Denatured Ethanol Maximum Fluid Velocity

[jeebusmn]

At an ethanol planting that is being started up, we are pumping denatured ethanol out to a barge and out to truck at 30+ fps. What is the maximum flow velocity recommended for denatured ethanol for safety reasons? Can you pump stuff as fast as you want if everything is grounded properly and you have no other problems like cavitation and errosion?

I have found documents relating to maximum fluid velocity for gasoline. Are there ones for ethanol and where can I find them?

 

[BigInch]

30 fps sounds high, and might result in water hammer pressures too. I havn't seen any guidelines for ethanol.. yet, but if you follow the recommended practices for gasoline, you will be on the safe side for ethanol. Products are classified as low flash (above 100 F), intermediate (below 100 F) and high flash (above Reid vapor pressures of 4.5 psi) groups. Compare the flash points and vapor pressures. Ethanol has lower vapor pressures and higher flash points. I believe it also has higher conductivity, therefore it should be more difficult to build up a charge.

Free fall distance through air (when filling a tank) should also be minimized. A standpipe inside the tank, with a discharge opening at the bottom, can be used as a preventive measure.

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[hacksaw]

other details of this query are in the chemical engineering section

when did cross listing become the fashion, thought that was frowned on once.