| The biggest problem by far with storing large quantities | | | | make any screwed joints, capable of allowing air |
| of oil is the risk of pollution. | | | | leakage whatsoever. Even the final fitting to the 10mm |
| Nothing illustrates this more than the oil pollution caused | | | | oil supply pipe is a hydraulic 'push-fit' connection. |
| by the explosion on the BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. | | | | Additional functionality has been included in the design |
| Whilst our own local domestic oil storage issues might | | | | to make the fitting of this as simple as possible. Things |
| seem insignificant when compared to this, any pollution | | | | like a 'floating suction line' that ensure the oil is always |
| caused can have a devastating effect on the local | | | | extracted from the top of the liquid thus avoiding |
| wild life of an area. This is even more pronounced in | | | | contamination from the bottom of the tank and an |
| places where the contamination can leak into a nearby | | | | 'in-built oil filter' are integrated into the design as |
| stream or water course. | | | | standard. |
| This problem has been well known by THE | | | | So successful is the Atkinson Tanktop that some tank |
| ENVIRONMENT AGENCY and OFTEC for a very | | | | manufacturers are already making tanks that do not |
| long while now. | | | | have a bottom outlet, with its potential to cause |
| OFTEC have attempted to preach good practice in all | | | | pollution. |
| its training courses for installers, whilst THE | | | | Possibly the most common question is: "How does the |
| ENVIRONMENT AGENCY have issued large fines for | | | | device recognise the difference between the burner |
| people found to have cause such pollution. In addition | | | | calling for oil and a siphon caused through a broken |
| to the fines issued by the courts in response to | | | | pipe?" |
| charges brought by THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY | | | | Whilst the technology used is not simple, the answer is. |
| there is also a significant cost for the clean-up | | | | Basically the suction pressure from the burner calling |
| operation that will be required. | | | | for oil is much larger than the suction pressure caused |
| There have been a number of innovations to help | | | | through the siphon effect. The anti-siphon device built |
| reduce the possibility of pollution leaks and it is true to | | | | into the Atkinson Tanktop is clever enough to |
| say that the numbers of these events are lower than | | | | distinguish between the two and switches off the flow |
| they were in the past | | | | when it recognises that the suction pressure is not |
| The introduction of de-aeration devices has eliminated | | | | coming from the pump. |
| the requirement for having a return pipe taking oil back | | | | The solution is the Atkinson Tanktop |
| to the tank under pressure. | | | | The Atkinson Tanktop has been designed and |
| The introduction of bunded tanks has helped reduce | | | | developed for the oil heating industry by Atkinson |
| pollution events caused through the primary tank | | | | Equipment Ltd. |
| rupturing and leaking oil; | | | | The Atkinson Tanktop has arrived, drawing on |
| The introduction of the Atkinson Overfill Prevention | | | | experience of over 40 years of making products for |
| Device and the Atkinson Overfill and Bund Alarms has | | | | the Oil Heating market along with that of burner |
| help obviate the occurrences of overfill when the | | | | manufacturers, tank manufacturers and heating |
| tanker driver is replenishing the tank contents. | | | | engineers. It is a product supported by the Environment |
| The one glaring contradiction to all of the good work | | | | Agencies and OFTEC due to the fact that it |
| that has been done is the fact that tank manufactures | | | | incorporates an anti-siphon valve to prevent fuel |
| produce a bunded tank and then go and breach the | | | | siphoning from the tank in the event that the oil line is |
| bund by putting an outlet pipe between the primary | | | | broken thus avoiding environmental pollution (incurring |
| tank and the bund wall in order to extract the oil. This | | | | heavy fines and clean-up costs. |
| has all the weight of the oil behind it, should there be a | | | | Draw oil from your tank safely with the new Atkinson |
| leak, which could lead to a catastrophic pollution as this | | | | Tanktop, Top Offtake System. Leading the way into |
| is forced out into the environment. | | | | the world of Top Offtake, the Atkinson Tanktop is the |
| The answer seems simple enough. Why not just take | | | | WORLDS FIRST AND ONLY top Offtake device with |
