Tank Gauging Research Articles

Biological effects of inhaled crude oil vapor. II. Pulmonary effects

Workers involved in oil exploration and production in the upstream petroleum industry are exposed to crude oil vapor (COV). COV levels in the proximity of workers during production tank gauging and opening of thief hatches can exceed regulatory standards, and several deaths have occurred after opening thief hatches. There is a paucity of information regarding the effects of COV inhalation in the lung. To address these knowledge gaps, the present hazard identification study was undertaken to investigate the effects of an acute, single inhalation exposure (6 h) or a 28 d sub-chronic exposure (6 h/d × 4 d/wk × 4 wks) to COV (300 ppm; Macondo well surrogate oil) on ventilatory and non-ventilatory functions of the lung in a rat model 1 and 28 d after acute exposure, and 1, 28 and 90 d following sub-chronic exposure. Basal airway resistance was increased 90 d post-sub-chronic exposure, but reactivity to methacholine (MCh) was unaffected. In the isolated, perfused trachea preparation the inhibitory effect of the airway epithelium on reactivity to MCh was increased at 90 d post-exposure. Efferent cholinergic nerve activity regulating airway smooth muscle was unaffected by COV exposure. Acute exposure did not affect basal airway epithelial ion transport, but 28 d after sub-chronic exposure alterations in active (Na+ and Cl¯) and passive ion transport occurred. COV treatment did not affect lung vascular permeability. The findings indicate that acute and sub-chronic COV inhalation does not appreciably affect ventilatory properties of the rat, but transient changes in airway epithelium occur.

COMPARISON STUDY OF VERTICAL CYLINDER TANK DIAMETER MEASUREMENT BETWEEN STRAPPING AND OPTICAL METHOD

Vertical Cylinder Tank is used as a storage area or as a measuring tool. Liquids are used in the form of Fuel oil, Liquid Natural Gas, vegetable liquids, and other chemical liquids. The tank calibration results are in the form of a volume per height table that is used as a reference by Automatic Tank Gauging. There are two tank calibration methods, namely: the strapping method and the optical method. The process of measuring the inside or outside diameter of the tank becomes very important in the tank calibration process—the measurement of tank diameter by the strapping method using steel meters manually. At the same time, the optical method uses theodolite or total station. For tank diameters ≤ 5 m, the strapping method has smaller diameter measurement results with a difference of 0.7% compared to the optical method. In further research, a prototype can be developed that can accelerate the calibration process using the strapping method (for example, a vertical track measuring robot) or a low-cost prototype theodolite

Fuel theft in road freight transport: understanding magnitude and impacts of anti-theft devices

Fuel is one of the most important cost items that road carriers include in their freight rates. It has been demonstrated that unexpected changes of fuel costs influence mobility, logistics performance and profit margins. Experts believe that criminal organizations are targeting the transport sector to steal, smuggle and contraband diesel fuel. Today, very little data exist across the scientific community, depicting this phenomenon. Hence, the goal of this study is to shed light on the problem of diesel theft in freight transport, with a focus on determining its magnitude, its geographical displacement, main modus operandi, and potential impact of protective measures. A survey is developed and used to collect data from members of the Swedish Association of Road Transport companies. Replies from 189 companies are collected (18.9% response rate) and analyzed. Overall, this study unveils that about 150,225 l of fuels have been stolen from Swedish road carriers. In addition, data reveals that only a minority of these companies are affected by the problem, opening the hypothesis that attacks are geographically concentrated in areas where transport/logistics operations are intense. Several devices are available today to avoid fuel theft. Among those, tank gauging and radar-based technologies are preferred by companies, in view of their deterring effects.

