Abstract: Vertical storage tanks are widely used in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, especially in the oilfield surface engineering and refining industries. With the wide application of storage tanks, higher requirements are put forward for the integrity of the storage tank design in engineering. The opening of storage tank has become the weak point of the storage tank due to the destruction of the structural integrity and continuity of the storage tank. The opening of the storage tank usually bears the external load from external system, and there is a risk of stress concentration and failure. Combining with engineering practice, this paper emphasizes the necessity of stress analysis on the opening of the storage tank bearing external load of piping, and systematically expounds the stress analysis method. It also summarizes the common methods for stress analysis of tank openings in engineering: the analysis method based on allowable external load, the analysis method based on WRC Bulletin 297/107/537 and the analysis method based on finite element numerical simulation. Then the paper describes in detail the application conditions, steps of application and limitations of these three methods.

Key words: storage tank, nozzle, opening, load, stress analysis