Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement

David Beitel
Davis & Davis Company
Rocky Mountain Measurement Association
2015 Trade Show
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement

 Wouldn't life be a lot easier if all liquid

hydrocarbon transactions would occur with
the same product, at the same
temperature and pressure, with the same
quality ?
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement

 If it were all that easy, we wouldn't be able to all

get together every year at the Trade Show
School !
 We have the School for a reason, so there might
be something more to it …
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Physical Properties

 To minimize the overall measurement uncertainty

in liquid petroleum measurement, a fundamental
understanding of the physical properties that
affect measurement is necessary.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Physical Properties

 Importance of the Physical Properties

 The specific physical properties of the unique
‘hydrocarbon liquid’ will determine:
 The type of equipment installed to determine ‘custody
transfer’ quality numbers,
 The equations used to correct the product’s behavior to
varying operating conditions
 The techniques used for calibration and maintenance.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Physical Properties
Some of the Physical Properties that we will discuss
that will affect the design, and the operation of
the measurement station include:
 Composition,

 Temperature,

 Pressure,

 Density,

 Sediment and Water,

 Vapor Pressure,

 Viscosity.
What is a liquid ?
 Cricondenbar
Supercritical Fluid Region

Critical Point
Liquid Region

Vapor Region
Cricondentherm

2 Phase Region
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Composition

 Cricondentherm:
 The Cricondentherm is defined as the
maximum temperature above which liquid
cannot be formed regardless of pressure.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Composition

 Cricondenbar
 The Cricondenbar is the maximum
pressure above which no gas can be
formed regardless of temperature.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Composition

Composition
 Not all ‘Liquid Hydrocarbons’ are the same.

 Composition will determine ‘what we call the

product ’.

 Composition will determine how the product

‘behaves’ at operating conditions.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Composition

Composition
 What really is the Liquid?
 NGL - Condensate

 Y-Grade

 Natural Gasoline (c6 –c8)

 LNG

 Crude Oil

 Heavy ?

 Light ?

 Pure Product

 Propane?

 Butane ?
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement: Part 1
Composition
 All Hydrocarbon liquids are made up of Carbon and
Hydrogen.
 Molecules can be separated into their individual

components without a chemical reaction.

 The analysis of individual components can be determined

from Liquid Chromatography.

Name Carbon Hydrogen Formula

Methane 1 4 CH4

Ethane 2 6 C2H6

Propane 3 8 C3H8

Butane 4 10 C4H10
Pentane 5 12 C5H12

Hexane 6 14 C6H16

Heptane 7 16 C7H16

Octane 8 18 C8H18

Nonane 9 20 C9H20

Decane 10 22 C10H22
METHANE MOLCULE: CH4
ETHANE MOLUCULE: C2H6
PROPANE MOLCULE: C3H8
BUTANE MOLCULE:C4H10
PENTANE MOLCULE:C5H12
HEXANE MOLCULE:C6H16
HEPTANE MOLCULE : C7H13
OCTANE MOLCULE:C8H18
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement Part 1:
Solution Mixing

 Solution Mixing
 Natural gas liquid mixtures especially those
containing lighter ends will experience lower
total volumes than the combined volume of the
individual components.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement Part 1:
Solution Mixing

 A Practical Example….
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Composition

 Composition Terms
 Mole Percent
 Relates the number of Molecules for a particular
component to the total number of molecules in the
liquid.
 M.P. = Number for Molecules of component * 100
Total number of Molecules
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Weight Percent

 Weight Percent:
 Mass of each component divided by the total
mass of the composition

 W.P. = Mass of Component * 100

Mass of Composition
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Volume Percent

 Volume Percent
 Volume of the individual component divided by
the total volume of the composition.

