Air Storage Tanks: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Before you import air storage tanks, read this guide.

It has all information that will help you choose a reliable, safe, cost-effective, and durable air storage tanks.

Whether you want to learn about the material type, components, accessories, or working principle of air storage tanks – the information you’re looking for is right here.

Keep reading to learn more.

What is Air Storage Tank used for?

Air storage tank is used for:

 Air storage tank

• Holding compressed air/acting as a reservoir. It stores compressed air temporarily for high-demand and short events.
• Secondary heat exchange; when used as a wet tank it increases the efficiency of the device.
• Providing steady air signal to compressor control
• Facilitates steady pressure in the system as it damps pulsations from the compressor discharge line
• Preventing too frequent unloading and loading of the compressors
• Precipitating potential oil carryover or moisture that could be present in the compressed air as it emanates from the compressor.

In its capacity to remove unwanted dirt or particulate, Air storage tanks have a longer life which leads to fewer repair or maintenance costs.

• Minimizing maintenance costs if properly sized

Is there a difference between Air Storage Tank and Air Reservoir?

An Air storage tank is an economical system continuation of your compressed air system that enhances the performance of the other components of the system.

It provides additional compressed air capacity for when demand increases.

An Air reservoir is a device that stores both compressed dry and wet air thus adding capacity to your compression system.

It acts as a battery for your plant thus availing extra source of compressed air that you can draw when on when there is high demand for the gas.

What is the Capacity of Air Storage Tanks?

An Air storage tank can be 1 -3 gallons for every SCFM of air system capacity.

As such, 500 SCFM compressed air system will need between 500 – 1500 gallons.

An Air storage tank can have a capacity as low as 30 gallons

Note: An Air storage tank will be sized at 2 gal/scfm and possibly increased to 4 gal/scfm of continuation if there are big surges or demands.

Hence, if a device has a rating of 25 sfcm at 100 psig then the tank can hold 50 gallons minimum to 250 gallons if demand surges/increases.

How does Pressure Vessel Tank compare to Air Storage Tank?

The differences between Pressure vessel tank and Air storage tank are:

 Pressure vessel tank

A Pressure Vessel Tank

It is a fiberglass or metal container designed to hold liquids or gases at high pressures.

A pressure vessel tank contains a rubber diaphragm that separates the tank into 2 halves, the dry and wet half.

A Pressure vessel tank is made using fiberglass or steel material

The prices of pressure vessel tanks vary depending on their volume capacity.

For instance, a 8L tank costs around $90 while a 200L costs around $720.

Overall, they are cheap as compared to other devices.

The majority of pressure vessel tanks come already pre-set at around 15 -25 PSI

You can use pressure vessel tanks both indoors and outdoors

Air Storage Tank

Air storage tank are containers designed to stores dry or liquid air so they can be used when there is a surge in demand.

Air storage tanks can be used outdoors and indoors

The PSI rating for a standard Air storage tank is 150 – 200

Air storage tanks are sold at affordable prices, however, the price varies depending on the capacities of the tanks.

How do you Determine Air Tank Capacity?

You can determine the capacity of your Air tanks by looking at the following factors:

• The peak CFM requirements during times of maximum demands
• The diameter of Air tank piping
• Air compressor capacity in CFM
• The consistency of airflow.

Which Materials is used to make Air Compressor Tank?

Air storage tanks have to be tough, durable and with high tensile strength.

For this to happen, it must be made with the following material:

• Mild steel
• Stainless steel
• Aluminum
• Carbon steel

These materials are responsible for the Air storage tank properties such as tough, strong, durable and high tensile strength.

What is the Air Storage Tank Price?

The price of Air storage tanks varies depending on their volumes and features.

For instance, a 200-gallon Air storage tank costs around $2,981.

The price increases as the capacity of the Air storage tanks improves.

The price of Air storage tank will also depend on the application for which it is intended as well as the supplier.

Overall, Air storage tanks are fairly expensive.

What should you Consider when Buying High-Pressure Air Storage Tank?

