Hello,

Which detectors should be used for

fire alarm in fuel tank farm?

There are such roservoirs:

* diesel tanks (2000 m3, 3000m3, 5000m3);

* petroleum tanks (2000m3);

* biodiesel (2000m3).

For example:

http://www.bipc.com.ph/images/photos/tank-farm.jpg

Which are suitable: heat detectors or flame detectors

(for tanks)?

Thak you.

Hello,

Which detectors should be used for

fire alarm in fuel tank farm?

There are such roservoirs:

* diesel tanks (2000 m3, 3000m3, 5000m3);

* petroleum tanks (2000m3);

* biodiesel (2000m3).

For example:

http://www.bipc.com.ph/images/photos/tank-farm.jpg

Which are suitable: heat detectors or flame detectors

(for tanks)?

Thak you.

I would say flame detection but if you get any sort of flame present in one of these babies then which detector would be best suited would be the least of your worries.

It would be better to make sure that you have procedures in place to minimumilze the risk of a fire occurring (restricted access to the area,no spark or flame producing devices,atmosphere checks for combustible gases before any work commences etc.).

Is there an internal space between the inner and outer skin of the tank? If so you may be able to fit detection in there but as Cerb says it won't do much good really! There are different regulations for the petroleum industry here that I am not aware of but when we have large heating oil tanks we fit a taught wire above the tank which snaps when heated, this is connected to a switch/interface on the fire alarm.

http://www.gnw.co.uk/flowandcontents/Tank_Contents_Equip.htm

http://www.bes.co.uk/products/079.asp

This is the sort of stuff I am talking about.

What ever you use don`t ask Buncefield

As said above... can't believe any standard detector would be of any use.

More than likely you would need an aspirating system looking for excessive levels of hydrocarbons. May even be linked to some kind of automatic nitrogen foam extinguishing system to flood the tanks if levels were too high.

Ginger Kerr used to make such equipment ... not sure if they are still around but you can google.....

Out of interest, presumably the tanks are air tight, so what is going to start a fire??

Or are the tanks vented to keep explosive vapours down??

As said above... can't believe any standard detector would be of any use.

More than likely you would need an aspirating system looking for excessive levels of hydrocarbons. May even be linked to some kind of automatic nitrogen foam extinguishing system to flood the tanks if levels were too high.

Ginger Kerr used to make such equipment ... not sure if they are still around but you can google.....

Out of interest, presumably the tanks are air tight, so what is going to start a fire??

Or are the tanks vented to keep explosive vapours down??

Funny enough I was thinking the same myself - no oxygen takes one of the three out of the fire equation..I seem to recall Alarmline being used for such an application but I think that this was more a marketing idea rather than an engineering solution.