Mounded LPG Storage Facilities and hence the foundation experiences a cycling
By Rakesh Agrawal loading.
Jt. Dir(MO) OISD
Mounded Storage: The LPG mounded Storage
facilities have inherent advantages. In case of
mounded LPG storage vessels the Horizontal
cylindrical vessels (Bullets) are placed on a
specially made layered (sand bed) foundation
wherein the vessels rest finally on sand
uniformly throughout its length. The Vessel is
covered with passive (inert) material from all
sides. This mounding material gives vessel a lot
of protection from external heat and impact.
These vessels remain buried and are not visible
and thus require special considerations while
designing, constructing, commissioning,
Operation of the Storage facility and as such
require special protection against corrosion.
A well-designed and executed system during
the planning to project stage, backed up by
good operating procedures and further backed
up by sound maintenance practices is a must
for maintaining the asset integrity and ensuring
a safe working environment.
Areas requiring focus in Mounded Storage
Facilities:
a. Settlement of the vessel
b. Water Ingress
c. C P System in Mounded Storage Facilities
Settlement of the vessel:
The LPG vessels in a Mounded Storage vessel is
placed on specially prepared sand bed which
provides the vessel a continuous support. The
vessels go through numerous repeated cycles
of getting filled and subsequently evacuated
Locations are often situated in coastal areas
where soft marine clay is present. In such
situations careful consideration need to be
made regarding the load transfer mechanism as
the soil may get compacted under cycling
loading pattern.
In some cases piles are driven up to a depth
where a hard stratum is reached or effective
soil resistance is available. Then all such piles
are joined at top with a properly designed RCC
slab over which compacted layers of moorum
and sand bed are created.
Precautions need to be taken to ensure the
proper drainage of water which might get in
thru lateral entry or through top of the mound.
Stagnating water may loosen the sand base and
may ultimately result in excessive settlement of
the vessel. Excessive settlement may result in
pressure on the bottom nozzle.
Thus permanent bench mark need to be
created at the project stage itself and the
settlement needs to be closely monitored. In
case of any abnormality mound integrity need
to be reassessed and corrective measures
taken.
Water Ingress:
The mound is covered with UPVC sheet at top
and also on sides to ensure that water on
account of rainfall or during testing of water
sprinklers does not enter the mound. In some
cases it has been seen that the UPVC sheet is
provided at the top only but the sloping sides
are not covered with UPVC sheet. In such cases
it has been observed that due to the cracks in
the stone pitching water ingress takes place.
Also the water comes out at lower levels with
sand oozing out thus destabilizing the complete
facility. Hence provision of UPVC sheet at top
and at sides is very important.
Apart from affecting the foundation the
moisture thus reached insides also lowers the
Resistivity of the mounding material. The Lower
resistivity values are prone to higher corrosion
and increases the CP System current
requirement thus interferes with the impressed
Current Cathodic Protection System installed.
Variations in soil resistivity with moisture
content
Percent Moisture Soil resistivity in
% by weight cm (Sandy Loams)
0 1000 x 106
2.5 1,50,000
5 43,000
10 22,000
15 13,000
20 10,000
30 8,000
Proper UPVC Sheet coverage at Sides
Coatings:
For the Corrosion protection of mounded LPG
bullets highest performing coatings as a
primary protection against corrosion combined
with impressed current cathodic protection
system secondary protection against corrosion
are employed.
Criteria for selection of coatings for Mounded
Bullets are essentially as enumerated in NACE
RP 0169 with the special consideration that the
coating is applied on site rather than in a
coating plant. To list a few the coating must
possess the following qualities:
Good adhesion to the base metal is steel.
Should be an effective moisture barrier.
Should be an effective electrical insulator
and its ability to maintain substantially
constant electrical resistivity with passage
of time.
Should be resistant to disbondment.
Should have the ability to resist
development of holidays with passage of
time.
Resistance to chemical degradation.
Retention of physical properties.
Non-toxicity to the environment.
The coating must be suitable for the
design conditions i.e. service temperature
of (-) 27 C to (+) 55 C and for LPG and ()
43.5 C to (+) 55 C for Propane.
As per available listed service temperature
data, conventional coatings like Coal Tar / Pur-
Tar do not meet the requirements of low
temperature.
Now a days Polyurethane coatings are being
used meeting the above requirements.
Needless to mention that prior to the
application of the coating the surface needs to
be blast cleaned and compatible primer needs