THE KEY TO MINIMIZE MISCALCULATION OF OIL/CONDENSATE - QAS (QUANTITY ACCOUNTING SYSTEM) BY APPLYING ASTM PROVISIONS

The Petroleum Industry does not only consist of exploration and exploitation activities, but there are other activities that are also important, namely lifting activities. The lifting activity is one of the transfer/ shipping activities from upstream (Producer) to downstream (Buyer). One of the lifting activities is the calculation of the amount of oil/condensate, which is a calculation of the calculation and reporting of oil/condensate that is applied in managing the distribution of oil/condensate production from the block station to the point of sale. The importance of this calculation system is due to the amount of lifting that will be reported to the state. This needs to be done well to avoid the wrong amount of value. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) is an international organization that develops and publishes technical standards for various materials, products, systems and services. The lifting job based on the conditions established by ASTM can minimize the possibility of errors in calculation of QAS (Quantity Accounting System), in this case specifically for fluid level measurements in tanks, temperature measurements, methods and techniques for measuring the number of samples, proving job, laboratory analysis (such as Density, BS&W, etc), and the methods that must be used (Flow Meter or Meter Tank Gauging) for QAS input. This paper is made using reference activities that happen in lifting points in Riau Province, North Sumatra Province, and Aceh Province. It is expected to provide more understanding of the necessary of applying the ASTM provisions to lifting activities.

Evaluating the Potential for Gasoline Geysering From Small Engine Fuel Tanks

Abstract This paper explores an infrequently encountered hazard associated with liquid fuel tanks on gasoline-powered equipment using unvented fuel tanks. Depending on the location of fuel reserve tanks, waste heat from the engine or other vehicle systems can warm the fuel during operation. In the event that the fuel tank is not vented and if the fuel is sufficiently heated, the liquid fuel may become superheated and pose a splash hazard if the fuel cap is suddenly removed. Accident reports often describe the ejection of liquid as a geyser. This geyser is a transient, two-phase flow of flashing liquid. This could create a fire hazard and result in splashing flammable liquid onto any bystanders. Many existing fuel tank systems are vented to ambient through a vented tank cap. It has been empirically determined that the hazard can be prevented by limiting fuel tank gauge pressure to 10 kPa (1.5 psi). However, if the cap does not vent at an adequate rate, pressure in the tank can rise and the fuel can become superheated. This phenomenon is explored here to facilitate a better understanding of how the hazard is created. The nature of the hazard is explained using thermodynamic concepts. The differences in behavior between a closed system and an open system are discussed and illustrated through experimental results obtained from two sources: experiments with externally heated fuel containers and operation of a gasoline-powered riding lawn mower. The role of the vented fuel cap in preventing the geyser phenomenon is demonstrated.

Design of Ultrasonic Oil Tank Level System

The infrastructure industry has a large demand for crude oil. Crude oil is explosive, flammable, volatile, and easy to accumulate static and other properties. So, the reservoir area is large and the route is far, which leads to the monitoring station being placed away from the tank area of the operating layer. This requires that the scene of the information is timely and effective in transmission to the monitoring station, and instructions are given quickly. In this paper, the design of ultrasonic tank gauge system is put forward. The system uses AT89S52 as the controller, to achieve the construction site tank level measurement function by the combination of hardware and software. And a variety of error correction measures are given to improve the accuracy. The system can be widely used in various types of infrastructure construction site oil depot management to meet the real needs of the tank level monitoring. Meet the requirements of centralized management of infrastructure projects, provide data for the highest management system, and support day-to-day business management and decision making.

Non‐uniform sampling and super‐resolution method to increase the accuracy of tank gauging radar

Different methods are proposed for fluid level measurement in storage tanks. Majority of these methods have some in-contact elements or are based on mechanical waves which are vulnerable to changes due to temperature change, pressure change or ageing. Electromagnetic based (i.e. radar) level measurement is a contactless method and it is less vulnerable to such changes. However, a wide band or ultra-wide band radar signal should be transmitted in order to achieve the required accuracy. Usually, linear frequency modulation or step frequency waveforms are used for this goal and matched filter (MF) processing or fast Fourier transform (FFT) are used to find the true level of the liquid inside the tank. In this study, the authors have shown that, those super-resolution methods used for array signal processing and direction finding can be also used in tank gauging problem. Through the simulations and also practical laboratory test, it is shown that, if the frequency steps are selected non-uniformly, the super-resolution methods produce more accurate result compared with MF or FFT processing.

