts have presented a technology enabling to reduce energy consumption in hydrocracking. It is the processing of high boiling oil fractions to produce fuel in refineries. By introducing this technology, a company can achieve a 54% reduction in fuel gas and fuel consumption and a 20% reduction in electricity.