Gasohol

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.]


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"David Lesher" wrote
Some lines actually used spheres between, but they bring their own
problems...

A little further OT,... I've watched a lot of heavy #6 (needs to be heated
to pump) unloaded at the offshore platform. When the tanker is empty, we pig
the pipe and backfill with #2. The methods seem crude to the observer, but
the results are exact enough even for the accountants.

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