nitrogen generator for tank cleaning

Supporting Tank Cleaning Companies with On-site Nitrogen

Tank cleaning comprises several activities other than the actual cleaning. One such activity includes ensuring the safety of people in the cleaning site, depending on the initial application of the tank. For instance, tanks for storing liquids, such as petroleum products, remain flammable regardless of their content. Thus, tank cleaning companies must incorporate nitrogen flushing into the cleaning process to minimize explosion and fire risks. This article highlights some complexities with tank cleaning maintenance and explores some benefits of on-site nitrogen generators.

The Complexities of Vapor Control and Tank Cleaning Maintenance

Tank cleaning companies must identify specific complexities peculiar to the industry and the tank application they want to maintain before planning their tank cleaning operations. Some of these complexities, which range from physical challenges to health hazards, include:

  • Oxygen deficiency
  • Chemical hazards
  • Microbiological risks
  • Flammability

Confined spaces are common with tank cleaning activities. Some of these confined spaces offer oxygen levels below the OSHA-recommended 19.5%, which is detrimental to human health. Thus, tank cleaning service providers must prioritize breathing apparatus and adhere to federal and state regulations to prevent oxygen deficiency-related accidents. Similarly, plastic, chemical, polymer, and oil industry-based operators store chemicals in tanks. Cleaning such tanks requires the use of PPE kits, tank isolation, and implementation of other safety strategies.

Microbiological contamination is typical with liquid tank storages, which can ultimately alter the quality of final products in industrial facilities. In addition to protecting cleaners from potential risks, tank cleaning companies must follow effective protocols that ensure contamination elimination through sanitizer use.

Finally, tanks previously containing fuels and other flammable liquids can remain prone to explosion and fire long after liquid extraction. Tank cleaning service providers must maintain the OSHA-recommended Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) of 10% before and during the tank cleaning processes to eliminate the risk of fire or explosion.

tank cleaning with nitrogen

How On-site Nitrogen Generation is Used for Tank Cleaning

On-site nitrogen generation is a critical element for tank cleaning processes as it provides the required amounts of nitrogen gas at an industry purity standard of 95% real-time. Tank cleaners inject the nitrogen gas from the generation equipment into the tank, which displaces oxygen and maintains a safe level before and after beginning the cleaning process. Tank cleaners must ensure oxygen levels are lower than 8% throughout the cleaning operation. These service providers can achieve this condition using on-site nitrogen generators.

Benefits of Using Nitrogen Generators

Some key benefits of nitrogen generators for tank cleaning operations include:

  • Increased safety
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • High performance
  • Reliability
  • Small footprint

Nitrogen generators eliminate the risks of high-pressure cylinder handling. Moreover, this equipment increases industrial safety by eliminating the need for large quantities of cryogenic liquefied gas, offering gas sensors and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based warning features, and meeting high industry standards. With nitrogen generators, tank cleaners get the exact amount of nitrogen gas ideal for their cleaning operations. Operators also eliminate recurring transportation and delivery charges and minimize installation, running, and maintenance costs with little to zero downtime.

In addition to high purity and high volume nitrogen gas production, nitrogen generators offer high robustness and suitability for operations in potentially harsh environments. Finally, operators can house nitrogen generators in a 20ft portable container due to their small footprints, making them ideal for facilities with space constraint challenges.

How NiGen Supports Tank Cleaning Companies

At NiGen, we manufacture and install high-quality nitrogen systems that meet global industry standards. Our various cost-effective and reliable on-site nitrogen generators can efficiently meet your tank cleaning needs.

Kindly consult us today to make a confident decision about buying or renting your next nitrogen-generating system.