Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
(OP)
Is there any reason why ethanol in bulk cannot be transported by a mixed commodity pipeline (i.e., one that also ships gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, etc.)?
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Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
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RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
How are the different commodities separated in a pipeline?
How much intermixing occurs?
How are such fluids pushed or pumped through the pipeline?
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Product pipelines batch the assorted refined products in a sequence to minimize incompatible interfaces. Some mixing occurs at the interface. I don't know the quantitative or qualitative measurements. I suspect that the mix zone is less than 100 barrels. The pipeline volumetric flow rate predicts the interfaces and changes in properties such as density identify the interfaces. The switching also follows a sequence. For example assume that diesel is badly contaminated by gasoline but gasoline can tolerate some diesel. Switch into the diesel tank after all gasoline is gone and switch out of the diesel tank at first indication of gasoline. A similar rule would exist between diesel and jet fuel if diesel could tolerate some kerosine and jet fuel would be contaminated by diesel. There could be similar rules if the same pipeline carried ultra low sulfur diesel and offroad diesel.
Fluids are pumped through the pipeline; unless looking at the downward direction from a mountain where a surge station slows the flow to maintain the liquid pack. Backpressure is maintained to keep LPG products in liquid phase. Flow meters are the cash register. Pump starting may be sequenced to avoid electrical consumption pricing spikes.
You can bet that there are lots of rules, regulations, codes, standards etc. in addition to company practices to maintain these quality issues.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Ethanol is more mixable with water than gasoline. Pipelines for ethanol transportation should have at the end of the distribution pipeline a kind of molecular sieve devices to remove any traces of water. Water contamination is also possible in actual traditional ethanol transportation, and cannot be used as an argument to impeach the use of pipelines in ethanol transportation
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Literature Review, Impact of Gasoline Blended with Ethanol on the Long-Term Structural Integrity of Liquid Petroleum Storage Systems and Components" an alcohol water phase separates when water exceeds 0.5%. This water mix is about 75% ethanol, cosolvents and 25% water.
Again API has it covered. Read the reports.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Please define for this neophyte what is an elastomer and elastomer swelling in the context used in this thread.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
elastomers are porous, some more so than others (you can imagine the pores can help make them flexible. certain molecules can enter the pores and "fill" them up and cause the whole elastomer to grow. In extreme cases, the fluid will enter the elastomer and the resulting swelling will cause the elastomer to fail and a leak results.
It is really fun to pull a butyl rubber elastomer that has been in contact with ethane, ethylene, ethanol out of service. The 3" oring will swell to about 4" and be twice as big around after a few minutes. Then blisters will form and the ring will pop as the gases expand inside the elastomer (due to lower pressure)
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
The problem related with ethanol transportation in pipelines is not water. The problem related with ethanol transportation seems to be corrosion; API defends to have experience Stress Corrosion Cracking in some ethanol pipelines. This Stress Corrosion Cracking has also occurred in traditional oil gasoline transportation. And cannot seriously be used as an alarmism against dedicated ethanol pipelines.
Ethanol pipeline is an economic question
When Ethanol production facilities became relatively big and spread out, and have enough network aggregate, ethanol pipeline transportation will grow up.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Ethanol is ethanol. How is ethanol derived from petrochemical sources different from ethanol derived from agricultural sources?
Also, can anyone point me to an unbiased article that discusses the pros and cons of shipping ethanol via pipeline?
Next, how is ethanol today collected and consolidated for bulk shipment (by rail?) across the country?
Finally, if ethanol causes steel to corrode, are all the railroad tank cars being used to ship ethanol lined with glass or stainless steel?
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
To my knowledge, all vehicles manufactured and operated within Brazil can operate on 100% ethanol or 100% gasoline or any mix in between. Every gas station has pumps that a motorist can set to the desired mix before filling their tank. I rather doubt all those vehicles have costly stainless steel fuel systems.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
I think you meant hygroscopic. Regardless, how does that affect pipeline transport of ethanol? And where does the water come from?
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Another thread from Brazil suggests that ethanol is not presently transported via pipeline but they were studying or planning for such.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
Since most pipeline are batched, ethanol is a contaminate to some products at the ppm level, where the gasoline that contaminates the next product could be in the 1% range. So batch lines don't want the ethanol in their system.
If you were to make ethanol and dry it with mole sieves, then a dedicated ethanol line would be ok.
Presently we have trucks come in with 10% ethanol in the truck and we top the trucks off with natural gasoline and the truck mixes the stuff on it way to a filling station.
RE: Transport of Ethanol by Pipeline
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BigInch
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