Thermal in‐breathing of atmospheric storage tanks for Power‐to‐X applications

Abstract Storage tanks are generally exposed to overpressure or vacuum, caused by prolonged exposure to solar radiation or a sudden ambient temperature drop in combination with intense rainfalls. Maintaining control over overpressure and vacuum in the headspace is essential for tanks containing volatile media to prevent tank rupture and tank collapse, respectively. Several products of Power‐to‐X applications like methanol or ethanol are very volatile, and storage tank headspaces may experience not just vapor contraction but also sustained condensation when subjected to extreme rainfalls. Methanol and ethanol are not specific to Power‐to‐X, but these technologies have gained traction in Europe and elsewhere to minimize fossil fuel consumption and reduce carbon footprint. Power‐to‐X converts excess electricity, typically from renewable sources, into energy carriers, chemical products, or e‐fuels. In recent years, Europe has experienced extremely hot summers with prolonged droughts, eventually followed by intense storms and floods. In this article, the authors examine the effects of extreme weather with focus on in‐breathing of storage tanks for Power‐to‐X applications. For this purpose, field measurements on storage tanks simulating extreme weather events are presented. Finally, a numerical model calculating the required thermal in‐breathing for atmospheric storage tanks is described and validated with those measurements.