Oil & Gas

Optimized Propeller Design for Petroleum Storage Tank

The Advanced Pitch Propeller is purpose designed for the demanding mixing applications in Petroleum Storage tanks. Philadelphia Mixing Solutions reshaped the forward rake of the propeller to create a patented circular rake that produces superior collimated flow in crude oil. The collimated flow is strong enough to reach across a storage tank with velocity to lift solids off the floor of the tank. The Advanced Pitch Propeller outperforms leading competitive designs that can lose velocity in transit across a tank diameter.
Our in-tank mixing solution for the industry tackles the typical application problems of BS&W, crude oil enhancement, blending and temperature control.

Sediment, water and wax can accumulate in storage tanks that are inadequately mixed. The Advanced Pitch Propeller solves this problem with a collimated flow that can sweep the floor of the tank, re-suspend sludge and clean the floor and wall edges of the tank. This reduces the risk of catastrophic failure in the tank and saves API 2016 tank cleaning expense during API 653 and EEMUA 159 inspections.

Whether blending different crude oils or mixing additives to intermediate or finished fuels, the better solution for oil or petroleum storage tanks is the Advanced Pitch Propeller. The high velocity flow of the mixers on a tank creates cross tank and bottom-to-top-to-bottom mixing action in the product. This three-dimensional mixing action blends more efficiently and more rapidly than traditional technology. The operators can blend and discharge their product more quickly, on specification and generate more tank turns during a year than with other options.

Higher velocity collimated flow generated by the propeller can penetrate highly viscous asphalt (bitumen) or fuel oil. The propeller thrust moves through temperature zones in the tank to create uniformity bottom-to-top-to-bottom and ready the product for distribution. The Advanced Pitch Propeller creates fluid velocity that effectively eliminates coking on heating elements and tank floor.

The performance of the Advanced Pitch Propeller allows tank operations to be conducted with fewer mixers. For example, a 750,000 bbls tank in heavy crude oil service could be mixed with four rather than five side entry mixers. Mixers are positioned so that the primary collimated flow combines into an entrained flow for more directional energy mix in the tank. Swivel mixers can be choreographed to create a movable collimated flow pattern for better tank sedimentation control. In this example, the overall reduced equipment requirement saves the capital, installation (motor starters, cabling, structural support, ancillary equipment), operating, energy and maintenance costs equivalent to one mixer per tank.

Is your storage facility ready for more profit with more throughput, cleaner tanks, and less energy? Contact us today!

The Kestrel Static Mixer, also known as a motionless mixer, utilizes a series of repeating simple metal components configured in a standard pipe or tube for the continual mixing of fluids. Process line flow produces energy requiring no motors, gears, belt drive, or energy costs.

Static mixers and stirred tanks contrast in that a static mixer achieves an order of magnitude higher energy dissipation rate in a uniform volume. Competitive fast reactions where limited mixing rates and product purity are critical find this extremely important. The high energy dissipation rates achievable will improve multiphase mass transfer or produce fine emulsions dependent on the application.

The static mixer divides the process stream and then re-divides it with a series of elements set at right angles to each other. Special cavities in the mixer randomize the distribution of fluids by direct stream impingement.  This enhances and optimizes the two-by-two division process making it truly effective.

When static mixing occurs under turbulent flow, both sides of each element produce elliptical vortices rotating in opposite directions – eliminating streaming or tunneling effects. Back-mixing occurs as fluids are orbited in the vortex from the front to the back of the previous element.

Static mixers produce substantial improvement in mixing efficiency – requiring fewer elements and resulting in a lower pressure drop for given mixing processes.

The application determines the material used and number of elements used to build the static mixer.

Additional Information:

• Easy installation
• High quality, cost effective mixing
• Long, maintenance-free life – no moving parts to wear out
• Self-cleaning design – saves time and money
• Low operating costs – no energy expense
• Can be used in hazardous areas