Underground Air Storage

[kb44]

I am looking at designing an underground air storage tank. Is this governed by ASME VIII? There is plenty of information out there on UL58 and underground vessels for combustible materials. However, this is for 400# air.

 

[JStephen]

It could be built per ASME rules, and local regulations may require it, although ASME rules don't include specific provisions for buried tanks. You should be able to find external coating and cathodic protection information pertinent to buried steel pipelines, however.

NFPA-22 has some provisions for buried hydropneumatic tanks, although I don't think it would really be too useful.

Consider if you have need to provide access to the interiors and also if you need to resist flotation.

 

[MJCronin]

kb44..

You may want to google "bunkered tanks" and review some of the older guidelines that discuss burried propane tanks.

In my opinion, putting compressed gasses in an underground vessel is generally a very bad idea. There is no good way to externally inspect the vessel ...

Exactly, why are you doing this ?

Is the tank to be hidden from plain view for some reason ?

-MJC