"The most effective tank maintenance planning tool available."

The benefits of using TANKPAC^TM as a primary maintenance planning tool are:

• No need to remove product
  
• Rapid testing: 50 meter tank in one day
  
• Identify tanks that need inspection and repair
  
• Leave good tanks on-line and save the shut-down and cleaning costs

TANKPAC^TM was developed in cooperation with the oil and process industry over more than a 10-year period.  It is the only procedure available today for in-service testing of tank floors that has independent published verification of the results and reliability (see the papers presented at the European Conference for Nondestructive Testing by TANKPAC users, available here and the Petroleum Institute of France recommended practice). These results are summarized from experience of tests on more than 1200 tanks.

More than 3000 tank floor tests have been carried out worldwide by Physical Acoustics companies and licensees. The test consists of attaching sensors to the outside of the tank and monitoring for emission resulting from active corrosion of the floor. Noise sources are eliminated by sophisticated pattern recognition methods, and experienced operators.

Physical Acoustics engineers go through a rigorous training and certification program and have to pass written and practical exams as well as meeting minimum experience requirements. All work is conducted under an ISO-9002 documented procedure, a site report is given following the test, and results and records are reviewed by a PAC Level III prior to final report issue.

Recommendation for next interval inspection or re-test period.

There are many refineries where TANKPAC^TM has been used on virtually all the tanks, and the results are the key factor in determining when they need to be removed from service for maintenance. The procedure is a corporate recommended practice for many companies. Although refineries and chemical plants are the major users, the sensitivity of the method for locating active corrosion can be seen by its ability to locate corroding zinc anodes in an oilfield production tank.

Correlation of the TANKPAC overall grade with actual follow-up internal inspection shows the reliability of the method. In this case, the inspection/repair result is rated as follows:

A - No damage, no repair
B - Minor damage, no repair
C - Damage, some repairs
D - Major damage, many repairs
E - Severe damage, many repairs, new floor