When buying an Air storage tank for your application, you have to consider the following factors:

· Cost

High pressure air storage tanks should be affordable.

The price of the High-pressure air storage tank as well as maintenance costs should not be high.

Even though they are often sold at competitive prices, there are some High-pressure air storage tanks that are affordable.

· Performance

The performance of the Air storage tank has to match the applications it will be used.

Performance in this case is the amount of air it will release during peak demands/surges.

· Certification/Quality

The Air storage tank must meet all the important safety requirements, especially the ASME safety requirements.

These certifications show that the high-pressure air storage tanks have undergone through the set quality tests thus approved for use.

· Accessories

A quality High pressure air storage tank must have the essential accessories needed to enhance its performance.

They include a safety relief valve, a drain and a pressure gauge.

· Ratio of Wet/Dry Air

The High-pressure air storage tank should have a 1:2 ratio for wet and dry air respectively to improve its operations.

· Orientation

You have to choose between buying a vertical or horizontal high-pressure air storage tank for your use.

While vertical tanks take up less space, their performance is not as high as that of horizontal tanks which take up larger space.

· Warranty

Choose an Air storage tank made with a manufacturer that supports their brand with a strong warranty.

A manufacturer that extends the warranty for a long time covering the spare parts is a good choice.

Is there a difference between Wet and Dry Compressed Air Storage Tank?

Both wet and dry compressed air storage tanks have similar design and construction.

However, below are some of the differences between them:

· Location

The main difference between wet and dry compressed Air storage tanks is the location of the air storage tank in the compressed air system.

Wet compressed air storage tank is positioned before the air-drying system.

Air gets into the system via the bottom port from the compressor and exits out the top to the dryer.

On the other hand, Dry compressed air storage tanks are located after the air dryers to keep already compressed and filtered dry air.

You do not have to flow the compressed air via the tank for dry storage.

· Operation

When it comes to wet air storage, a tank is positioned in between air dryer and air compressor.

Wet air gets in through the receiver tank from the air compressor via the lower part of the tank to reach the air-drying system.

While a dry compressed air storage tank contains air that is ready to use, a wet compressed air storage tank must pass its air through an air dryer before it is released from the tank for use.

Note: It is important to have an air storage tank with wet air accounting for 1/3 while dry air accounting for 2/3 of the storage tank.

If your air storage tank is 200 gallons, you will have 80 gallons wet tank and 120-gallon dry air.

What are the Benefits of Air Storage Tank?

Below are some of the benefits of having/using Air storage tanks for our air compression systems:

Air storage tank

• Used to store air. The stored air is then used when there is a demand surge.
• Lower compressor usage cost. Air storage tank saves you the maintenance as well as electrical usage costs.

Instead of having to constantly turn on the compressor system when you need air every second, Air storage tanks covers for the hassle.

• You can modulate the sequence of the Air storage tank compressor. Air storage tanks equalize the pressure variation using the switch.
• In Air storage tanks, condensation is eliminated from the stored air. There is a drain attached to the device to help in eliminating water from the air system.
• Are multifunctional
• Easy operation as the device is often fully assembled at the plant and thus ready to use

Are there Limitations of Air Storage Tank?

There are fewer limitations to Air storage tanks, however, they do not outweigh the advantages of the devices.

Air storage tanks are heavy as they carry a larger weight.

They are made using material that is strong and heavy such as steel.

This feature makes moving the Air storage tanks difficult.

Air storage tanks are also fairly expensive.

While they are sold at competitive prices, buying individual pieces mean that one spends more money.

What are the Orientations of Air Storage Tank?

The decision for an orientation depends on the availability of a production space or operating conditions.

Even so, there are two main orientations of Air storage tanks:

• Vertical; they are the most common as they take up less space on the floor. As such, they are considered to be more ergonomic.
• Horizontal; take more space on the floor space.

Horizontal air storage tank

Vertical air storage tank

What are the Features of Air Storage Tank?

