Cheat sheet for Ethanol Loading

This is 1987 denatured alcohol. Exxon and others all refer to it as Ethanol so I do to. On my 3rd week learning all this. 1203 gas. 1993 Diesel=and other stuff we don't mess with.
I know it has some other minute stuff in it to keep folks from drinking it according to several days testing we did. And know all racks hate it as they want to move real honest to goodness gas and diesel/fuel products without all the Gov BS. But it makes for 30 to 50 loads a day for our company on top of all the other places we deliver. Every time one group gets hosed another makes money. We take it as far as Tyler E. Past Hillsboro S. Abilene and further W. And Ardmore OK to N. And lots around DFW area. Lot to learn. Easy job but so easy to mess up. But lots of great people showing me their own tricks and safety tips on top of all the company and different rack rules.

 

I'd like to see all the ethanol go away as well. I'd bet Chevron would too since they just got hit with a $445,000 fine for not meeting the 10% mark in the Sacramento area.

 

I'm a booze wrangler from way back... Here is the dealio... The standard is 60 degrees for gross and net to be the same. In other words at 60 degrees 7700 gal gross will also be 7700 degrees net.

Follow that so far? Now what about temp differences? For every degree above 60 you will get 5 less gallons net... Conversely for every degree below 60 you will get 5 gallons more net.

Example: Say the Temp of the ethanol is 80 degrees... you will NEED to load 7800 gallons gross to get 7700 gallons net... Make sense?

 

Yes and no. Had a load today. 7800gross. 7690 net. Temp here was 89'. Tried it with 87 and 93 premium load as well. Exxon had one set of numbers. Kinder/Morgan another. Flint Hills/Shell still another. Ask operators and they all say computers take care of it.

 

Everything you wanted to know about ethanol and gasoline is here http://ethanolrfa.3cdn.net/bb928477e5a5d04852_7ym6b9glg.pdf. However, this was printed in 2003 and your placard information has changed. But your conversion chart for temp is here.

 

Everything you wanted to know about ethanol and gasoline is here http://ethanolrfa.3cdn.net/bb928477e5a5d04852_7ym6b9glg.pdf. However, this was printed in 2003 and your placard information has changed. But your conversion chart for temp is here.

 

Ok here is the deal, you have to look at the average temp. reading... This was likely your problem, and you are doing it for ethanol correct? It will NOT work for gasoline or even oxy gas. Most ethanol plants do NOT have the loaders do the gross to net calculation for you... many fuel terminals do, but the expansion of ethanol, or denatured ethanol is much greater than other fuel products.

It ONLY works with ethanol. The OP wanted a cheat way to load a specific amount of net ethanol... which is what I provided.

Trust me it works within a gallon or two EVERY time... I've literally hauled, millions and millions of gallons of ethanol... and if the temp is correct, what I posted WILL work as a shortcut(cheat) to the calculation.

 

Ive often wondered why loading racks cant have a weight option in place of gallons. If your dispatch says "full load" regular/10% why not have the option of loading 48,250 pounds (or whatever you can handle) of this product at the current temp that it is in storage. Put your max weight in and it says "7452 gallons total" then you figure out how many gallons in each compartment will total the gallons/weight.

Or an iphone ap.

 

Dispatcher Love to say, full load as to being if you get an overweight... they are off the hook... Here is what I do, I ask what they want... Then, load what I know is right or a little light. Or if I know it's going to push the legal limits, I have them text me the load... As I was TOLD to load this much if it's a little heavy.