Repair of a 50 Foot Diameter FRP Hydrochloric Acid Storage Tank

A 50 foot diameter by 36 foot straight shell field erected FRP tank containing 37% hydrochloric acid developed a leak at its third seam, approximately 18 feet off the ground.  The tank is made up of four filament wound horizontal sections or modules that are 50 feet in diameter by 8 feet high.  The leak occurred in a vertical crack at the second and third modules’ joint.  This paper discusses interesting findings, fabrication issues, and describes the repair techniques used to successfully return the vessel to service.

In light of the large field erected vessels being fabricated for the United States power industry today, this paper is particularly applicable to repairs these vessels may require in the future.