Storage Spheres

TIW designs, engineers, fabricates and constructs high quality pressurized ambient and low-temperature spheres for liquid and gas storage in the Petrochemical/Refining, Chemical, and Wastewater & Biological Treatment industries.

With more than 100 years of experience in the industry, we’ve served clients all across Canada and South America, constructing vessels in locations such as Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Spain and India, often working under tight time constraints in harsh and challenging conditions.

Well-known for our steadfast work ethic and high standards for safety and quality control, we deliver projects and strive to exceed our clients’ highest expectations, on time and on budget.Eighteen, 63' 6

Related Industries

Other Industries Served

Storage Application

  • Gases
  • Ambient Liquids
  • Low Temp Liquids
  • Cryogenic Liquids
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Design Specifics

  • Spherical Structure Benefits
  • ASME Sec VIII, DIV 1
  • Size Considerations
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Appurtenances

  • Relief Valves, Nozzles
  • Stairways & Platforms
  • Insulation Rings
  • Fire Water Spray Systems
  • Water Deluge Systems
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Managed Services

  • Shop Pre-Coating
  • Galvanizing
  • Exterior Coatings
  • Interior Linings
  • Insulation
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Storage Application

TIW designs, engineers, fabricates and constructs spheres to store a diverse number of liquefied gas products at low and cryogenic temperatures. Typical TIW storage sphere vessel applications include:

Gas Storage

  • Used to hold digester gas at sewage treatment plants or biogas at landfills.

Ambient Liquid Storage

  • Designed to store liquid such as gasoline, butadiene, anhydrous ammonia, LPG, NGL, and waste water.  Most commonly our capacities for these vessels range from 5,000 to 50,000 barrels.

Low Temp Liquid Storage

  • Featuring single walls and external insulation, these spheres are best for products that require partial refrigeration, such as LPG. Storage temperatures range between -150F (-100C) and above to +40F (+4C)

Cryogenic Liquid Storage

  • Designed to store products at storage temperatures of -150F (-100C) and below such as ethylene, hydrogen, helium, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. Cryogenic spheres are typically double-walled, and insulated with an evacuated, perlite-filled annular space.

Our team of highly skilled quality control and safety personnel, field supervisors, and certified tradespeople ensure your project is a success from day one, while our technical expertise in project management, engineering, fabrication, and field erection allows us to provide first-class service.

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Design Specifics

TIW has a breadth of experience in building storage spheres designed for various applications. Using high quality materials and all-welded metal plate construction, we pay close attention to every inch of our product with precise attention to detail from foundation and support legs to lining and insulation. Our certified welders and highly skilled field erection crews complete each project diligently and safely. Some spherical storage benefits include:

  • Highly efficient pressurized storage
  • Lowest land space use for pressurized storage
  • Lower costs for foundations, piping, coating, insulation and optional accessories
  • Once erected, spheres essentially run oxygen-free, reducing corrosion and risk of ignition

We construct sphere vessels in accordance with our ASME Certificate of Authorization for Section VIII Division 1 & 2. In addition, we conduct repairs in accordance with our National Board R certificate of Authorization.

Sizes Consideration

With years of experience in spherical design and engineering to ASME standards, we’ve fabricated and constructed spheres with various sized diameters. The table below shows some typical sizes based on diameter, number & size of columns and capacity in barrels:

 

Typical Sizes

Diameter Number of Columns Size of Columns Capacity / Barrels
38′ 6 12″ 5,000
48′ 8 16″ 10,000
55′ 9 20″ 15,000
60′ 10 24″ 20,000
65′ 10 26″ 25,000
69′ 11 26″ 30,000
73′ 12 28″ 35,000
76′ 12 30″ 40,000
79′ 13 32″ 45,000
82′ 13 34″ 50,000

 

Appurtenances

Our design engineers can customize a wide range of appurtenances on the interior and exterior of your spheres. At our in-house, 200,000 sq ft material processing plant, we fabricate everything from nozzles, vents and piping to custom stairways and platforms.

Here are some typical components we design, fabricate and install on our ASME Spheres…

Internal Components

  • Integrated Liquid Level Gauges and
  • Piping Systems

Fire Protection

  • Water Deluge Systems
  • Fixed Monitors
  • Fire Water Spray Systems

External Attachments

  • Nozzles (with flanges, elbows, couplings and more)
  • Valves for Pressure and Vacuum Relief
  • Stairways: Radial and Double Stringer Spiral Designs with Handrail Variations
  • Roof Platforms and ladders
  • Insulation Rings
  • Lightning Arrestors
  • Rescue Davits
  • Piping Supports, Cable Support Trays and Grounding Lugs
ASME Spheres Shop Production

Production

Prefabrication

Planning is as important as the cutting, forming and welding operations.  We minimize costly field hours and crane time by pre-fabricating all applicable sections and components in our shop facilities. With our decades of experience in the erection business, we’ve seen firsthand how maintaining in-house services keeps costs in the field down.

Supply & Delivery

We’ve continuously invested in state-of-the-art equipment for our 200,000 square foot covered material processing plant.  Located on a 10-acre property that is adjacent to the Welland Canal, and accessible by rail and roadway, we have the capability to fabricate and supply large orders in a short period of time.

 

Managed Services

Protective Coatings & Insulation

There are a wide variety of protective coating options that we can provide for corrosion prevention.  TIW can offer a variety of external coatings and interior lining.  We also offer alternate corrosion options such as hot dip galvanizing, coating over galvanized components and fireproof coating.

ASME Vessel Pre-CoatingShop Pre-Coating

TIW can shop coat plates and appurtenances prior to shipping to site.  This can help offset the high prices of field coating and help minimize open-air blasting which can be environmentally prohibited in some project locations.

ASME Vessel Galvanized NozzlesGalvanizing

We provide galvanizing of various sphere components – from nozzles, piping and support clips to stairways and platforms. In some cases, both galvanizing and coating are applied providing a superior protection.

Sphere Liquid Methane Gas Storage, ASME Design

Exterior Coatings

These coatings are applied to the exterior of the sphere for corrosion protection and cosmetic appearance. Some typical coatings we use include:

  • High-performance epoxy primers and finish coatings
  • Inorganic zinc coatings
  • Holding primers
  • Acrylic polyurethane coatings
  • High-temperature coatings
48' Butane ASME Sphere by TIW (Internal View)

Interior Linings

The interior surface of the sphere can be partially and fully coated with a submersion grade epoxy lining. TIW removes all sharp edges before sandblasting any area, and can perform complete Holiday testing (to test for voids in the liner), prior to signing off on the lining. Typical linings used include:

  • Epoxy primers
  • Epoxy finish coatings
  • Holding primers
  • High temperature coatings
Sphere Insulation

Insulation

When temperature control is required per design, TIW can supply and install a variety of mechanical insulation to meet the customer’s requirements. Insulation options can vary from the more common insulation batts with external cladding to prefabricated insulated panels. There are also different insulation and cladding material options.

Depending on design and temperature requirements, TIW can offer several insulation materials such as:

  • “Super” Insulating Perlite for evacuated cryogenic service
  • Perlite for Non-Evacuated Cryogenic and Low Temperature Service
  • Calcium silicate
  • Mineral wool
  • Cellular glass
  • Fiberglass
  • Polyisocyanurate
  • Thin blanket
  • Aerogel