Liquids · Distribution
Products Pipeline & Batching
A pipeline that carries several refined products one after another in batches, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, from the refinery to terminals near the market.
What it does
Batches touch each other, so a mixed zone called the interface forms between them. At the receiving end a densitometer and batch tracking tell the operator when to swing valves, so each product goes to its own tank and the interface is cut out, blended into the better product within spec or sent back for reprocessing.
Basics
| Batch order | Similar products together, e.g. all distillates |
| Interface detection | Densitometer plus batch tracking |
| Example interface | About 750 m³ diesel and gasoline, Edmonton to Vancouver |
| Bigger batches | Less reprocessing per barrel |
Common failures
- Interface cut late, so a tank of product goes off spec
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Receiving tank fails spec after a batch change
- Likely cause
- Valve swing timed wrong or densitometer drift
- What to check
- Check the densitometer calibration and the batch tracking against arrival time