Patent ID: 11933712
Assignee: VISTA PRECISION SOLUTIONS, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method for determining if a time until a next scheduled out-of-service internal inspection of a storage tank can be extended while insuring structural integrity of a tank floor, comprising the steps of:
(a) performing a leak-detection test;
(b) determining that the tank is not leaking based on a result of the leak detection test;
(c) estimating a thickness of the tank floor in at least one location of the tank floor, wherein the thickness of the tank floor over at least one location of the tank is measured and used to estimate a corrosion rate and the thickness of the tank floor as a function of a selected time period to determine if a minimum floor thickness can be maintained during said selected time period, and wherein in-tank floor thickness estimates are made using an ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurement sensor;
(d) conducting a risk assessment using the result of the leak detection test in (b), the corrosion rate and thickness of the tank floor in (c), and statistical data of tank failures including data related to tank corrosion conditions, thereby assessing whether or not the time until the next scheduled out-of-service internal inspection can be safely extended; and
(e) performing an inspection of the tank that includes a thickness measurement of the tank at a time prior to the extended time.