Volumetric leak detection in large underground storage tanks. Volumes 1 and 2

A set of experiments was conducted to determine whether volumetric leak detection system presently used to test underground storage tanks (USTs) up to 38,000 L (10,000 gal) in capacity could meet EPA's regulatory standards for tank tightness and automatic tank gauging systems when used to test tanks up to 190,000 L (50,000 gal) in capacity. The experiments, conducted on two partially filled 190,000-L (50,000-gal) USTs at Griffiss Air Force Base in upstate New York during late August 1990, showed that a system's performance in large tanks depends primarily on the accuracy of the temperature compensation, which is inversely proportional to the volume of product in the tank. Errors in temperature compensation that were negligible in tests in small tanks were important in large tanks. The experiments further suggest that a multiple-test strategy is also required.