Fiberglass Horizontal Storage Tank

A FRP horizontal storage tank is a tank made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) and installed parallel to the ground. It is typically formed integrally in the factory and then transported to the site for installation and operation. The main process used is a fixed-length winding process, combined with hand lay-up for the head, mounting accessories, and other components.

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Structural Design Features Main Features and Advantages Comparison with Vertical Storage Tanks

Tanker: The cylinder is typically manufactured using a winding process, primarily circumferential winding, to provide circumferential strength against internal pressure. Axial strength is provided by the combined effect of multiple layers of cross-wrap or circumferential winding.

Head: Typically an elliptical or dished head. This streamlined design facilitates stress distribution and offers significantly better pressure-bearing capacity than a flat head. Heads are often hand-layup or compression molded.

Support System: This is one of the most critical components of a horizontal storage tank.

Saddle Support: The most commonly used support type, typically consisting of two supports.

Fixed End Support: One of the supports has a round anchor bolt hole, providing full fixation. Sliding end support: The anchor bolt hole on the other support is an oblong hole, allowing the tank to expand and contract with temperature fluctuations, preventing excessive thermal stress.

Leg support: Used for small tanks.

Skirt support: Less common and used in specific operating conditions.

Accessory ports: Manholes, feed ports, discharge ports, exhaust ports, level gauge ports, and cleaning ports are typically located at the top and bottom of the tank.

Because of its horizontal design, the selection and installation of level gauges (such as magnetic flap level gauges) is very convenient.

Main Features and Advantages

Excellent pressure resistance

Due to its cylindrical structure and elliptical head design, horizontal tanks are generally more suitable for use as pressure vessels (such as pressurized storage and reaction processes) than vertical tanks of the same volume.

Small footprint and low height

Ideal for installation indoors or in spaces with limited height.

Thorough Material Discharge

By rationally designing the discharge port location and tank slope, virtually no dead angles can be achieved, making it particularly suitable for viscous materials or those that require thorough discharge.

Easy maintenance and observation

Due to its low height, the top manhole, valves, and instruments are easily accessible for operation and maintenance.

It possesses the common advantages of fiberglass

Corrosion resistance, long life, light weight, and easy cleaning.

Applications

The unique shape and structure of horizontal storage tanks make them particularly common in the following areas:

Chemical process flow: as pressurized or atmospheric intermediate process tanks, reaction tanks, and temporary storage tanks.

Environmental water treatment: as PAC/PAM and other pharmaceutical storage tanks, and as pressure-type water storage tanks for filtration systems.

Food brewing: as fermentation tanks, liquid mixing tanks, and saccharification tanks.

Transportation and transit: as stationary receiving or distribution tanks, docking with tank trucks.

HVAC systems: as expansion tanks and water storage tanks.

Summary

Glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) horizontal storage tanks are an extremely important and flexible solution for process industries and small- to medium-sized storage applications. They perfectly combine the corrosion resistance of FRP with the advantages of horizontal vessels in pressure bearing, emptying, and space utilization.

For standardized needs, factory-manufactured, pre-fabricated products are available; for specialized applications, custom design and production are required.

Horizontal Fiberglass Containers

● Horizontal containers are mostly cylindrical with ellipsoidal ends. When used as truck transport tanks, they can be processed into an ellipsoidal shape.

● Horizontal containers are mostly used above ground. When used underground, they require a specific design based on the burial depth and installation requirements.

● The supports for horizontal containers are called saddles. They are mostly made of steel, but can also be made of FRP. The saddle's wrap angle is 180°, which reduces shearing effects on the container. This ensures safe and reliable operation. If the customer provides their own concrete saddle, the saddle span must meet the design requirements.

● Soft material must be placed between the horizontal saddle and the tank wall during container installation.

Container Specifications:

D	1000			1200			1400			1600			1800			2000			2200			2400			2600			2800			3000
M3	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂	L	N₁	N₂
1	1450	2	3
2	2730	3	3	1990	2	3	1560	2	3
3	4010	4	3	2870	2	4	2200	2	4
4				3760	3	4	2850	3	4	2300	2	4
5							3500	3	4	2800	2	4
6										3300	2	4
7										3800	2	4
8										4300	3	4	3470	2	4
9										4780	3	4	3860	3	4
10										5300	3	4	4250	3	4	3540	2	4
11										5800	4	4	4640	3	4	3850	2	4
12										6280	4	4	5040	3	4	4170	2	4	3540	2	4
15													6220	3	4	5130	3	4	4330	2	4	3750	2	4
18													7400	4	4	6080	3	4	5120	2	4	4410	2	4
20													8190	4	4	6720	3	4	5650	3	4	4850	2	4	4220	2	4	3740	2	4
25																8310	4	4	6960	3	4	5960	2	4	5160	2	4	4560	2	4	4100	2	4
30																			8280	4	4	7060	3	4	6100	3	4	5370	2	4	4820	2	4
35																						8170	3	4	7050	3	4	6180	2	4	5520	2
40																						9270	3	4	7990	3	4	6990	3	4	6240	3
50																									9870	4	4	8620	3	4	7660	3
60																												10240	3	4	9050	3
70																															10470	4
80																															11880	4

Comparison with Vertical Storage Tanks

Features	Horizontal Fiberglass Storage Tank	Vertical Fiberglass Storage Tank
Installation Method	Horizontal Axis Positioning	Vertical Axis Positioning
Support Structure	Saddle	Flat Bottom (Directly Seated) or Skirt
Pressure bearing capacity	Usually higher, more suitable for pressurized working conditions	Usually normal pressure or slight pressure, with lower pressure bearing capacity
Footprint	Larger	Smaller, more space-saving
Foundation requirements	Requirements for foundation levelness and load-bearing capacity	Requirements for foundation flatness and load-bearing area are high
Material discharge	More thorough, less residual volume	There may be dead spots at the bottom of the tank
Typical Volume	Usually small (within tens of cubic meters)	Can be very large (thousands of cubic meters)
Applicable Scenarios	Indoor, pressure vessels, intermediate tanks in process	Large storage, on-site production, atmospheric storage tanks

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