TankPAC®

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TankPAC® Tank bottom in-service condition assessment

MISTRAS TankPAC® is a surveying tool for assessing the tank bottom condition in aboveground storage tanks (AST) through in-service corrosion monitoring and defect identification.

Effective tank testing is essential in ensuring that storage tanks maintain their structural and operational integrity. Traditional inspections require complete asset shutdown before inspections can occur, which slows down production for the facility and creates a safety risk for inspection personnel. However, many tanks are opened and emptied for floor inspection based on time-based schedules, without knowledge of the tank floor's actual condition.

MISTRAS' TankPAC solution is an in-service acoustic emission (AE) monitoring technique used to assess the overall condition of atmospheric storage tank floors without emptying or cleaning the tanks. It's best used as a tool to assess multiple tanks, helping operators determine:

  • Which tanks can safely stay in service
  • Which tanks have active corrosion
  • Which tanks should be scheduled for inspection first
  • How to allocate maintenance resources

TankPAC® Tank Bottom Testing Services

Sludge and debris within storage tanks can prevent actual leakage from occurring, so serious damage can build up within the asset before any physical signs are present. AE testing helps owners identify the early warning signs of tank flaws, allowing for better planning of future repair, inspection, and maintenance.

TankPAC® works by listening for active corrosion and leak-related acoustic signals while the tank remains in normal service and at rest. It is not an inspection method, but a “sorting” system that separates “good” tanks from “bad” and directs maintenance to where it’s most needed. Following a period of conditioning during which valves are closed and heaters/agitators turned off, highly-sensitive acoustic emission (AE) sensors are attached to the tank wall and the tank is monitored for the emissions that result from active corrosion on the tank floor.

The fracture of corrosion products is detected along with leaks that are active during the actual monitoring period. A percentage of this data is located by triangulation, but the most important information gained from a maintenance management point of view is the overall condition of the floor, which is given a grading on an scale of “A” to “E.”

Grades are based on empirical data, comparing TankPAC to out-of-service inspections gathered from thousands of tank inspections and validated through user groups along with many multinational Oil & Gas companies.

Using these results, tank owners and operators can determine when to open tanks for decontamination and internal inspections. In previous tests conducted by MISTRAS Group, more than 50% of tanks that were shut down and opened for inspection were proven not to require offline inspection at all. TankPAC provides essential guidance to help tank operators keep their assets in service and reduce maintenance costs.

Some advantages of TankPAC include:
  • No need to empty or clean the tank before testing
  • 100% tank floor testing capability
  • Verified reliability
  • Evaluation of annular ring
  • Immediate results
  • Rapid testing: 50-meter tank in one day
  • More informed inspection and repair targeting
  • Avoidance of shutdown and cleaning costs for suitable tanks

MISTRAS' TankPAC with RBI

A strategic combination of MISTRAS’ advanced NDT solutions and our risk-based inspection (RBI) expertise can turn your static, passive aboveground storage tank (AST) into a dynamic, active Think-Tank.

TankPAC® for Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) Validation

Many outdated RBI programs are use historical data, original fabrication and inspection documents, and modification reports to build risk assessment and inspection protocols. These old-fashioned inspection models exclude current tank conditions and use inefficient calendar-based inspection intervals.

MISTRAS’ TankPAC® in-service testing capabilities source data from the tank's current condition, helping to validate the assumptions made in RBI assessments.

A focused RBI program manages the risk associated with operating assets like aboveground storage tanks. Supplemental RBI programs can help extend inspection intervals of tanks in good condition between one and five years, as well as reduce intervals for tanks operating in poor condition. Through TankPAC® real-time condition reports and MISTRAS’ additional non-intrusive inspection methods (including proprietary automated ultrasonic inspection techniques), tank owners and operators can effectively address compromised sections of a tank’s MI program.

Related resources

Brochure
MISTRAS Tanks & Terminals Brochure
MISTRAS Tanks & Terminals Brochure
Article
Tank Inspection with RBI Program
Tank Inspection with RBI Program
View more resources

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