Valves in action –
Bleeding and venting valve EB 3.52
Start-up bleeding of the pipelines at the ship terminal of an oil tank farm
Tank farms are an indispensable part of the infrastructure in the oil and gas industry. They consist of a large number of tanks and serve as temporary storage facilities during oil production, in oil ports, near refineries and sales markets for oil products and fuels. If these facilities are located near water, the tanks are filled and emptied by transport ships. To do this, the tankers use the ship's own pumps to transfer the oil into or out of the land-based tanks via discharge heads.
TASK // Start-up bleeding of pipelines at the ship terminal
During the start-up of the charging and discharging pumps, there are gases and air in the pipeline which impair the flowing fluid. For this reason, self-acting start-up bleeding valves of the type Mankenberg EB 3.52 are installed at the high points of the pipelines. During start-up, they reliably remove the existing large quantities of air and gas from the plant, which only has a low internal pressure of less than 0.1 bar, thus protecting it from overpressure and vacuum damage.
SOLUTION // Start-up bleeding valve EB 3.52
The float-controlled EB 3.52 serves as a safety device for the pipeline. It discharges the interfering gases during filling in relation to the liquid level. The valve closes as soon as it is filled with liquid. When the level drops, it opens only if the pressure is relieved at the same time. The large seat diameter is best suited for the high flow rates during start-up of the system. The internal parts and the float are made entirely of deep-drawn stainless steel (1.4404/316L) and have a high corrosion resistance to the critical and complex components of the oil. The cone and body seals made of FKM are very resistant to high temperatures and chemicals and have low gas permeability.
Thanks to the use of deep-drawing stainless steel technology, the valves are significantly more lightweight than common versions made of cast iron, for example, and their profiled clamp system makes them easy to maintain. They provide an important contribution to the trouble-free and cost-saving operation of tank farms by ensuring shorter loading times and improved plant safety.
