Your ship has loaded 9,000 barrels of fuel oil at a cargo temperature of 35? C (95? F). API gravity is 44?. The volume correction factor (VCF) is .0005. You are bound for New Jersey from Venezuela. How many gallons would you expect to unload if the cargo temperature is 55? F at the discharge port?
• Volume correction factor (VCF) as a per-degree temperature change on volume • Conversion from barrels to gallons (U.S. petroleum barrel) • Effect of cooling cargo on volume (thermal contraction)
• First, convert the initial quantity of cargo from barrels to gallons or leave it in barrels until the end—what is the standard gallons-per-barrel conversion for petroleum cargo? • Determine the temperature change between loading and discharge in degrees Fahrenheit and then think: does the volume get larger or smaller when the cargo cools? • Apply the VCF to the original volume using the total temperature change to find the expected discharge volume, then convert to gallons and compare with the choices.
• Be sure you are using degrees Fahrenheit when applying the VCF, not Celsius. • Confirm you are applying the VCF to the total temperature change (ΔT), not just multiplying by the final temperature. • Verify your final answer is less than the loaded volume in gallons, because the cargo is cooling and should contract.
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