Leak Detection

Systems.
Tank Storage
Conference -
I t b l
Istanbul
Mohit Agarwal
Regional Manager( India & ME)

Private and Confidential

 Slow Leaks Lead to Big Spills Over Time

Most underground leaks are detected only

after they are large enough to reach the
surface
Unfortunately
Unfort natel O
Outt of site Out
O t of mind
can lead to very expensive clean-up costs:
1 hour of undetected leak is 315 liters
1 day is 7560 liters
1 week is 53,000
, liters
(Spill estimates based on a 0.2% leak from an 8 transfer line)

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The need for a new leak detection
gy
technology

The need is to detect a fuel leak when the leak size is

very small.

Real liquid hydrocarbon sensors based detection and

no interpretation.

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Fractured tank

fractured bottom plate,

plate =>
> large spill
=> Ground subsidence => bund explosion / fire => tank fire

Prevention measure:
liquid detection systems under the bottom plate or in the
service void : sensing cables buried within slotted pipes

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Leak detection for tanks:
Visual detection or g
gauging
g g systems?
y

Detection after 1 month for small tanks (+/- 8 m of diameter)

Detection after 1.5 year for larger tanks (> 38 m of diameter)

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Detection of fuel leaks before the tank collapses

Pictures from the VRT internet website.

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 Applications for Direct Contact Sensors

Overfill Detection in UK

Buncefield October, 2008

New tanks have ring moats to catch and temporarily hold any over-fill
A Fast Fuel sensor p
probe has been fitted inside of moat
Sensor ignores rain water if there is no floating fuel

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Leak detection for tanks:
Visual detection or tank g
gauging
g g systems?
y

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Quickly detect a fuel spill in time to
activate the emergency response plan

Pictures from the Buncefield Investigation

g Information Desk internet website. Courtesy
y of Royal
y Chiltern Air Support
pp Unit

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The Solution

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Cables for buried applications

- Real liquid
q hydrocarbon
y sensor

- No false alarms with rain water

even dissolved hydrocarbons

- Suitable for all buried applications

- C ti
Continuous sensing
i

- Can be installed in Ex zone 0

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External Direct Measurement

Installed into PVC

screen pipe

Positioned
High Sensitivity sensor cable under tank
bottom, beneath
valves or along
side a pipeline

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Tank monitoring

Typical plan view

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 Working g
Principle

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TraceTek 5000 Series

Filler Wire
Outer braid diameter
0.28 in. (7 mm)

Sensor Wires Continuity Wires

((black)) ((red and yyellow))

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Thick Wall / Cable technology

Cable Wall Material: Liquid

q Hydrocarbons
y
PE, EPDM, Carbon Jet, Diesel, Gasoline,
+ radiation cross linking Crude Oil, etc

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Thick Wall / Cable Technology

Cable Wall Material

Still conductive, but now
Volume is 200% original

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TT5000 before fuel contact

H2O

Jet A

Note air gap between

inner wall of jacket and
Gasoline black electrode wires

Diesel

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TT5000 after fuel contact

J tA
Jet

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TT5000 after fuel contact

J tA
Jet

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TT5000 after fuel contact

J tA
Jet

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TT5000 after fuel contact

Jet A

Air gap between inner

wall of jacket and black
electrode wires has
collapsed.
ll d D
Detection
t ti
occurs !!!

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TT5000 after fuel contact

Detection current flows

through jacket.
Leak is detected and
located
Elapsed time since
J tA
Jet initial contact <60 min
(Jet-A @ 20 C)
Fuel needed for
detection < 1 ml

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TT5000 Detection and Location

I (current)
( t) is
i monitored
it d tto d
detect
t t a leak
l k eventt
V (voltage drop along the cable) is measured to locate the leak
point of contact
p

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Cables Operating Principle

Leak 120 m

18:57 16-Feb-05

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TraceTek TT5000 monitoring

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Underground leak scenario

30

20

10

0
Time
Detection after 30 days
(days)
Animation based on 3.8 liter/hour leak rate

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TTDM-128 Alarm Panel

28
Private and Confidential
Private & Confidential
TTDM-128 Features
Stand Alone Alarm Panel and User Interface
Local Display of all Leak Detection Parameters: Leak
Location, Time of Detection etc.
Capacity to manage up to 128 TTSIM channels
Event History: leaks, trouble alarms, set-up changes, etc.
Summary Relay outputs:
Leak Detected
Service Needed
Trouble
Complete Modbus interface via RS232/RS485 to Host
Computer for remote monitoring.