Cell Phone Based Liquid Inventory Management Using Wireless System

Liquid inventory is very difficult to track because there are so many factors that affect the inventory levels. Some of the factors that make liquid inventory so hard to measure and track. However, just because liquid inventory is difficult to measure and track, doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. Designed this automated tank gauging and data tracking system to solve many problems tank owners, tank managers, operators, and producers were having with managing their liquid inventory. In this project we will have the float sensor kept in all the oil containers and this data is then fed to the micro controller as shown in the block diagram above. The micro controller is then connected to the user cell using the blue tooth module. The cell phone has software using which the user can connect to the micro controller using the blue tooth present in the cell phone. The software will read the data from the micro controller and it will display the same depending on which oil content the user would like to know. Thus it's the best possible way how the person can keep track of the oil stock and plan for the same without any human inter- vention and the risks associated with the same. This system can provide custom solutions that can bypass our controller and send signals straight to your system. Users can remotely receive conditional text, messaging when conditions require a response.

Determination of leakage inside buildings with a roof tank

Buildings with a roof tank are common in countries with intermittent water supply. For these buildings, it is difficult to determine the leaks inside with the methods developed for pressurised networks of drinking water. A proposed alternative is Continuous Automatic Tank Gauging. Although commonly used to check the tightness of gasoline storage tanks, this method still has not been used to determine water leaks. This study explains how to set up the method and shows its application to six buildings. As expected, the leak magnitude was found to increase with the size and age of buildings. In practice, the method can estimate (within ± 30%) a leak as small as 1 l/h in buildings with a small roof tank and 20 l/h in buildings with a large roof tank.

The Design of HTG Automatic Calibration System Based on Fuzzy Theory

ABSTRACT：It introduces a kind of an Automatic Calibration System, especially for long-term drift of oil tank gauging system. long-term drift serious influence on measuring the accuracy and reliability of the system. With theory of Hydrostatic Tank Gauging[1]（HTG），as soon as the long-term drift occurring, the detection drift of oil pressure valueΔp will drift，and soon other the parameters of tank Gauging will be occurred. Because the value of Δp is difficult to directly determine, This paper puts forward a kind of automatic calibration method to obtain Δp according to the fuel level drift Δh) indirectly,By means of the HTG double level switches and fuzzy control theory. At last, by MATLAB simulation verify the correctness of the system design.

Equipment, Exposure, Emission Review—Specification of Process Equipment for Worker Exposure Control

Worker exposure to chemical agents may occur from equipment leaks in closed processes and from open system activities and maintenance (e.g., sampling, tank gauging, line breaking, equipment flushing, and drainage). To prevent worker overexposure to chemical agents, an Equipment, Exposure, Emission Review (EEER) was developed to consistently match equipment properties to the leakage-related inhalation risk posed by each stream. For streams where gas or liquid leakage could cause worker exposure above occupational exposure limits (OEL), the EEER recommended a high performance, low leakage equipment category. Conversely, where standard engineering offered reliable containment for lower health risk streams, the EEER did not recommend over-control. The EEER matched equipment to stream health hazard as follows: (1) the composition of each stream was determined, with particular attention to chemical substances with stringent exposure limits; (2) a mixture exposure limit was calculated for each stream based on stream composition and the OEL for stream constituent chemicals; (3) each stream was classified as to its respiratory exposure hazard on the basis of the stream exposure limit; (4) equipment was recommended as a function of respiratory exposure hazard class using an Equipment Selection Matrix. Equipment options were based, in part, on the emission performance of the equipment and a near-field dispersion model that was used to relate equipment emissions to an OEL. Over a 5-yr implementation period, nearly 1700 streams of 78 refining process units were reviewed. Standard engineering practice was selected for about 70% of the streams reviewed. Benzene, hydrogen sulfide, ethanolamine, and high boiling aromatic oil streams were the primary chemical agents responsible for more stringent controls. Although the EEER criteria for stream classification and control options were arranged in order of magnitude—a form of control banding—the correct selection of control technology was based on detailed assessment of stream composition and risk, rather than on process unit name or function. The EEER and Equipment Selection Matrix provided reproducible recommendations and helped manage cost and complexity of equipment specification for health protection.