Some of the features of Air storage tanks that make them stand out are:

• Built to be exceptionally strong and durable. They are made using long lasting material quality.
• Are Leakproof
• Low maintenance costs
• Easy to clean
• Designed and constructed in respect to the ASME Section VIII Div-I Code for the storage of compressed gas
• Have a PSI rating of over 300 units
• High temperature resistance
• Excellent finish; special interior and exterior coatings are available following a request
• Air storage tanks have custom engineered designs
• The exterior surface is often painted with one coat standard shop primer
• Can be used in either horizontal or vertical orientation
• A ring base for vertical storage (optional)
• Often fully assembled, ready for use
• Tough and tensile
• Easily affordable

What are the Components of Air Storage Tank?

For an Air storage tank to effectively function in the different applications, it must have the following components:

 Parts of air storage tank

· Safety Relief Valve

Set at temperatures slightly higher than the operating pressure.

It is a valve mechanism that helps in automatically releasing air from a pressure vessel when the pressure surpasses the preset limits.

Safety valve often opens at 150 PSI because that is the preset limit.

If the safety valve releases pressure then know that there is a problem with the brake system.

As such, a mechanic operator has to check the device.

· Drain Valve

A drain valve removes water from the Air storage tank

· Cylindrical Horizontal/Vertical Shell

Encases the Air storage tank parts. This component is made using quality steel material through welding/riveting technique.

· Pressure Relief Valve

Often set at 10% higher than the ambient working pressure.

· Pressure Gauge

Helps maintain safety.

The part lets you know if you have an effective air pressure within the tank.

Before the pressure cuts to below a preset limit, the pressure gauge sends a light warning.

The same is true for when the pressure rise to over the proper amount/limit.

Do Air Storage Tank Store both Wet and Dry Air?

Of course, yes.

In fact, there are wet and dry Air storage tanks available in the market.

Wet air is air that has the highest amount of moisture in it.

Dry air, on the other hand, is air that has no water vapor in it.

Air storage tanks store both wet and dry air in different chambers of the tank.

How do Manufacture Air Storage Tank?

The manufacture process of Air storage tanks is partly complex.

The process involves the use of special equipment as well as a specialized group of mechanics to produce fully functioning and quality Air storage tanks.

It involves a step by step process as shown below:

· Design

During this stage, you create designs which reflect the final device.

First, you design the elliptical heads, then the cylindrical horizontal/vertical shells.

You also design the inside chambers of the Air storage tank so it can contain both wet and dry air.

You choose the material that you want to use for the production of the Air storage tank.

In case you choose steel material, you must pick the right grade.

The raw materials and spare parts are then passed through a rigid quality control system to ensure that they are high quality before they are used in the construction of the tank.

· Fabrication

The next step is fabrication of the device.

It involves cutting the raw materials, steel, to sheets that can be used to construct the final tank.

Once you cut the steel sheets in the right sizes, you bend them to the suitable shapes that make them proper for the tanks.

You bend the steel sheets using this method.

· Welding

You then join the fabricated steel sheets together using a welding technique.

The steel sheets give the device the necessary shape and size.

The steel sheets are welded together on a welding key.

If welding is not an option, you can use riveting method.

Riveting involves joining the steel sheets together using a metal part known as rivet.

One uses a rivet to join the steel sheets via adjacent surfaces.

They join the various parts securely; they do not leak at all.

The inner and outer surfaces of the steel sheets are covered with composite substances that extend their service life.

These substances are sprayed then left to dry.

You then take the tanks through an X-ray check before painting.

· Assembly

After the device has cooled and dried, you can begin the assembly.

The parts are assembled at the plant so they are easy to operate once they reach the clients.

It involves assembling the gauges, valves, shell and pipes to form a fully operating Air storage tank.

A full assembly at the plant improves the Air storage tank’s easy operation by clients.

· Inspection

Quality inspectors conduct quality control of the air storage tanks.

You check the draw’s relationality in reference to the ASME.

Next, check the certificate of steel plate followed by a verification of the measure report data based on the draw.

