A tank is loaded with 9,000 barrels of gasoline. The temperature of the product is 90°F (32°C), and it has a coefficient of expansion of .0008. What is the net amount of cargo loaded?
• Volumetric coefficient of expansion and what it means for liquid cargo in a tank • The reference temperature for petroleum cargo quantities (typically 60°F in U.S. practice) • How to adjust an observed volume at a higher temperature back to its net volume at 60°F
• Is the measured 9,000 barrels the observed volume at 90°F, or the net volume at the reference temperature? Think about what the exam usually assumes. • If a liquid expands when heated, should the net volume at 60°F be larger or smaller than the observed volume at 90°F? • How do you apply the coefficient of expansion over a 30°F temperature difference to correct the volume?
• Compute the total temperature difference from the reference temperature used in petroleum cargo calculations. • Apply the expansion formula: Corrected Volume = Observed Volume ÷ (1 + k·ΔT) or its equivalent, keeping track of units. • After correction, check whether your result is less than 9,000 bbls (as expected when cooling from 90°F to 60°F) and which choice is numerically closest.
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