Inspection of LPG tanks
Acoustic Emission Inspection of Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) Storage Tanks
ŠKODA JS has been using the method of acoustic emission to check the integrity of pressure equipment and to detect leaks since 1975. Originally, it namely concentrated on the inspection of nuclear facility components, later, also, on the inspections of LPG storage tanks. In 1998 the company concluded a licence agreement on the inspections of storage tanks with the Austrian TÜV Österreich. Since 2002 LPG storage tanks have been periodically inspected on the territory of the Czech Republic as well as in surrounding countries. Until now, almost 800 LPG storage tanks have been checked using this method in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
The offered method has three main advantages:
- it reduces the time needed for conventional hydraulic pressure test to one fifth,
- it is cheaper
- it is environmentally friendly as it is the stored medium that is used for testing and therefore, any risk of leaks during re-pumping is excluded as well as any problem with waste water disposal as in case of hydraulic testing.
The acoustic emission inspection is used to monitor the storage tank condition and to detect any possible development of discontinuities during the pneumatic test. The test is evaluated immediately after its completion and allows to classify the storage tank condition and its capability to be operated during the following period. The test includes an inspection of safety valve functionality. The period of LPG storage tanks inspections is governed by national standards. In the Czech Republic it is a twelve-year period.
Photogallery on the topic
Check of house LPG tanks
Check of house LPG tanks
Check of house LPG tanks