Check the welding procedure specification in accordance with ASME VIII.

In addition, the inspector checks for any leakages or defaults in the Air storage tank.

The inspector also does a hydraulic test during this stage.

Inspectors also conduct hydro-test/tank pressure tests to ascertain their quality before use.

· Packing

You can pack the Air storage tanks in wooden boxes together with all the accessories.

They are first wrapped using a PP foam before they are packaged in a steel or wooden box.

They are then delivered to the client.

What are the Quality Standards for Air Storage Tank?

For Air storage tanks to be considered suitable for market place, they must meet certain quality standards as shown below:

Air storage tanks are manufactured in accordance with the ASME pressure vessel code.

API 650 Sections I – X regarding the design to the welding procedures and more.

ASME rules govern the fabrication, design, assembly, as well as inspection of the pressure vessel components during construction.

Also, the rules govern the thickness of the connections, tank body, joints and welds.

In addition, an Air storage tank must have a pressure relief valve to prevent possible over-pressurization

Air storage tanks have the following certification: SBS Certification and ISO Certification.

How do you Test the Quality of Air Storage Tanks?

To ascertain that an Air storage tank is high quality, you do several tests on different aspects such as the materials used, the tanks functionality and its longevity among others.

You can test the quality of Air storage tanks by conducting the following quality tests:

• Material quality test
• Tank pressure test
• Valve tests
• Leakage test
• Hydro-pressure test

Note: these tests are done at the plant during the manufacturing process of the Air storage tanks.

They are also done at different stages of the manufacturing process.

Every manufacturer has to conduct these tests otherwise they will not the approved for the public use.

Do Air Storage Tanks have Warranty?

Air storage tanks carry over 1-year warranty from the date of the manufacture on the initial tank.

The warranty covers defaults in the Air storage tanks and not physical damage caused by the client/user.

The warranty of Air storage tanks depends on the manufacturer/supplier terms.

Air storage tanks do not have a uniform warranty.

Which Accessories do you need Alongside Air Storage Tank?

Accessories are important tank operation and safety.

Every Air storage tank must have the following accessories:

A Safety Relief Valve

This device is required for Air storage tanks as per ASME and OSHA requirements.

It releases air when the pressures in the Air storage tanks are high.

A safety relief valve helps minimize the risks of break due to over-pressurization.

Vibration Pads

Although not mandatory, a vibration pad can be used to reduce pressure on the tank.

It is used if the air compressor is placed on top of the air storage tank.

A gauge to help Monitor Pressure

A pressure gauge gives a visual indicator tank’s interior air pressure.

One needs the gauge to monitor pressure and make sure that the tank is not under pressure from over-pressurization.

A Drain to give out Excess Liquid Building up inside the Air Storage Tank

There are zero air-loss condensate drains and automatic drain valves.

They both help in the automatic drainage of the air storage tanks.

Automatic drain valve set at intervals to allow accumulated liquid to drain out.

Zero air-loss condensate drain uses a float mechanism to control drainage.

What is the Pressure Rating for Air Storage Tank?

The pressure rating for a standard Air storage tank is 150 – 200. It can be 125, 150, 175 PSI and others.

You can however access an Air storage tank customized to have a pressure rating of 300 – 3,000PSI units.

This is a very high-pressure rating that could be suitable for use in large plants or similar applications.

What are the Safety Requirements for Air Storage Tank?

Here are some of the safety requirements for Air storage tanks:

• Your Air storage tank should meet safety requirements codes
• Air storage tank should be ASME-certified
• Air storage tank must have an ASME-certified safety relief valve, and the valve should be working
• All repairs and alterations have to be completed by ASME-certified professionals as this ensures that the repair meets quality standards
• To maintain the integrity of Air storage tanks you have to periodically inspect them for any defaults.
• Air storage tanks must have a pressure gauge which is functioning correctly
• Air storage tanks should not be over-pressurized; to achieve this you have to follow operating guidelines for maximum pressure
• There has to be safety training for Air storage tank operators
• ASME-approved drain valve

Are Air Storage Tank Suitable for Outdoor Use?

