Safe storage of water-polluting liquids
In plant and process engineering, the storage of water-polluting liquids places high demands on the planning, design, and operation of plants. In the event of leaks, chemicals, oils, emulsions, or process liquids can cause significant damage to the environment, health, and infrastructure. Legal requirements for handling water-polluting liquids are correspondingly strict, such as the WHG (German Federal Water Act) or the AwSV (Ordinance on facilities for handling water-polluting liquids). In addition to these legal requirements, a technically well-thought-out planning and design of plants is particularly important when storing water-polluting liquids.
Requirements for safe storage
In plants for storing water-polluting liquids, leakage must be permanently prevented or detected early. Therefore, in particular, tight container systems, collecting rooms, leakage monitoring, and resistant materials are necessary. However, risks often arise not only in the storage tank itself, but also at interfaces such as pumps, fittings, or pipelines.
Pumps: more than just conveying
Pumps have a key function in conveying water-polluting liquids. Incorrect design can lead to inefficient operation and increase the risk of leaks, seal failure, or material fatigue. Several factors play a central role here.
Among other things, the chemical resistance of the materials used for the pumps is important. Depending on the medium, different plastics, stainless steels, or special alloys are used. Temperature, viscosity, and solids content also influence the selection of the pump type, such as centrifugal pumps, positive displacement pumps, or diaphragm pumps.
The sealing of the pumps is also relevant. For non-critical media, simple mechanical seals are often sufficient. However, for water-polluting liquids, double mechanical seals or magnetically coupled pumps are often useful. They significantly reduce the risk of the medium escaping, especially in continuous operation.
In addition, the operating status of the pumps should not be neglected. Frequent load changes, dry running, or cavitation have a negative impact on the service life of pumps and increase the risk of failure. Careful design, taking into account real operating parameters, is therefore essential.
Pipeline construction as a safety-relevant factor
Pipelines connect individual concepts to an overall system. At the same time, they are potential weak points: errors in planning or execution can lead to stresses, leaks, or pipe breaks. For this reason, it is important that the material of the pipelines is matched to the medium. Corrosion resistance and mechanical properties such as pressure and temperature resistance are particularly relevant here. Pipelines should also be laid in such a way that they are installed with low stress and have sufficient freedom of movement. This allows them to compensate for thermal expansion.
Often neglected is that pipelines are properly fastened and supported. For example, unfavorably placed pipe clamps or missing fixed and sliding bearings can lead to material fatigue in the long term. This also entails corresponding risks for operational safety.
Earthquake zones: impact on planning and execution
In earthquake-prone regions, additional requirements apply to plants and pipeline systems. Although the German-speaking area is generally considered to be moderately seismically active, there are also defined earthquake zones here. These include the Upper Rhine Graben, the Lower Rhine, or the edge of the Alps. This can also be relevant for industrial plants and the handling of water-polluting liquids.
In earthquake zones, pipelines and their fastenings must be designed to withstand dynamic loads. These include flexible pipe connections, compensators, or special support concepts that can absorb movements without endangering the tightness. Rigid constructions increase the risk of cracks or failure of flanges and welds.
Pumps and tanks are also affected here. They require suitable foundations and, if necessary, additional safeguards to prevent slipping or tipping. Seismic locations must be taken into account as early as the planning phase and incorporated into static calculations and the selection of components.
Storage of water-polluting liquids: holistic planning pays off
The safe storage of water-polluting media cannot be reduced to individual components. Only the interaction of suitable materials, correctly designed pumps, well-thought-out pipeline construction, and the consideration of external influences such as earthquakes ensures a resilient overall system. For operators, this means: Early planning, realistic assumptions about operating conditions, and the involvement of expertise from plant and process engineering are crucial. In this way, not only can legal requirements be met, but also downtimes, maintenance costs, and environmental risks can be sustainably reduced.