Airllock in fuel lines

[chicopee]

Diked fuel oil storage tanks are positioned some 25' above loading rack(top loading) and tranport fill connections. Oil lines from loading rack to tanks were laid out to go over the containment wall thus creating high points in the lines for air to be trapped when transport operator fill the tanks and blow residual product in the line with air left in the transport compartmented tank .This practice is done to minimize the chances of oil spill when attaching and disconnecting their hoses during deliveries. Pet cock valves were installed at the highest point in the lines to relieve trapped air which is a pain in the neck for the fuel oil guys espacially in the winters. Any suggestion on any form of improvement.

 

[BigInch]

Check valve?

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[dcasto]

Put the petcock valve closer to the ground, by the load station.

 

[chicopee]

I'll check into check valves however I dont totally trust their reliabilty to prevent fuel oil from spilling when disconnecting the fill hoses. I have witnessed problems with check valves supposedly capable of preventing fuel oil from backflowing.
As far as relocating the petcock valves, I suppose vent lines running from the highest points to the loading rack where the petcock valves would be installed at the ends of the vent lines could be bled open. This installation would require extra vigilance on the operator so as not to blown out trapped liquid uncontrollably.

 

[dcasto]

A combination of the two. Vent to a small tank with a float to shutdown vent.

 

[unclesyd]

Why not use a Dry Break Coupling as they take the operator out of the picture.

In the US the environmental people love them so much in fact they sometimes insist on them.

Here is just one of many companies that supply them.

http://www.cse-ipg.com/dbcoup.cfm

 

[chicopee]

The latter two ideas are very attractive. I'll check both of them out.