 V.P. = Volume of Component * 100

Total Volume of Mixture
Typical Natural Gas Liquid Composition
Mole % Mole Weight Mass- LBM Weight Fraction Weight Percent
Methane 0.0 16.043 0.0 0.0 0.0

Ethane 0.2 30.07 0.0601 0.00078 0.07799

Propane 2.0 44.097 0.8819 0.0114 1.1437

Iso-Butane 7.5 58.123 4.3592 0.05653 5.6532

Normal-
Butane 7.5 58.123 4.3592 0.05653 5.6532

Iso-
Pentane 25.5 72.15 18.398 0.2386 23.8597

Normal-
Pentane 25.5 72.15 18.398 0.2386 23.8579

n-Hexane 16.47 86.177 14.1933 0.18406 18.4066

Heptanes 7.5 100.204 7.5153 0.09746 9.746

Octanes + 7.83 114.231 8.9442 0.1159 11.5994

Totals 100 77.1099 1.00 100.0

Typical Crude Oil Composition
Component Mole% Weight % Liquid Volume %

Methane 0.2390 0.0335 0.0835

Ethane 0.2938 0.0773 0.1625
Propane 1.0957 0.4227 0.6230
Isobutane 1.0421 0.5298 0.7034
n-Butane 1.6354 0.8315 1.0639
Neopentane 0.1743 0.1100 0.1378
Isopentane 2.1034 1.3275 1.5887
n-Pentane 1.9377 1.2229 1.4481
2,2-Dimethylbutane 0.1945 0.1466 0.1675
2,3-Dimethylbutane 0.5789 0.4364 0.4894
2-Methylpentane 1.7079 1.2875 1.4624
3-Methylpentane 1.0428 0.7861 0.8779
n-Hexane 2.5077 1.8904 2.1272
Heptanes 23.0747 19.4277 19.3564
Octanes 16.3885 15.0922 14.7522
Nonanes 21.7218 21.8364 20.4648
Decanes plus 24.2353 34.5348 34.4851
Nitrogen 0.0274 0.0067 0.0062
Carbon Dioxide 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Total 100.0000 100.0000 100.0000
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Fundamental Calculations
 GPA Standard 8182-03, API MPMS 14.7 dictate the
methods that determine proper Mass Methods of
Liquid Hydrocarbons.
 Generally Mass Measurement techniques are used for liquids
in the .350 < SG <.689 range.
 Per the Standard:
 Volumes derived from mass measured quantities are

always higher than the quantities measured on a

volumetric basis for these streams.
Properties Standard: GPA 2145
 Calculation example
Component COMPONENT std
Name IN MOL % mw lb-mass weight weight density 1/f gal volume vol
fraction % lb/gal fraction %
n2 0
co2 0
c1 0 0 16.043 0 0 0 1.6 0.625 0 0 0
c2 0.2 0.002 30.07 0.06014 0.00072045 0.07204516 2.9714 0.3365417 0.02023962 0.0013211 0.13211008
c3 2.2 0.022 44.097 0.970134 0.01162179 1.16217919 4.2301 0.23640103 0.22934068 0.01496976 1.4969757
ic4 5.5 0.055 58.123 3.196765 0.03829588 3.82958822 4.6934 0.21306516 0.68111923 0.0444587 4.44587043
nc4 5.45 0.0545 58.123 3.1677035 0.03794774 3.79477379 4.8696 0.20535568 0.65050589 0.04246048 4.24604795
ic5 22.62 0.2262 72.15 16.32033 0.1955106 19.5510598 5.2074 0.19203441 3.13406498 0.20456986 20.4569864
nc5 25.5 0.255 72.15 18.39825 0.22040319 22.0403194 5.2618 0.19004903 3.49656961 0.22823163 22.8231633
c6 10.2 0.102 86.177 8.790054 0.1053011 10.5301101 5.5363 0.18062605 1.58771273 0.10363479 10.3634793
c7 8.5 0.085 100.204 8.51734 0.1020341 10.2034103 5.7375 0.17429194 1.4845037 0.09689803 9.68980292
c8 9.83 0.0983 114.231 11.2289073 0.13451752 13.4517524 5.8942 0.16965831 1.90507742 0.12435014 12.4350142
c9 10 0.1 128.258 12.8258 0.15364762 15.3647618 6.0183 0.16615988 2.13113338 0.1391055 13.9105496

Totals 100 83.4754238 15.3202672 1 100

Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement Part 1:
Practical Application of Temperature

 I would like to buy oil from you at a colder

temperature,
 And I would like to sell oil to you at a warmer
temperature.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement Part 1:
Practical Application

WHY ?
 Liquids contract with decreasing temperature.