You can install Air Storage Tanks outdoors depending on space considerations and climate.

Since Air storage tanks are often bulky, it is most preferable to store them outside.

Outdoor usage saves on floor space within the facility.

It equally reduces strain on your HVAC system in warm weather.

Outdoor use also helps reduce heat buildup.

What are the Causes of Air Storage Tank Failure?

• Improper installation
• Over pressurization
• Faulty design
• Cracking
• Corrosion
• Improper repair of leaks/creaks
• Weld failure
• Safety valve failure
• Overheating/freezing

What are the Internal Lining Options for Air Storage Tank?

Below are the internal lining options for Air storage tanks:

· Stainless Steel

It is used mostly in specialty applications where high-purity air is needed.

They maintain exceptional purity, are corrosion resistant and highly durable.

However, Air storage tanks with stainless steel lining option are expensive.

It is mostly used in applications requiring high-purity tanks, labs, hospitals and electronic manufacturers.

· Galvanized Interiors/Epoxy Coated

Air storage tanks may have treated interior lining options to reduce corrosion as well as maintain air quality.

Galvanized tanks are often treated with a protective zinc coating that ends rust formation.

The base metal is protected by zinc which reacts chemically with corrosive agents.

Epoxy coatings are applied on the interior of the Air storage tanks as a liquid.

The resultant coating is an anticorrosive and tough coating.

Epoxy coating work in such a way that it creates a moisture proof barrier between the base of the tank and air.

· Bare Steel Interior and Primer Exterior

Air storage tank has bare steel on the inside with a primer coating on the external.

It helps reduce instances of corrosion.

Are there Diameter Limitations for Air Storage Tank?

Of course, not.

Air storage tanks come in different diameters depending on their applications.

If using an air storage tank for a wide application, you may need a larger tank certainly with a bigger diameter.

Such a diameter guarantees a large space/volume/capacity.

The piping of the air storage tanks comes in different diameters.

The larger the diameter of the pipes, the more the storage of the tanks.

Air storage tanks may have pipes with diameter of 2 or more depending on the application.

While Air storage tanks can be used outdoors, they can easily rupture in cold and freezing conditions.

This outcome is not only a dangerous but also a costly outcome.

What is the Operating Pressure and Temperature of Air Storage Tank?

The operating pressure of Air storage tank can range from 0.1 – 350 bar.

The pressure does not however have to be high such that it reduces the efficiency of the air storage tanks.

Typical air storage tanks often have an operating pressure of up to 25 bars.

The operating temperature of Air storage tank can be 150⁰C.

However, it will depend on the intended application of the air storage tank.

How do Air Storage Tank Manufacturers Support OEM Businesses?

There are Air storage manufactures who make the tanks within their plants in readiness for the market.

On the other hand, OEM Businesses source their tanks from the manufacturers and make changes which improve their value before selling to their clients.

You can buy a tank from a manufacturer or an OEM Business.

However, here is how Air storage tank manufacturers support OEM businesses:

 Different capacities of air storage tank

• They guarantee a constant supply of Air storage tanks to OEM Businesses
• Air storage tank manufacturers shield OEM Businesses from additional marketing costs as they handle it themselves.
• They offer customized pieces of Air storage tanks to OEM businesses for their clients who require unique pieces for different applications
• Air storage tank manufacturers do not limit the OEM business capabilities by allowing them to add more value to their products. Eventually, this helps improve the OEM business sales in the market.
• OEM businesses benefit off from the Air storage tank manufacturers brand which can enhance their sales
• Since Air storage tank manufacturers allow OEM businesses to license their tanks, they gain new clients who are seeking a warranty for products they buy from them.
• Air storage tank manufacturers provide high-quality products to OEM businesses seeing as their tanks undergo strict testing and quality control

I hope this guide did answer all your questions about air storage tanks.

In case you have any questions or inquiries about air storage tanks, feel free to contact FilSon Filters team.