Technical Knowledge of Fluid Loading Arms
Land-based fluid loading arms (loading arms) are used for top and bottom loading/unloading of various liquids and liquefied gases into road and railway tank cars in both open and closed states. They are suitable for loading/unloading chemical products, oils, and liquefied petroleum products of different qualities.
Land-based fluid loading arms (loading arms) mainly consist of columns, swivel joints, liquid-phase inner arms, liquid-phase outer arms, liquid-phase extension arms, gas-phase inner arms, gas-phase outer arms, gas-phase extension arms, operating handles, liquid/gas ball valves, liquid/gas quick connectors, spring cylinder balancing systems, inner arm locking devices, static electricity conduction systems, and other accessories.
They are specially designed and manufactured according to users' different operating conditions to maximize satisfaction with on-site requirements. The optimally designed products feature appropriate structural dimensions, facilitating easy use and maintenance.
Key Technical Features
Special Swivel Joints and Sealing Rings: Swivel joints are made of high-quality alloy steel with compound raceways, ensuring high load-bearing capacity to withstand harsh axial and radial loads while maintaining smooth rotation. The main seals use filled PTFE, which offers high wear resistance and self-lubrication. Embedded with stainless steel skeletons and polished sealing surfaces, they provide superior and reliable sealing performance.
Arbitrary Position Balancing with Spring Cylinder Mechanism: The reasonably designed spring cylinder balancing mechanism enables the loading arm to achieve arbitrary position balance within the operating range, avoiding collisions caused by imbalance. It eliminates the need for heavy counterweights, making operation flexible and safe.
Flexibility During Operations: During loading/unloading, the loading arm moves with the tank car within its normal drift range, fully demonstrating its flexibility.
Land-based fluid loading arms are retractable and movable pipes, widely used for loading/unloading liquids at petroleum and chemical terminals, handling media such as oil and water. They come in various types and offer higher safety and flexibility compared to old-fashioned hoses.
For liquid loading arms with the same nominal size, the sealing components shall be standardized and interchangeable.
According to the design documents or contracts, users shall provide suppliers with complete design data requirements for liquid loading arms, including loading platform parameters, tank car parameters, loading/unloading methods, and related configuration requirements. Customization is available based on customer needs.
The basic safety performance requirements for materials, design, manufacturing, installation, use, maintenance, modification, and periodic inspection of liquid loading arms used in pressure pipelines shall comply with the current national regulation Technical Inspection Code for Pressure Piping Safety - Industrial Piping (TSG D0001-2009).
Liquid loading arms shall be equipped with safety facilities such as over-position alarms and locking rods to ensure safety during the entire operation process and reduce hazards.
Suppliers of liquid loading arms shall provide design data and draw the envelope range diagram of the liquid loading arm in accordance with the requirements of the design documents or contracts.
There shall be no other process pipelines (including other loading arms) or obstacles near the installation position of the liquid loading arm that affect its envelope range. If unavoidable, parameters such as the position and positioning dimensions of the process pipelines or obstacles shall be provided.
In the retracted state, the part of the liquid loading arm that extends beyond the plane of the loading platform shall not pose safety hazards. The retraction of liquid loading arms for railway tank cars shall comply with the current national standard Railway Rolling Stock Gauge and Construction Gauge for Standard Gauge Railways (GB 146-1983).
In the no-load state, the outer arm of the liquid loading arm shall remain balanced at any position within the envelope range.
The material selection of liquid loading arms shall be compatible with the transported liquid medium to meet safety and service life requirements.
