Engineering:Flextank

A flexitank is a flexible/foldable storage tank, made of several layers of different materials like PVC and other polylined foils and are used for storage of drinking water and fuels. Flexitank is a brand name in the Netherlands.

Advantages

An empty flexitank can be stored easily in a carton or wooden box, depending on the size of the tank. A Flexitank can be re-used many times during many years and therefore ideal for temporary used tank capacity.

Uses

Flexitanks are commonly used as additional fuel storage on board small ships and yachts, passing the ocean or making long voyages. A 25,000 litre storage tank can be easily shipped by air freight or can be delivered to an offshore platform by helicopter or small work boats easily. Flexitanks are specially designed to be used under heavy conditions at sea in rough weather conditions, or to be transported in empty condition by air or sea. They are used for salvage operations at sea, where it is important to empty gasoil tanks from a ship in distress or sinking before the gasoil can leak into the sea.

In forests or on islands where there is no water available for firefighting or emergency cases, flexitanks can easily be placed on places where normal traffic is impossible. Flexitanks can also be transported fully loaded under a helicopter or on deck of a ship or boat or on a flat truck to enable quick delivery of water or fuels or other liquids in emergency circumstances. Flextanks have been successfully used for firefighting in Russia and Greece and salvage operations in the Atlantic Ocean.