To avoid excessive electrostatic effect in the crude oil washing process, due to the presence of water in the crude oil washing fluid, the contents of any tank to be used as a source of crude oil for washing must first reduce a portion of the tank contents by a vertical height equal to __________.
• Crude oil washing (COW) safety procedures for electrostatic hazards • Effect of water at the bottom of cargo tanks on static electricity during washing • Industry/IMO guidance on minimum stripping height before using a tank as a COW supply
• Think about why static electricity is a concern when crude oil containing water is used as the washing medium. How does the water layer at the bottom of a tank affect this? • Recall the typical safety margin (in meters) that must be stripped from the bottom of the tank before drawing suction for COW. Is it a very small, moderate, or fairly substantial vertical height? • Consider standard COW operating manuals and IMO/flag-state guidance: what minimum vertical clearance above any water layer is usually required to reduce electrostatic risk?
• Verify what minimum vertical height (in meters) must be removed/stripped from the bottom of the tank before it can be used as the crude oil washing supply tank. • Confirm that the value you choose is consistent with typical COW safety margins found in tanker operation guidelines (not just a "token" amount). • Make sure the height is enough to keep the pump suction well above the water layer, reducing electrostatic charging at the oil–water interface.
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