to be applied for a perfect adhesion and zero
Holidays which will result in minimal current
requirements.
A coated Vessel
Impressed Current Cathodic Protection System
(ICCP):
C P System is easy to maintain if understood
well. The most important aspect in maintaining
the C P System is Knowledge Transfer to the
operating persons by OEMs / Technical
persons. It is observed that during the change
of role holder due to business requirements the
incoming person lags particularly in this area
and as a result the system suffers. Hence the
hand shaking time must be meticulously
planned during such periods involving change
in operating / maintaining crew. The operating
persons must get exposed to OISD-STD-150 and
NACE SP0169-2007.
The primary object of the following section is to
highlight the components of the ICCP System
and their functions for easy understanding by
the operating persons.
Components of ICCP
CP System Architecture
The main components of ICCP are as follows
a. The Cathode i.e. the Vessels to be
Protected: Mounded Storage Vessels
b. Long life Flexible Polymeric type Anodes
A flexible, cable-like anode, which is placed
parallel and in close proximity of the
Mounded Vessel. Uniform distribution of
cathodic protection current is therefore
achieved along the length of the vessel.
Up-to 4 Anodes are placed for uniform
protection of vessel from all sides. Anode
ratings are specified in terms of safe
current per m of anode.
c. The Copper Copper Sulphate Half Cells
(Cu-Cu SO4 Reference cells)
The Cu/CuSO4 portable Reference
Electrodes (Half Cell) is the accepted
standard for the measurement of surface
potentials (PSPs) for land installations and
can be used for any voltmeter normally
used in the field of Cathodic Protection.
Normally 12 or 16 permanent ref cells are
placed at 3, 6, 9 & 12 Oclock Positions (i.
e. 4 nos at a section) of the mounded
vessels at 3 to 4 sections along the vessel.
(So total = 4 X 3 =12 & 4 X 4 =16)
d. Zinc Half Cell (Zn-Zn SO4 Reference cells)
As a backup at least one Zn-Zn SO4
reference cell is placed at 6 Oclock
Positions of the vessels.
e. The Polarization cell.
These are used to divert any accidental
electrical surge on the MSV to the ground
safely. They are normally open but under
surge give a conductive path to the earth.
In earlier installation Kerk Cells were used.
They contained a no of metal shims
(alternately connected to one pole)
submerged in KOH solution with mineral
oil at Top. Kerk cells are not being used in
new installations due to the maintenance
issues.
f. Insulation Joints in the Pipeline
(Monolithic Couplings)
These are used to isolate protected system
(Vessels) from unprotected system.
(Sprinklers / pipes after IJ / QB lines etc.) A
surge suppressor is used across each IJ.
g. Transformer Rectifier unit (TRU)
TRU gets 230 Volts AC supply and converts
it to low voltage DC Supply thru a
transformer and a rectifier. Further it has
control cards to automatically adjust the
current according to the reference
electrodes.
h. Uninterrupted Power Supply to the TRU
This is to ensure the CP System remain on
all the times.
i. Anode Junction Box, Cathode Junction Box,
Reference cell Junction Box.
Shunts inside the Cathode JB
Inside of Ref Cell JB with reference points
and measurement points.
j. Variable Resisters
These are used for adjusting the current in
different Anodes for achieving uniform PSP
readings all around the vessel.
Variable resistors (Green) and Shunts
inside the Anode JB
k. Shunts
Shunts are known calibrated low
resistances. These are used to measure
the current in the wire without isolating
the wire. They are installed in series.
By Ohms Law : V=IXR => I = V/R
Here V in DC Milli-Volts is measured and
then I is calculated using its known R value.
l. Electrical Isolation of Armours of the
cables coming to the protected side of the
Vessel to unprotected side needs to be
ensured as they may earth the vessel thru
the Flame Proof Metal Glands.
Calculating the Current requirement of C P
System :
The vessels require 15 Milli Amps per M2 of the
bare surface for effective protection for PU
coating. With this current the system should be
able to get the PSP (-)1.2 to (-)0.85 Volts wrt Cu
Cu SO4 Ref cells. Overprotection of vessel
beyond (-)1.2 should be avoided as it may lead
to Hydrogen embrittlement of the vessel. Off
PSP should be minimum (-)0.85 V.

Let the Dia of the vessel be 6 mtrs and the

length of the cylindrical part 20mtrs.

a. Area of Dished ends = 2*2 R2 =

4*3.14*3*3=113.04 Sq Mtr.
b. Area of the Cylindrical Portion = D L =
3.14*6*20= 376.8 Sq Mtr.
c. Total Area = 113.04+376.8 = 489.84 Say
490 Sq Mtrs.
d. The Current requirement for PU coated
vessel considering 5% holiday =
(5/100)*(490)*15 milli Amps = 367 Milli
Amps. ie 0.367 Amps for one vessel.

In case the system is drawing more current

then there is need for investigation as
higher current may lead to:-
a. Disbondment of the coating from the
vessel.
b. Burning of the anodes.
c. Corrosion of other structures if the
current is leaking to other plant
structures as they may become anodic
and start sacrificing.