 I would actually get more oil – on a volumetric

basis.
 Liquids expand with increasing temperature.

 I would actually sell less oil – on a volumetric

basis
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement Part 1:
Temperature Compensation
 Operating temperatures are never the same and vary from
minute to minute.
 Fluids will expand with increasing temperature, and contract
with decreasing temperature.
 Correction equations have been developed, as a function of
density to correct the fluid to a standard of 60 F.
 CTL and CPL factors are actually factors that attempt to
correct for the density change of the product.
 The Temperature Correction Factor must be used: CTL.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement: Part 1
Temperature

 For liquids that maintain constant

expansion relationships with temperature,
various equations have been developed,
primarily based on gravity to correct to a
standard temperature in the US of 60 F.
Temperature Effects: CTL Factors
Temp 45.0 API 45.5 API 46.0 API 46.5 API 47.0 API
Deg F

75.0 0.9920 0.9920 0.9919 0.9919 0.9918

75.5 0.9917 0.9917 0.9916 0.9916 0.9915

76.0 0.9915 0.9914 0.9913 0.9913 0.9913

Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Computer Equations
 In modern Flow Computers it is much easier to calculate the
CTL factor without the Tables, but with an equation. The API
algorithms uses density, temperature, and thermal expansion
factor to determine CTL:
VCF = ρτ/ρ60 = EXP[-α 60∆τ(1+0.8α 60∆τ)]
In which:
VCF = Volume Correction Factor
ρτ = density at temperature τ
ρ60 = density at 60˚F
α 60 = thermal coefficient of expansion for that type of liquid at
60˚F
∆τ = τ – 60.0
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Pressure

 Like temperature, operating pressures are never

the same and vary from minute to minute.

 Hydrocarbon liquids are compressible, and will

contract when pressure is increased, and expand
when pressure is decreased.
 Liquid Volumes corrected to 14.696 or their
equilibrium vapor pressure.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Pressure

 The net effect of the expansion and contraction

of the liquid is the associated density change

 CPL factors are actually factors that attempt to

correct for the density change of the product due
to the application of pressure different than the
standard pressure.
Pressure Effects: CPL Correction

CPL = 1/[1(P – Pe) * F]

In Which:
P = Operation pressure in PSIG
Pe = Equilibrium vapor pressure at operating
pressure ( or zero for liquids with vapor pressures
less than atmospheric)
F = Compressibility factor
Pressure Effects:
Compressibility Factors at 500psi
Temp Deg F 18.0 18.5 19.0 19.5 20.0

99.0 0.00000434 0.00000437 0.00000440 0.00000444 0.00000447

99.5 0.00000434 0.00000437 0.00000441 0.0000444 0.00000448

100.0 0.00000435 0.00000438 0.00000441 0.00000444 0.00000448

CPL Factor at 500 psi

18.0 18.5 19.0 19.5 20

99.0 1.00217 1.00219 1.00200 1.00225 1.00224

99.5 1.00217 1.00219 1.00221 1.00225 1.00245

100.0 1.00218 1.00219 1.00221 1.00225 1.00245

CPL Example
 Crude Oil with a 20.0 API Gravity (at 60.0 F)
metered at a pressure of 500 psi and a
temperature of 100F, has an ‘F’ factor of
0.00000448 from Table 5. The corresponding CPL
is:
CPL = 1 / [ 1- (500-0) * 0.00000448] = 1.0023
Does Pressure Really Matter?
 Crude oil sensitivity to pressure
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Density

 Density is the term that will relate the volume of

the fluid to the mass of the fluid.
 Specific gravity:
 Ratio of Mass of a given volume of a substance to that of
an equal volume of another substance used as a
reference.
 Relative Density
 Ratio of the density of a liquid at a given temperature to
the density of pure water at a standard temperature.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
API Gravity
 The American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API gravity, is a
measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared
to water. If its API gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and
floats on water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
API Gravity

 Special Scale of relative densities used for

Hydrocarbon Liquids.
 Degree API @ 60 deg F = 141.5 - 131.5
Relative Density
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement: API Gravity

