A. WHY AN EXPANSION TANK?

An expansion tank is required in a closed loop heating or chilled water HVAC

System for two very important reasons.

1. To control or set the system s operating range.

2. To give the expanded water in the system a place to go as the

water is heated. In a heating system this occurs when the system
is heated form its coldest fill temperature to operation temperature.
In a chilled water system this expansion occurs when the system is
shut down and the system temperature rises from operating to
ambient.

The goal in sizing any expansion or compression tank is to make the system able
to accommodate the expansion of the system water throughout the heating or
cooling cycles without allowing the system to exceed the pressure limits of the
lowest pressure-rated component in that system. The lowest rated component in
most systems is, by design, the pressure relief valve. The maximum system
pressure is normally set at 90% of the pressure relief valve rating at its point of
installation.

B. DIAPHRAGM OR BLADDER TANKS

COMPARED TO PLAIN STEEL TANKS

The Plain Steel Expansion Tank has been used for many years, and in some
systems has worked very well. Using a plain steel expansion tank makes the
system an air control system. One must control the air volume or air cushion
above the water level in the tank. The common face between this air cushion
and the water in the tank allows the air to be absorbed by the water. If the air is
not removed properly from the water and placed back into the air cushion, the
expansion tank will become waterlogged.

A waterlogged tank is an expansion tank that no longer has an air cushion large
enough to allow all the expanded water form the system to enter the tank without
exceeding the maximum system pressure. When this occurs the safety relief
valve will open and heated system water will be discharged to the drain.

CAUTION: An expansion tank does not need to be 100% full to be

waterlogged. The same symptoms will also exist if the expansion
tank is sized too small!

The advantage of a plain steel tank is that the initial purchase cost is less than a
diaphragm/bladder tank, but in many cases the installed cost will offset this
advantage.
The Diaphragm/Bladder Expansion Tank has been developed to allow the
systems air cushion to be separated form the systems water. No waterlogging of
the tank can occur as the air is held between the tank wall and the outside of a
bladder placed inside the tank, while the system water is contained inside the
bladder. This changes the system to an air elimination system, as any air
extracted from the system water is passed out of the system into the
atmosphere.

The bladder tank is much smaller, usually around 50%, than a plain steel tank for
the same application as they are precharged with air to the system operating
pressure before the system is filled with water. The only water that needs to be
accommodated by a diaphragm/bladder tank is the expanded water.

The air elimination system allows the air vent and air separator to be placed at
the most advantageous point in the system for air removal, usually at the
system s high point where the pressure is the lowest or at the boiler outlet where
the water temperature is the highest. The expansion tank can now be placed at
floor level, since air no longer needs to be returned to the tank. The
diaphragm/bladder tank can also be placed at the most advantageous point in
the system.

C. TYPICAL PALCEMENT OF AN EXPANSION TANK

The system connection of an expansion is known as The Point of No Pressure

Change . This means that wherever the expansion tank is connected to the
system the pressure will always be the same as the pressure inside the tank.
This is true if the tank is a plain steel or diaphragm/bladder style. This is also
true whether the system pump is on or off. This pressure is only changed as
water or air are added to or removed from the tank. To better understand this
The Point of No Pressure Change , an in-depth study of Boyl s Law (The
principle that the volume of a gas times its pressure is constant at a fixed
temperature.) is necessary.

Because of this The Point of No Pressure Change the system sees a pump
additive pressure from the pump discharge to the expansion tank connection.
From the expansion tank connection back to the pump suction, the system sees
a negative pressure change from the tank pressure, due to the friction loss when
there is flow.

With this loss of pump addictive pressure and the loss due to flow, it is usually
best to place the The Point of No Pressure Change or expansion tank system
connection as close to the pump suction as possible.
 SUBMITTAL

TYPE: NLA ASME PRESSURIZED EXPANSION

TANKS FOR HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

MODELS: NLA 35 TO NLA 800L

Submittal Sheet No. N-3350A Date: 12-02

JOB Patterson Representative ____________

Unit Tag No. ________________________
Engineer ___________________________
Contractor __________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Order No. _____________ Date _______
Submitted By __________ Date _______
Approved By ___________ Date _______

