For those of you who are not already aware, a bladder tank is one of the most innovative inventions of our times, in terms of versatility and utility. A bladder tank, just as the name indicates, is a kind of a sac, which can be filled with liquid and installed at almost any location in a jiffy. As it usually resembles a pillow, it is also called a ‘pillow tank’. Although the possibilities of bladder tanks are many, here the 5 most common uses for bladder tanks:
Military Deployment Purposes
With the military moving to several remote and unknown locations at short notice, there is always a requirement for storage of water and fuel. However, when on the move, where a group of a militia is likely to stay for a short duration, but where basic water and fuel storage facilities are poorly developed at the best, using bladder tanks is a suitable option. These tanks are lightweight while empty, therefore easy to transport, and can be installed at any location.
Disaster Sites
Bladder tanks are a great option for use at disaster sites, where there has been a natural calamity like a typhoon, tornado or earthquake. On April 16, 2016, a massive earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Ecuador, taking 654 lives and rendering thousands homeless. A bladder tank was donated for drinking water for the people of Ecuador to use.
Industrial Use
Large bladder tanks have a varied range of applications in the industrial field, where industrial activity is carried out in remote locations where temporary storage of liquids is required and conventional modular tanks are not practical. These tanks come in a variety of different fabrics and synthetic materials, according to the type of liquid that they are meant to store. Some of the liquids that are stored in industrial bladder tanks are:
Potable water, Raw water, Sewage, Saltwater, Frac fluids, Chemicals, Fuel and Oils.
Transportation
The two main liquids that are stored in transportation bladder tanks are water and fuel. These tanks are fitted out with the required accessories like slings and towage straps for shifting the tanks on and off transportation vehicles, and the actual material for this category of bladder tanks is very tough and extra thick to withstand the wear and tear that occurs during the transportation process. The tanks that transport fuel are often double-walled for additional safety. Transportation bladder tanks are widely used in military, mining, industrial and aviation fields.
Agriculture
In agriculture, especially where areas are being newly developed, agricultural bladder tanks are widely used to a great advantage. These tanks are used for storage of water, rainwater, liquid fertilizer and slurries. A particularly interesting use of agricultural bladder tanks is for storage of agricultural effluents. Today, many rules and regulations have emerged regarding generation of waste and effluents from farms, vineyards, and so on. Agricultural bladder tanks are a cost-effective, low-maintenance storage system.
So, these are just a few of the many uses of bladder tanks. The advantages are many and compared to conventional modular tanks, bladder tanks are easy to install, cheap, and can be transported to the remotest of locations with comparative ease. It is no wonder then, that bladder tanks have become such a popular option for liquid storage solutions.