Lightning is the leading known cause of floating roof tank fires, accounting for approximately one-third of all incidents, and one study found it was responsible for 52 out of 55 rim seal fires.
Studies shows that lightning cause fires at floating roof tanks
Lightning strikes, whether terminating directly on a storage tank or nearby, induce massive electrical currents that flow across the tank and must cross the electrical discontinuity between the floating roof and the tank shell. Because this current typically passes through the metal rim seal shunts, it generates incendiary thermal and voltage sparks at the contact points. If these sparks occur in or fall into a region where highly concentrated flammable vapors and oxygen have accumulated, they will ignite a rim seal fire. According to extensive research and testing funded by the American Petroleum Institute (API), this dangerous sparking at the shunts is inevitable during lightning events, occurring regardless of whether the shunts and tank walls are clean, dirty, newly installed, or heavily rusted.
Traditional mechanical seals rely on metal shunts that API testing has proven will arc and spark during lightning strikes. Furthermore, pontoon sloshing and movement can cause mechanical seals to generate sparks through metal-to-metal contact with the tank wall.
How does Sakura foam seal system eliminated the possibility of fire incident
The Sakura foam seal system eliminates the risk of lightning-induced rim seal fires by simultaneously removing both the ignition source (the sparks) and the fuel source (the flammable vapors) from the equation. Here is how the system achieves this intrinsically safe operation:
It eliminates the spark generation (The Ignition Source):
Traditional mechanical seals rely on metallic shoes and shunts that inevitably create thermal and voltage sparks when lightning currents pass through them. The Sakura foam seal, however, is constructed entirely of insulating materials—specifically a highly flexible polyurethane foam core wrapped in a formulated rubber envelope. Because there are absolutely no metal parts on the sealing surface, there is no metal-to-metal contact to act as a conduit for the lightning's electrical current. Consequently, it is physically incapable of generating these incendiary sparks
It eliminates the vapor space (The Fuel Source):
For a fire to occur, a spark must meet a concentrated mixture of flammable gas and oxygen. Mechanical seals typically leave a rim space where these highly concentrated vapors can easily congregate. The Sakura foam seal prevents this by mounting directly on top of the liquid product, maintaining constant, soft contact with the stored oil. This direct contact completely fills the gap, preventing the liquid from vaporizing and achieving "almost ZERO emission".
By combining an insulating structure with a liquid-mounted design, the Sakura foam seal ensures that there are no vapor congestions around the seal and no metal components to generate a spark, effectively preventing lightning strikes from initiating a fire.
Therefore, Sakura Foam Seals protect floating roof tanks, protect user's massive capital investments, surrounding infrastructure, and personnel from catastrophic explosions.
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