Main Components

A complete UST system typically includes:

Tank Body:

Early versions were often single-walled steel. Modern standards require double-walled tanks, featuring inner and outer shells with an interstitial space that can be filled with liquid or contain sensors for leak monitoring.

Piping System:

Pipes that transport fuel from the tank to the dispensers.

Manway:

Underground storage tank UST are designed to prevent spills during the tank filling process.

Monitoring System:

Includes equipment like tank gauges and leak detection sensors (installed in the interstitial space or monitoring wells).

Overfill Prevention Equipment:

Designed to prevent spills during tank refilling.

Product Specifications

Capacity	Dimensions (LWH)
2 m³	2.0m * 1.1m * 1.1m
3 m³	2.7m * 1.1m * 1.1m
5 m³	3.5m * 1.8m * 2.5m
10 m³	4.8m * 2.7m * 2.6m
20 m³	7.0m * 2.7m * 2.6m
30 m³	8.2m * 2.9m * 2.8m
40 m³	8.9m * 3.0m * 3.0m
50 m³	10.3m * 3.0m * 3.0m
60 m³	11.5m * 3.0m * 3.0m

production workshop

Why Install Tanks Underground?

Historically, burying storage tanks offered several key reasons:

Space Saving:

Frees up valuable above-ground space, crucial for urban gas stations.

Safety:

Reduces the risk of accidents from vehicle impacts, surface fires, or vandalism.

Temperature Stability:

Smaller temperature fluctuations underground help minimize product evaporation and maintain fuel stability.

Core Issue:

Environmental Risk & Regulation

● Despite these advantages, the biggest concern with USTs is leakage.

Consequences of Leaks:

Soil & Groundwater Contamination:

This is the most severe outcome. Leaked gasoline/diesel contains harmful substances like benzene, toluene, and xylene, which can seep into soil and pollute groundwater – a primary drinking water source for many areas.

Safety Hazards:

Escaped vapors accumulating in confined spaces (e.g., sewers, basements) pose fire or explosion risks.

Health Hazards:

Long-term exposure to contaminated drinking water can cause cancer, neurological damage, and other serious health issues.

Causes of Leaks:

Corrosion:

Early single-walled steel tanks corrode and develop holes over time due to soil and electrolytic action.

Pipe Failure:

Connecting pipes can crack from corrosion or physical stress.

Faulty Installation:

Poor construction quality leading to structural flaws.

Operational Error:

Spills during the refueling process.

Key Features & Application Areas

Key Features	Description
Space Utilization	Installed underground, they don't occupy valuable surface land, ideal for space-constrained urban areas.
Safety	Protected by the soil, reducing external risks from surface fires, explosions, traffic accidents, or vandalism. Stable underground temperatures reduce vapor loss and associated combustion risks.
Environmental Risk	Core drawback: If corrosion or rupture occurs, leaks directly contaminate soil and groundwater. Remediation is extremely difficult and costly.
Tech & Regulation	Modern UST systems must meet strict environmental standards (e.g., double-walled tanks, leak detection, corrosion-resistant materials), resulting in high installation and maintenance costs.

Application Areas	Description
Transport Fueling	Gas Stations (most common), Airports (storing jet fuel).
Industrial/Commercial Storage	Large Fleet Depots, Industrial Plants (fuel for boilers, generators, processes).
Strategic/Backup Reserves	Military Bases, Hospitals/Data Centers (diesel for backup generators).
Other	Chemical Plants (storing specific liquid raw materials), Legacy/Brownfield Sites (old USTs are key targets for soil remediation).

Application Areas

Modern Regulations & Technological Improvements

Due to numerous serious environmental incidents from historical UST leaks, countries worldwide have implemented strict regulations.

Material Upgrades:

Mandating double-walled tanks and piping. Sensors in the interstitial space trigger alarms upon a primary containment failure, preventing direct environmental release.

Mandatory Monitoring:

Requiring UST owners to install and regularly use leak detection systems.

Corrosion Protection:

Requiring cathodic protection for steel tanks.

Financial Responsibility:

Mandating insurance or financial proof to cover cleanup costs in case of a leak.

Regular Inspection & Maintenance:

Enforcing strict inspection schedules.

Phasing Out Old Tanks:

In many regions, old, non-compliant single-walled steel tanks have been mandated for removal and replacement.

Product Case

Summary

Underground storage tank UST are widely used subsurface facilities for liquid fuel storage. While solving space and safety issues above ground, they pose significant soil and groundwater contamination risks. The core of modern UST management lies within a strict legal framework, utilizing technologies like double-walled construction, continuous leak monitoring, and regular maintenance to maximize leak prevention and early detection, thereby protecting environmental and public health.

Simply put, it's like an "energy heart" buried beneath our cities, but it must constantly wear a "monitor" to prevent it from "falling ill" and contaminating the vital water and soil resources we depend on.