DESCRIPTION CONSTRUCTION
Patterson Type NLA Tanks are ASME removable Shell: Carbon Steel
bladder type pre-charged expansion tanks. They Bladder: Heavy duty butyl
are designed to absorb the expansion forces and
control the pressure in heating/cooling systems. PERFORMANCE LIMITATIONS
The system’s expanded water (fully compatible Maximum Design Temperature: 240ºF
with water/glycol mixtures) is contained in a Maximum Design Pressure: 125 PSIG*
heavy-duty bladder preventing tank corrosion and
waterlogging problems. NLA expansion tanks *200 & 250 PSIG available
reduce tank sizes up to 80%.
SCHEDULE
Tank
Model Volume Tagging Information Quantity
Number Gallons
NLA 35 10
NLA 50 13
NLA 85 23
NLA 130 35
NLA 200 53
NLA 300 79
NLA 400 106
NLA 500 132
NLA 600 158
NLA 800L 211

TYPICAL SPECIFICATION
Furnish and install as shown on plans a ______________ gallon ___________” diameter X __________”
(high) pre-charged steel expansion tank with heavy-duty butyl rubber bladder. The tank shall have NPT
system connections and a .302”-32 charging valve connection (standard tire valve) to facilitate the on-site
charging of the tank to meet system requirements. The tank must be constructed in accordance with most
recent addition of Section VIII of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.

Each tank shall be Patterson model number NLA______________ or approved equal.

 101Ayersville
9201 TANK STRd●● GREENWOOD, IN 46143
Toccoa, GA 30577 ● (317)
● (706) 888-9800
886-2101 ● (317)
● (706) 888-9988
886-0023 FAX FAX ● www.westank.com
● www.pattersonpump.com
 SUBMITTAL

TYPE: NLA-SERIES ASME PRESSURIZED

EXPANSION TANKS FOR HEATING &
COOLING SYSTEMS

MODELS: NLA-2500 TO NLA-15000

Submittal Sheet No. PAT-3350 Date: 11-03

JOB Patterson Representative ___________

Unit Tag No. ________________________
Engineer ___________________________
Contractor __________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Order No. _____________ Date _______
Submitted By __________ Date _______
Approved By ___________ Date _______

DESCRIPTION CONSTRUCTION
Patterson Type L-Series Tanks are ASME Shell: Carbon Steel
removable bladder type pre-charged expansion Bladder: Heavy duty butyl
tanks. They are designed to absorb the
expansion forces and control the pressure in PERFORMANCE LIMITATIONS
heating/cooling systems. The system’s expanded Maximum Design Temperature: 240ºF
water (fully compatible with water/glycol mixtures) Maximum Design Pressure: 125 PSIG
is contained in a heavy-duty bladder preventing 200 PSIG
tank corrosion and waterlogging problems. AV L 250 PSIG
expansion tanks reduce tank sizes up to 80%.
SCHEDULE

Shipping
Weight
Volume "B" "A" Syst. 125 PSI 200 PSI 250 PSI
Model Gal. Dia. Height Conn. (Lbs.) (Lbs.) (Lbs.)
NLA-2500 660 48" 102" 2" 1435 1847 2425
NLA-3000L 792 48" 122" 2" 1550 2152 2831
NLA-3000S 792 60" 80" 2" 2169 2477 2780
NLA-4000 1056 60" 102" 2" 2638 2850 3146
NLA-5000 1320 60" 125" 2" 3246 3430 3913
NLA-7500 1980 72" 127" 3" 4005 4413 5468
NLA-10000 2640 72" 159" 3" 4845 5439 6755
NLA-15000 3963 72" 233" 3" 5925 7810 9731
Notes: Tanks are factory pre-charged at 12 PSI and field adjustable.
Charging valve is .302"-32NC

TYPICAL SPECIFICATION
Furnish and install as shown on plans a ______________ gallon ___________” diameter X __________” (high) pre-
charged steel expansion tank with heavy-duty butyl rubber bladder. The tank shall have NPT system connections
and a .302”-32 charging valve connection (standard tire valve) to facilitate the on-site charging of the tank to meet
system requirements. The tank must be constructed in accordance with most recent addition of Section VIII of the
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.

Each tank shall be Patterson model numberNLA-______________ or approved equal.