Gasohol

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
We never used dye. The operator has a stainless sink that drains into the
slop tank. In it is a large graduated cylinder. The faucet samples the
incoming line and pours into the cylinder; it oveflows into the sink. He
has an approprite hydrometer bobbing in it.

Over 20 years ago I had the chance to tour the pumping and fuel
distribution control facility at a refinery. *Everything* was
controlled from that room. They measured flow rates
Vs time and claimed they could control the flow to the remote storage
facilities hundreds of miles away within several gallons. the system
was automated. The operator told it how many gallons of what to go
where. Different mixes and fuels were sent through the same pipeline
with no one on the other end to either make the switch or to monitor
it.


Were it only that the ATC system was so automatic, instead of so antiquated.
--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY

Matt Barrow wrote:
"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message

Over 20 years ago I had the chance to tour the pumping and fuel
distribution control facility at a refinery. *Everything* was
controlled from that room. They measured flow rates
Vs time and claimed they could control the flow to the remote storage
facilities hundreds of miles away within several gallons. the system
was automated. The operator told it how many gallons of what to go
where. Different mixes and fuels were sent through the same pipeline
with no one on the other end to either make the switch or to monitor
it.


Were it only that the ATC system was so automatic, instead of so antiquated.

And about 15 years ago, the operators at the storage facilities in
Greensboro, NC were fined heavily for leaking fuels into ground water.
They tried to claim they didn't know it was happening.

Disk jockeys at the time were making fun of the fact that they pump
would meter out gas to the hundredth of a gallon, but they couldn't keep
track of the thousands that were pouring into the groundwater. 8*)

Greensboro is my hometown.

The operator told it how many gallons of what to go
where. Different mixes and fuels were sent through the same pipeline
with no one on the other end to either make the switch or to monitor
it.

Is there no diffusion at the boundaries?

Jose
--
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Jose writes:


Is there no diffusion at the boundaries?


There is some. How much is complex. It depends on what the two products
are, the rate, and a big issue, is the line kept tight?

By tight I mean, was it running non-stop at the same backpressure the
whole time? If the line went up & down in rate because they added pumps
or swung to a different tank, then there is a longer [time] or broader
[linear feet of product] mix region.

Some lines actually used spheres between, but they bring their own
problems...

For a real mess; picture a midline booster pump, only used for some
products. You must keep track of what product is now in the booster
station line section before you restart. No fair dumping Diesel or Kero
into the gas going by.... but the opposite is OK. [Too much gas in the
distillate is Not Allowed, but a bbl or 3 in a 100,000 bbl tank is no big
deal.]


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:52:36 -0400, Jose
wrote:

The operator told it how many gallons of what to go
where. Different mixes and fuels were sent through the same pipeline
with no one on the other end to either make the switch or to monitor
it.

Is there no diffusion at the boundaries?

I was once told that (for gasoline pipelines at least) it was the
usual practice to put some low grade "slug" gasoline between runs for
different merchants. The slug gas (with a bit of the mixture from
either end) was then sold to the cheap "no name" gas stations.

-Dana
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"I just drank what?" (Socrates)

He may cut early. middle or late; it depends on the two products. The
schedulers try to make adjacent 'tenders' friendly.

Interesting post. Thanks Dave

Paul
N1431A
KPLU