Acumen Support Chemical Company with a Multiple Asset Cleaning Operation
Acumen Waste Services had been awarded the cleaning of multiple tanks during a summer shutdown for a chemical company during July 2020 for a period of 4 weeks. After carrying out an initial visit to identify technical aspects of the works a tank cleaning crew was equipped and mobilised.
Glass Vessels & Factors to Consider
A variation of vessels of different sizes and materials of construction required multiple cleaning methods. The first vessels encountered were glass lined. This meant that several factors had to come into consideration for the cleaning crew, most notably water pressures and volumes. Based on these factors the team set up all the relevant equipment:
- High pressure water jetting unit
- Positional Boom with 3D rotating
- ADR Vacuum Tanker
Quality Controlled Cleaning
Once the crew had set up the equipment the cleaning was ready to be carried out. The client requested a clean with a maximum pressure of 5000 psi. The jetting was initiated, and the machine allowed to carry out its work for fifteen-minute intervals. Every fifteen minutes the jetting was stopped, and the supervisor carried out a visual check of the vessel. This process continued until the vessel was deemed clean by the supervisor and the client. All washings from these vessels were uplifted to an ADR vacuum tanker. Upon completion of each vessel the washings were then decanted from the vacuum tanker to IBC’s onsite for the client to arrange disposal requirements.
Stainless Steel Vessels & Full Pressurised Cleaning
The next variation of vessels was stainless steel type. These vessels required the same equipment but required a different level of pressure for the clean. The equipment required:
- High-pressure jetting unit
- Positional boom with 3D rotating head
- ADR Vacuum Tanker
After relocation of the equipment the team again set up ready to begin cleaning works. This time the crew could utilise the full 15000 psi range that the equipment offered. The process was the same, a fifteen-minute spin followed by a visual inspection by the supervisor. The boom would then reposition the 3D head as required. This process would be repeated as necessary until the vessel was deemed clean by the onsite supervisor and the client.
The client also asked for extra work to be carried out during the shutdown process based on high pressure water jetting and tank cleaning and high-level pipework flushing to which had been assessed and completed in conjunction with the sites engineering teams.
