What are the common classifications of loading arms?
Loading arm is a specialized piece of equipment designed for the loading and unloading of liquid or gaseous media. It is mainly used in industries such as petroleum, chemical engineering, ports, and warehousing. Its primary function is to connect storage tanks with transportation vehicles (e.g., tank trucks, oil tankers) to achieve the safe transfer of media.
Typically, it consists of components including swivel joints, pipelines, telescopic booms, and balancing devices. It can flexibly adjust its angle and length according to specific operating scenarios to adapt to different working conditions.
Loading arms can be divided into various types according to different classification criteria, with the common classifications as follows:
By the state of the transferred medium:
Liquid loading arms: The most commonly used type, suitable for various liquid media. They can be further divided into ordinary carbon steel loading arms and corrosion-resistant stainless steel loading arms based on the corrosiveness of the medium.
Gas loading arms: Used for gaseous media (such as LNG and LPG), requiring low-temperature resistance or high-pressure sealing capabilities.
By the operating scenario:
Land-based loading arms: Used for loading and unloading tank trucks and railway tank cars, with the common types being "top-loading arms" and "bottom-loading arms".
Marine loading arms: Used for loading and unloading oil tankers and chemical tankers. They have a longer length and stronger load-bearing capacity, and some are equipped with wave compensation devices.
By the connection method:
Top-connection loading arms: Connected through the top opening of the transportation vehicle, suitable for tank trucks/tankers without bottom loading/unloading ports.
Bottom-connection loading arms: Connected through the bottom interface of the transportation vehicle. They feature higher loading/unloading efficiency and lower leakage risk, and have become the current mainstream trend.
