3" Tank Liquid Agitators (TLAs) going to a chemical plant in the Gulf Coast

We recently shipped two 3" Tank Liquid Agitators (TLAs) to a chemical plant in the Gulf Coast. The Jacoby-Tarbox TLA is an eductor designed for "in-tank" applications — and it's addressing a challenge that's become increasingly important across the chemical and petroleum industry.

How Tank Liquid Agitators Work

Eductors require no power, which means no moving parts. The design of the eductor creates a pressure differential that allows fluid to flow naturally within the device — creating suction and pushing of liquid, thus moving liquid throughout the tank.

The Mechanism in Practice

A motive fluid (typically driven by a pump elsewhere in the system) is directed through the eductor's nozzle at high velocity. This creates a low-pressure zone that draws surrounding tank fluid into the flow stream, then discharges the combined flow back into the tank. Positioned and aimed correctly within a tank, this creates continuous circulation and mixing action without any electric motor, impeller, or moving mechanical part inside the vessel itself.

Why No Moving Parts Matters

In tank applications — especially those handling produced water, wastewater, or corrosive chemical mixtures — mechanical agitators with motors and impellers introduce failure points: seal wear, bearing failure, motor maintenance, and impeller damage from abrasive or corrosive content. An eductor-based TLA sidesteps all of these failure modes because there's simply nothing mechanical inside the tank to fail.

Why This Matters: The Produced Water Challenge

Effectively blending and balancing produced water has become a significant issue in the chemical and petroleum industry. As a result, finding solutions for the reuse or dumping of generated wastewater has become imperative — facilities need to blend and balance produced water before it can be reused in operations or safely discharged in compliance with environmental regulations.

Tank liquid agitators provide the mixing efficiency required to blend and balance wastewater in a timely manner, helping facilities meet both operational and regulatory demands around produced water handling.

Why 3" Size for This Application

The TLA's size designation refers to its nozzle/connection dimension, which correlates directly with flow capacity and mixing power. A 3" unit represents a mid-to-larger capacity TLA suited for tanks requiring substantial mixing volume — appropriate for the kind of produced water blending tanks common at chemical processing facilities handling significant wastewater volumes.

Applications for Tank Liquid Agitators

Produced Water Management Blending and homogenizing produced water from oil and gas operations before treatment, reuse, or disposal.

Chemical Processing Maintaining suspension of solids or blending multi-component mixtures in storage and process tanks.

Wastewater Treatment Preventing stratification and promoting uniform mixing in treatment and equalization tanks.

Petroleum Industry Tank homogenization for crude and refined product storage where settling or stratification is a concern.

Why Facilities Choose Eductor-Based Agitation Over Mechanical Mixers

Learn More

For more information on Jacoby-Tarbox Tank Liquid Agitators and sizing for your specific tank and application, visit jacoby-tarbox.com or contact our team directly.

📧 sales@clark-reliance.com📞 +1 (440) 572-1500