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TT-SIM 1A control unit

- Can be included in a ATEX d

Flameproof enclosure to
reduce the Intrinsic safe
network length
- Compatible with MTL7767+
Zener barrier
- Can be installed in zone 1 with
a ATEX d enclosure
- ATEX Intrinsic Safe system
certificate
- Compatible with a redundant
secure network: RS485, fiber
optic

Private and Confidential

TTDM-128 with TTSIM-1A or TTSIM-2

TTSIM-1A (additional TTDM,

TTDM-PLUS Sensor Interface TTSIM, or TT-NRM)
TraceTek

Network Master CH01 SIM

SIM Normal

13-May-2002 15:30
TTDM

13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24

RS+
RS+
RS
RSAC
AC
SHLDAC
SHLD
TTSIM-1A

AC
Leak Location Module
RATING:
50/60 Hz

Network
Address
24Vac
10%
3VA

RED
GRN
YEL
BLK
GND
8 9 10 11 12

RS-232 or
RS-485 modbus
link to host S i Cable
Sensing C bl
Sensing Cable
RS-485 2 wire network

Condensate Drain Valve

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November 2010
Local Dedicated PC Monitoring

32
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Private & Confidential
TT-Supervisor
p Features
Windows application directly connected to TraceTek
system
Monitors up to 31 TTDM-128 panels with or without
attached SIM networks
Di
Direct monitoring
i i up to 124 TTSIM units
i
All events logged on local disk
Screens for:
Real Time Status Display by Channel
Active Alarms
Event History
Links to graphic files (system maps) and text files

33
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AST Tank Floor monitoring

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Hidden leaks under control

The major risk is to have

an undetected leak under
one of the four crude oil
tanks in a French refinery
The solution has been to
bury one kilometer ( 4
times 250 meters) of
TT5000 cablebl aroundd the
h
perimeter of the tanks.
Benefits: the tanks will be
monitored 24h a day
day, 7
days a week.

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Less Expensive Perimeter Monitoring

Used when the cost of

horizontal boring beneath
existing tanks is too
expensive or too risky.
Solution: Sensor cable is
placed
l d iin a ttrench
h around
d
the perimeter of each tank.
Benefits: the tanks will be
monitored 24h a day
day, 7
days a week but only
leaks reaching perimeter
are detected

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Hidden leaks under control

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Hidden leaks under
control

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Buried Valves Large or Small

Sensor cable is installed in slotted PVC J

J tube under
valve body to detect leaks from flanges and valve stem
and drain tubes
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Buried Valves and Manifolds

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Thick Wall / Cable Type Sensors

Longg circuit,, continuous sensor

Excellent under tanks, along pipelines, in-soil applications
Location of spill reported along with detection
Ignores ground water

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Fast Fuel Sensor

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Fast Fuel Sensors ( FFS)
Sensor/Circuit Board Fits Inside Leader Cable to Control
PVC Housing Unit

Component Area
Encapsulated in
Epoxy

Top Electrode

Sensor Area

Slots for liquid

Bottom Electrode

PVC Housing Protection Screen Front Side Back Side Side View

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Fast Fuel Sensors ( FFS)
Normal (Dry) Condition >> Wet Condition >> Output to
Output to TraceTek system is TraceTek system is high
high resistance = NO LEAK resistance = NO LEAK

Water

Resistance path through sensor Resistance path through sensor

material is low material is low

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Fast Fuel Sensors ( FFS)

Fuel Spill >> Output to Fuel on Water Condition >>

TraceTek system is low Output to TraceTek system is
resistance = LEAK low resistance = LEAK

Fuel

W t
Water

Resistance path through sensor

Resistance path through
material is high
sensor material is high

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Floating hydrocarbons detection