Benzene Exposures Associated with Tasks Performed on Marine Vessels (Circa 1975 to 2000)

In this article, we assemble and synthesize the available industrial hygiene data that describe exposure during the marine transport of benzene-containing products in the United States and abroad. A total of 25 studies were identified and summarized. The measured airborne concentrations of benzene on marine vessels were found to vary depending on several key factors, including the job task, vessel characteristics, cargo type, and sample type and duration. Despite the differences in sampling strategies and benzene content of the liquids being transported, personal time-weighted-average benzene air concentrations typically ranged from 0.2–2.0 ppm during closed loading and 2–10 ppm during open loading operations. Benzene exposures during these activities are likely due to specific short-term tasks, such as connecting and disconnecting hoses and tank gauging and sampling. Similar concentrations of benzene have been reported in the pump room during marine loading operations and during tank cleaning activities in various settings. When compared with contemporaneous occupational health standards, our review indicates that most activities performed on marine vessels from the 1970s to 1990s usually did not result in benzene exposures that exceeded these standards. The information and data presented here may be useful for quantitatively estimating or reconstructing historical exposures during the marine transport of benzene-containing cargo if details about individual's work histories in the maritime industry are available.

DEVELOPMENT OF A 3-PLATES CAPACITIVE PRESSURE SENSOR

International Journal of Computational Engineering ScienceVol. 04, No. 03, pp. 613-616 (2003) Poster PapersNo AccessDEVELOPMENT OF A 3-PLATES CAPACITIVE PRESSURE SENSORWOEI-WAN TAN, PEI GE, FRANCIS ENG-HOCK TAY, and AI-POH LOHWOEI-WAN TANNational University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119260, Singapore Search for more papers by this author , PEI GENational University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119260, Singapore Search for more papers by this author , FRANCIS ENG-HOCK TAYNational University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119260, Singapore Search for more papers by this author , and AI-POH LOHNational University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119260, Singapore Search for more papers by this author https://doi.org/10.1142/S1465876303001885Cited by:2 PreviousNext AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsRecommend to Library ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail AbstractThis paper describes a micro capacitive pressure sensor for hydrostatic tank gauging (HTG), an emerging way to accurately gauge liquid inventory and to monitor transfers in tank farms. Since industrial storage vessels are huge, the sensing element must be sufficiently thick to withstand the large pressure inside the tanks. However, a thick diaphragm is insensitive to the relatively small pressure changes brought about by variations in the fluid head. To detect small pressure changes in the presence of a high constant load, a novel three-plates structure that introduces an additional plate between the two electrodes of a parallel plate capacitive pressure is proposed. A boss ring etched below the thick top plate, which serves as the sensing element, will come into contact with the middle pate and cause it to deflect when the applied pressure crosses a pre-determined threshold. Pressure is measured by monitoring the change in capacitance between the middle plate and the insulated substrate. As the middle plate is constructed as a cantilever, it magnifies the small deflections in the diaphragm and thus enabling small changes in pressure to be detected. Simulation results indicate that the sensitivity of the proposed structure is comparable to conventional parallel plate capactive pressure sensors.Keywords:capacitive pressure sensorhydrostatictank gauging References C. Ajluni C, Electronic Design 44, 59 (1996). Google ScholarW. S. Czarnocki and J. P. Schuster, Sensors 16, 64 (1999). Google ScholarG. Vass, Sensors 17, 55 (2000). Google ScholarP. Del Vecchio and J. Rowe, InTech 38, 24 (1991). Google ScholarR. H. Grace, Sensors 17, (2000). Google Scholar P. Ge, Microelectromechanical Capacitive Pressure Sensor for Hydrostatic Tank Gauging, Ph. D. Qualifying Report, National University of Singapore (2003) . Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited By 2A continuous-time capacitance to voltage converter for microcapacitive pressure sensorsShao Lichun, Moorthi Palaniapan and Tan Woei Wan25 April 2006 | Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 34Theoretical Model of A Three Plates Capacitive Pressure Sensor Pei Ge, Woei Wan Tan and F. Tay Recommended Vol. 04, No. 03 Metrics History Keywordscapacitive pressure sensorhydrostatictank gaugingPDF download