| the oil out through the top of the tank, without | | | | all of the features and functions to responsibly draw oil |
| breaching the bund? | | | | from the top of the tank. |
| Well? Two main reason really: | | | | EC Reg. Des. No: 000472493-0001 |
| 1) The natural effects of siphon; and | | | | The innovative product has all the components |
| 2) Time equals money. | | | | required for drawing fuel oil from the top of the |
| When we talk about the natural effects of siphon, we | | | | storage tank in one unit (no joints to leak oil out or air |
| need to consider what happens if the feed pipe to the | | | | in). It incorporates all of the following into one neat, |
| burner becomes fractured and broken. Once the oil | | | | easy to install, unit: |
| has started to be lifted out of the tanks and is flowing | | | | - Floating Suction head |
| downwards it does not care whether it is going to the | | | | - Silicon suction tube (1.6m) |
| burner or not. It will just keep on flowing until such time | | | | - Non Return Valve |
| as the supply of oil has run out (i.e. the tank has been | | | | - 50 Micron Filter |
| completely drained out). The answer to this is to fit | | | | - Diaphragm Anti-Siphon Valve |
| what is called an anti-siphon valve. This can detect | | | | - Anti-Spill Valve |
| whether the flow is being caused through the suction | | | | - Tank Inlet Fitting 1" BSPM |
| of the pump or the suction of the siphon effect. In the | | | | - Purging/Priming Button |
| event this detects that it is being caused by a siphon it | | | | - Surface gasket |
| quickly switches of the flow ensuring that not too | | | | - Totally Waterproof |
| much pollution has been caused. | | | | With Top Offtake it is imperative that joints are well |
| When we talk about time equals money, we are | | | | made so with only one joint to make, The Atkinson |
| talking about the cost of the installer creating a system | | | | Tanktop is the answer to an Engineer's dream. |
| to allow the oil to be extracted from the top off the | | | | Now with 10mm push-fit hydraulic connector for simple |
| tank. This includes making the joints to the anti-siphon | | | | fitting (blue connector show in the photograph) inside |
| valve, top of the tank, etc. This is complicated and can | | | | the restrictive space of the bund - simply push the |
| lead to many air leaks around the joints, which can | | | | 10mm oil pipe into place. No screwing and making the |
| cause the installer lots of grief in identifying and | | | | joint air-tight required whatsoever. |
| correcting the air leaks in order to get the system | | | | Designed for the 21st century, where the demand is |
| functioning. This all adds significant cost to the price of | | | | for a system that avoids breaching the bund on an oil |
| the installation that is ultimately passed on to the | | | | storage tank and thus minimising the risk of |
| purchaser. Obviously, the householder wants the | | | | environmental pollution, as supported by the |
| cheapest possible solution and so an installer that | | | | Environment Agencies and OFTEC. |
| quotes for a system with cheaper conventional | | | | OFTEC has launched a new eco-labeling scheme for |
| offtake is more likely to get the job than a | | | | oil storage tanks. |
| conscientious installer that wishes to only implement a | | | | The Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) Scheme |
| top offtake solution. | | | | builds upon successful eco-labeling initiatives in other |
| Atkinson Equipment Ltd have been a manufacturer to | | | | industries, and rates new oil tanks according to their |
| the oil industry for many years and have investigated | | | | environmental features on a scale from one to 10. The |
| the problem and created the perfect solution - the | | | | lower the number allocated, the lower the risk of an |
| ATKINSON TANKTOP | | | | environmental pollution incident. |
| This has been designed by Atkinson Equipment Ltd | | | | A tank with an ERA rating of one will be fully bunded, |
| and is exclusively manufactured in the Atkinson | | | | and will incorporate the latest anti-pollution safeguards. |
| factory, Westbury, UK. | | | | One of these anti-pollution safeguards is Top Offtake |
| Whilst tackling the primary problem for the installer, this | | | | take of fuel oil from the storage tank instead of |
| is a product that not only eliminates the possibility of air | | | | bottom outlet. The Atkinson Tanktop is well positioned |
| leaks occurring in the system, it is also extremely | | | | to ensure your tank gets the best ERA rating it can. |
| simple to fit. All in all, the installer does not have to | | | | |