Petroleum Liquid Relative Densities API Gravity Range

Crude Oil 1.00 – 0.78 10 - 50

Fuel Oils, Jet Fuel 0.875 – 0.780 30 - 50

Gasoline 0.780 – 0.685 50 - 75

Natural Gas Liquids 0.50 – 0.68 75 - 110

Butanes - Propane 0.695 – 0.505 75 - 115

Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
S&W

 Not all hydrocarbon liquids are pure fluids

at the sales point.
 Typical in Crude Oil custody transfers
where there is minimal processing,
Sediment and Water must be accounted
for.
 ‘non-commercial volumes’
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
S&W

 S & W is taken account of in two fashions

 Continuous measurement to divert fluid into a

bypass tank if value is above specification.

 Sampling of Hydrocarbon Liquid to determine

the CSW – Correction of Sediment and water.

Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
S&W
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Vapor Pressure.

 The pressure at which liquid hydrocarbon is in

equilibrium between it liquid and vapor state.
 For a liquid at a given temperature, it refers to
the pressure at which bubbles just start to form.

 ‘Bubble Point Liquid’

 Cricondenbar
Supercritical Fluid Region

Critical Point
Liquid Region

Vapor Region
Cricondentherm

2 Phase Region
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Vapor Pressure.

 Reid Vapor Pressure

 Testing done at 100 deg F per ASTM D323-28

 Usually the minimum specification for transport

of Hydrocarbon Liquids is 10 RVP.
 Recently RVP Values of as low as 6 are being required.

 Insures that losses due to evaporation, and

flashing in meters is kept to a minimum.
RVP at 100 deg F in PSIA
Ethane 800
Propane 188.696
i-Butane 72.484
n-Butane 51.683
i-Pentane 20.456
n-Pentane 15.558
n-Hexane 4.961
n-Heptane 1.62
n-Octane 0.366
n-Nonane 0.17
n-Decane 0.616
Measurement of Liquids
Effect of Varying Composition: S.G.= 0.475

C1 C2 C3 C4 NC4 IC5 IC5 C6+ CO2 VP

1.1 37.6 33.9 4.1 12.5 0.9 3.1 4.37 .37 492
.71 39.4 31.0 4.8 11.9 3.4 3.4 5.21 .2 470
.9 39.9 30.3 4.7 11.1 3.3 3.3 5.9 .42 487
1.9 37.2 33.8 3.9 12.2 2.9 3.2 4.5 .45 546
.65 39.3 31.6 4.7 12.1 3.3 3.4 4.9 .13 464
.96 37.2 34.3 5.2 12.9 3.1 2.8 3.5 0 476
1.4 36.7 33.5 5.2 12.9 3.3 3.1 3.8 0 510
.86 40.7 29.4 4.5 10.9 3.4 3.2 6.7 .29 490
.87 36.9 34.9 5.5 12.9 3.2 2.8 2.9 0 466
.46 41.7 28.7 4.5 10.5 3.4 3.4 6.8 .45 464
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Viscosity

 Viscosity is the characteristic of a fluid that

causes it to resist flow.

 The higher value of Viscosity the greater it’s

resistance to flow.
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Viscosity

 Fundamental unit of absolute viscosity is the Poise.

 Kinematic Viscosity is absolute viscosity divided by

density represented in units of Centistokes: cSt.

 Including density is more useful in predicting

pressure loses in meters, pumps, and pipe friction
loss.
Temperature Dependency
Types of Viscous Fluids
Viscosity of Crude Oil
Viscosity of Ketchup
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement: Part 1

 Questions ?
Fundamentals of Liquid Measurement:
Degree Baume
 The U.S. National Bureau of Standards in 1916 established the
Baumé scale (see: Degree Baumé) as the standard for
measuring specific gravity of liquids less dense than water (see:
Density of water). Investigation by the U.S. National Academy
of Sciences found major errors in salinity and temperature
controls that had caused serious variations in published values.
Hydrometers in the U.S. had been manufactured and distributed
widely with a modulus of 141.5 instead of the Baumé scale
modulus of 140. The scale was so firmly established that by
1921 the remedy implemented by the American Petroleum
Institute was to create the API Gravity scale, recognizing the
scale that was actually being used.