A new Peltier sensor for measuring the thermal conductivity of fluids

This paper describes a new sensor and a new method to measure the thermal conductivity of many fluids. The principal advantage of the device is self compensation against temperature brought about by an appropriate choice of the materials. Moreover, because the sensor uses both the Peltier and Seebeck effects, measurements can be carried out with accuracy according to an average temperature increase of the device lower than 5 K. Operation of the device brings about a very low Joule power (5 mW). A coherent design rationale is formulated and the various stages in the technical development of the sensor are delineated. Several cases are discussed with a view to increasing the applicability of the method. Notable applications include thermal conductivity gauges for measuring pressures in high-vacuum systems, tank gauging for liquids featuring fire hazards, and low velocity measurements occurring in natural convection mechanisms. It is expected that the versatility of the device will result in a wide number of industrial applications.

A new Peltier sensor for measuring the thermal conductivity of fluids

This paper describes a new sensor and a new method to measure the thermal conductivity of many fluids. The principal advantage of the device is self compensation against temperature brought about by an appropriate choice of the materials. Moreover, because the sensor uses both the Peltier and Seebeck effects, measurements can be carried out with accuracy according to an average temperature increase of the device lower than 5 K. Operation of the device brings about a very low Joule power (5 mW). A coherent design rationale is formulated and the various stages in the technical development of the sensor are delineated. Several cases are discussed with a view to increasing the applicability of the method. Notable applications include thermal conductivity gauges for measuring pressures in high-vacuum systems, tank gauging for liquids featuring fire hazards, and low velocity measurements occurring in natural convection mechanisms. It is expected that the versatility of the device will result in a wide number of industrial applications.

Tank Gauging: What is it and How is it Applied?

Tank Gauging: What is it and How is it Applied?

Telemetric sensors by microwave interferometry

Abstract This paper presents some possibilities offered by a specific microwave sensor called an I-Q demodulator or complex correlator. It is shown that this narrow-band complex correlator is able to provide information about the velocity profile and the position of a monochromatic transmitter which is inside a predefined area; this situation is qualified as cooperative configuration. Nevertheless, this complex correlator can also be used in the situation where only reflected signals are considered — non cooperative configuration — such as in anticollision and level measurement processes. Such sensors can naturally be used in many industrial application fields like robotics, tank gauging and berthing aid. Therefore, to answer industrial requirements, we show in this paper that the necessary compromise between good performance and low cost can be reached.

The Integration of Fault Detection within Plant-Wide Data Quality Management

Despite thedesirability of fault detection, and the maturity of its techniques, it has yet to find widespread application within the process industries. One reason for this is that fault detection is viewed, and described by its practitioners, as an activity in isolation. The seva approach envisages a higher degree of integration between plant operation and fault detection, and other activities such as maintenance scheduling. An example of a tank gauge systemis used to illustrate how seva instrumentation can improve various aspects of plant management.

Liquid density measurement at low temperatures

Liquid density measurement at low temperatures is discussed. Problems encountered and their possible solutions are considered, such as safety aspects, calibration, and installation. Use of the vibrating element density meter fitted to a mechanical tank gauge has given a direct accurate tool for determining the density and density profiles that exist in cryogenic tanks.

Recent Developments in Tank Gauging

Recent Developments in Tank Gauging