Chemical process engineering - LPG - Vacuum Breaker Requirement for Pressurized Vessel

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LPG - Vacuum Breaker Requirement for Pressurized Vessel

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msavila (Chemical)

Aug 8, 2003

Does an LPG (Butanes) Pressurized Storage Sphere require a vacuum breaker? Our existing tanks were designed with a
vacuum pressure (actually a duo-check valve) that is set to open at 1" H2O and has a design pressure of 90 psi (tank
design pressure) at ambient conditions. I have been unable to locate a vendor that can provide a vacuum breaker that
can meet our specs. Can you help me?

MJCronin (Mechanical)

Aug 12, 2003

msavila,
Do you have an ASME vessel with a code dataplate ? If not, do you have a mfr's print with the National Board number
on it ? For a few bucks, the people in Columbus OH will send to you the design data submitted to them at the time that
the vessel was built...
If you can read the dataplate, you may find the vacuum rating on it....remember "FV" means "full vacuum protection/
What are the dimensions of your vessel ? If the diameter is 6 feet or less and the heads are dished, and the design
pressure is 90 psig, the chances are good that you have far more than a 1" H2o vacuum rating.
Just my thoughts....
MJC

Montemayor (Chemical)

Aug 12, 2003

msavila (Chemical):
Mike Cronin is giving you some great, basic and essential advice that should go in your hip pocket for when you're
dealing with tanks and pressure vessels.
You ask if a vacuum breaker is required for Butane storage. Again, this is a basic and elementary need that is easily
resolved if you revert back to your Thermodynamics and physical properties studies. If the tank is going to be dedicated
solely to Butane storage (saturated), then you need to refer to the vapor pressure of Butane:
Temp, oF
14.000
16.000
18.000
20.000
22.000
24.000
26.000
28.000
30.000
32.000

Press, psia
10.119
10.590
11.078
11.584
12.107
12.649
13.210
13.790
14.390
15.010

Depending on your tank's location and elevation, the above table should tell you if you're going to generate a vacuum
by allowing the tank's contents to cool down with atmospheric winter conditions. If you're located in Kingston, Jamaica,
Port of Spain, Trinidad or Pucallpa, Peru I wouldn't worry about needing a vacuum breaker in a butane tank. If you're in

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Chemical process engineering - LPG - Vacuum Breaker Requirement for Pressurized Vessel

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the North Slope, you'd better have one.

Normally, I would expect to find the tank has been FV'd and I would not rest until I had the documentation that Mike
Cronin lists - especially the fabrication drawings. You need these for inspection and as reference for all tank-related
calculations (such as the vacuum breaker).
Art Montemayor
Spring, TX

msavila (Chemical)

Aug 22, 2003

Hello MJCronin & Montemayor,

Thank you both for your replies to my post. I was able to dig up the fabrication drawings in our drawing room. The
vessel was built in 1969 by Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CB&I), and the tank was rated for -12.55 psig vacuum. It
is 62 ft in diameter, 90 psi MAWP, 135 psi test pressure, with top thickness of 1.044" and bottom at 1 3/16".
I performed several calculations using the most extreme operating conditions and worst case scenarios under our
current operation, and have determined that we cannot exceed the -12.55 psi vacuum rating of the sphere. I have
reviewed them with our process engineering group here and submitted an MOC to remove the vacuum breakers (check
valves) from the sphere all together.
I appreciate your input and look forward to any other comments or suggestions you may have.
Thanks Again,
Mark Avila
Operations Engineer
Los Angeles Refinery
ConocoPhillips
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