Floating suction lines

One of the ways to address th requirement for delivering a better quality product from storage tanks is including a floating suction line in the tank. A floating suction line will always collect product from the higher end of the liquid column present in the tank and will therefore result in less contaminants such as water and corrosion debris being pumped out from the tank.

Floating suction line for Total Different FSL designs

Floating suction lines are available in different designs. These include designs based on floats for fixed roof tanks, and suspended lines for external floating roof tanks. In the latter version the suction line is connected on a guiding rail installed on the bottom of the floating roof. Apart from these basic types, floating suction lines are available in multiple arm designs, accommodating small diameter tanks with a high tank shell. Typically floating suction lines are manufactured in either carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminium materials.

The swivels used for floating suction lines can either be style 40F elbow swivels, or central balanced swivels. The advantage of central balanced swivels is the fact that these swivels prevent bending moments on both the tank shell nozzle as well as on the floating suction line. Disadvantage is their bigger size and weight compared to elbow swivels.