Real liquid hydrocarbon sensor

- No false alarms with water
even withith h
heavy rain
i

- No anti wave system needed

- 10 or 20 cm height sensors

- Fast reaction time

- Can be reset, reusable

- Industrial floats available

- Can be installed in Ex zone 0

- Can be used in a SIL2 loop

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Tank critical scenarios

1 O
1. Overfill
fill 2.Floating Roofs

3 Leaks (mixer,
3. (mixer flange,
flange valve or pipework) 4. Roof drain and tank drain failure

Large spill => explosion => fire

Protection measures: collecting system and liquid detection on
collectingg system:
y TT-FFS

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Quickly detect a fuel spill in time to
g
activate the emergency y response
p plan
p

Pictures from the Buncefield Investigation

g Information Desk internet website. Courtesy
y of Royal
y Chiltern Air Support
pp Unit

Private and Confidential 48

Floating Roof Leaks

The need:
Detect fuel on roof
surface after
failure of ring seal
Detect fuel
backing up
through rain drain
and accumulating
on roof

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Plot Plan PARADIP REFINERY Core Processing Units

Private and Confidential W:D151/a/prop nos/32870/G/Spectrum 03_05 (Rev01)

Thin Film / Point Sensors

Fast
Reusable, easy to test

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TT- FFS Fast Fuel Sensor Drip Pan Installation in UK

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Supervising network

Digital network between sensing

cables interfaces and central
processing units

Compatible
C tibl with
ith F
Fastt ffuell
sensors

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Battery Powered Flasher

Uses 3 high efficiency LEDs

Good visibility in the dark and day light

When the sensor cable is contacted by the

appropriate
pp p liquid,
q , the LEDs will begin
g to flash

Flashing will continue for at least 30 days

Each unit comes equipped

q pp with a TEST key
y
that can be turned on to verify
batteries and
Undamaged sensor cable is connected
The batteries need to be replaced once a year

Low batteries indication show a double flash

pattern for at least 1 month,

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TT-Flashers with TT5000 in Canada and US

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 Approvals & Listings

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TraceTek Approvals and
Certifications
ISO 9001
Products have American,
Canadian and European agency
approvals

Florida State EPA Approval

pp

NWGLDE Listing

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American Petroleum institute: API 1160

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WILCOX & Associates

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WILCOX & Associates

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Carnegie Mellon Research Institute

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Hogg paper

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References

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References
Kinder Morgan USA

Above Ground Storage Tanks Approximately 125 large

above ground storage tanks are fitted with TT5000 in slotted
conduit. These above ground storage tanks and buried
cutout valves are part of the California pipeline network
supplying jet fuel to major airports in San Francisco and Los
Angeles
g as well as gasoline
g and diesel fuel for other
transportation needs.

Detailed Document

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References
Other References

USA
U.S.A

TRANSMONTAIGNE TAMPA 3 tanks

TRANSMONTAIGNE Port Everglades 4 tanks
TRANSMONTAIGNE Pensacola 4 tanks
MOTIVA -- Tampa 1 tank
MOTIVA -- Port Everglades 1 tank
HESS -- Port Everglades 1 tank
City of Tallahassee -- Tallahassee 1 tank
Cityy of Tallahassee -- St. Marks 2 tanks
NU-STAR -- Jacksonville 4 tanks

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References
Other References

France and Belgium:

TOTAL and TOTAL Chemical several refinery and tank farm sites throughout France and
Belgium

UK:

BP Oil UK Limited Buncefield, Hamble, Dalston and Northhampton,

CONOCO-PHILLIPS Humberside refinery
y and Tank Farm
ROYAL PORTBURY DOCKS Bristol

China:

Guangzhou Expressway Fuel Operations - 6 gas station tank vaults along new expressway

Shaklin Island, Russia

Exxon Mobile

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TraceTek benefits
System protects the environment against any hazard

High sensitivity

Listed in API standard 1160

Real Physical detection (no interpretation)

Pinpoint the leaks

24/7 monitoring system

Tested by many third party companies (Wilcox, CMRI, API,

TUV)
Intrinsic safe

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Q
Questions
ti ????

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Thank You

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