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T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
Vol. 9 , No.
IO
THE HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUIDS ON AN INDUSTRIAL S C A L E I Symposium held by the ROCHESTER SECTION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY a t t h e University of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y . . May 21. 1917
T H E STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUIDS By FLORUS R . BAXTER.of the Vacuum Oil Company
The transportation of liquids in large quantities was started in this country shortly after the beginning of the era of the production of crude oil in commercial quantities, and due t o that fact. As far back as 1781 Lord Dundonald secured an English patent for “A Process of Obtaining Naphtha, Brown or Heavy Oil from Coal by Distillation.” I n r830, Laurent in England made paraffine by the distillation of bituminous shale. The following fifteen years witnessed considerable progress in distilling shales, and a patent taken out in England in 1845 describes the purification of the distillates with sulfuric acid and with alkali, the method still used for deodorizing and decolorizing the burning oils. From 1840 to 1850 many experiments were made both in England and in the United States for the production of a fluid that could be burned for illuminating purposes to take the place of candles. I n 1847 Dr. James Young, of Renfrewshire, succeeded in extracting, on a commercial scale, wax and lightburning oil as well as a heavy lubricating oil from a crude oil that flowed from the top of a coal working a t Alfreton in Derbyshire. I n 1850 he took out his celebrated patent for “Obtaining Paraffine Oil, or an Oil Containing Paraffine and Paraffine from Bituminous Coal.” Incidentally this paraffine of the English people is the product we know as “kerosene.” During the next ten years some fifty or sixty coal oil refineries in the United States alone were licensed by Dr. Young to distil both bituminous coal and bituminous shale, and their manufactured products were equal in every way to the foreign articles. The most important of these refineries was the Downer Kerosene Works located a t Boston. The word “kerosene” was their trademark, but it persists and is used to-day to designate the ordinary grades of burning oil. TRANSPORTATION BY BOAT
Experiments had been made in a small way with the crude oil obtained in the Oil Creek region and had established the fact that the kerosene made from the distillation of coal and shale could also be made from the crude petroleum and a t a considerable saving in price. The supplying of crude oil therefore to the several refineries (many a t a considerable distance from the oil fields) necessitated an increased production and inaugurated transportation in the large way. At first oak barrels holding 40 to 42 gallons were either hauled out by teams to the nearest railroad station where they were placed on platform cars for shipment to the distant refineries, or they were floated on boats down Oil Creek, The boats loaded with empty barrels were towed up the Creek by horses or mules, wading in the stream, there being no tow-path. After filling, the barrels were again loaded on the boats which were released a t the next freshet. As a matter of economy, two upright wooden tanks or cisterns holding 2000 gallons each, replaced the barrels on barges and platform cars, and boats having a number of water-tight compartments took the place of the barrel barges. I n 1871 the wooden tanks began to disappear, their place being supplied by the horizontal, cylindrical boiler iron tanks now in general use. Those made in 1580 held from 3000 to 5000 gallons. To-day two- or three-compartment tanks afford capacity as low as 2000 gallons while the largest tanks hold 1 2 , 0 0 0 gallons. If this latter quantity were filled into jo-gallon barrels,
the average size, three large box cars would be required for its transportation. The first vessel fitted with iron tanks for the marine transport of petroleum was the wooden ship “Charles,” which was employed between the years 1869 and 1872 in the trade between the United States and Europe for the transport of crude oil. Her capacity was 794 tons and this was carried in a double row of tanks, 59 in all. Apparently this was either a barge or a sailing vessel, for the statement is made that the first steamer built especially for this trade was completed in 1872. Numerous improvements were made in ocean-going ships, the number of tanks being gradually diminished until eight appears to have been settled on as the proper number of divisions. I n 1903 the “Narragansett” was completed for the Anglo-American Oil Company. Boverton Redwood says of her: “The ‘A7avragansett’ is in several respects a notable vessel; she is built of steel, 531 feet long, 63 feet 6 inches broad, 42 feet deep and is fitted with engines &idships. She has a gross tonnage of 9196 tons, a deadweight carrying capacity of 1 2 , 0 0 0 tons of which 10,500 to 11,000 tons may be held in bulk, and the remainder coal or fuel oil, and her displacement a t low draught is over ~ 0 , 0 0 0tons. “At that time she was one of the largest bulk oil carriers afloat and one of the heaviest ships ever launched on the Clyde. More notably still is the fact that she can be quickly turned into an ordinary cargo steamer. “The oil tanks proper, of which there are eight, are situated four forward and four aft of the machinery space and are divided by a longitudinal bulkhead running fore and aft through all the tanks. “There are four cofferdams situated one a t each end of the forward oil tanks and one a t each end of the after oil tanks. “The pumps are of the duplex type, latest available plate pattern and have a combined maximum output of 900 tons per hour. A cargo of 10,800 tons may thus be discharged in 12 hours. “The engines, which are of the triple expansion type, are of very massive design and develop 5200 I. H. P., giving a speed of 13 knots.” As a matter of information a ton of refined oil (kerosene) is equivalent to approximately 7 barrels of 50 gallons each, SO we may figure that the actual number of barrels that may be filled from one cargo of this ship is 75,600. You will be interested t o know that while the Vacuum Oil Company does not own as large a ship as this, it has two tankers in service, one of which compares favorably with it. The “Bramell Point” named for the point on the Delaware River a t which is located its new refinery, was launched last year and on its second trial trip it was my pleasure to be a passenger. It is a tanker of modern type and is the first commercial motor vessel to be built in the United States. She is a triple screw vessel, driven by three Bolinder oil motors developing 1650 H. P. Her dimensions are: Length, 293 ft.; beam, 47 ft.; depth, 28 f t . When fully loaded she will carry approximately 34,500 barrels of refined oil, her deadweight capacity being 4950 tons. The other tanker is the “Paulsboro,” named for the new works just referred to, and is over twice the size of the motor vessel “Bramell Point,” having a capacity of 11,700 tons. Loaded she will carry approximately 80,500 barrels of refined oil. The “Paulsbouo” is 435 f t . long, 56 ft. beam and
T H E JOURN.4L O F I N D I ’ S T R I A L -4ND E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y
O C t . , 1917
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has a depth of 33l/2 ft. She is propelled with triple expansion stem engines, single screw and has a speed of I I knots per hour.
Iron tanks are quite generally used for storage in the oilproducing countries, though earthen reservoirs, either clay or timber lined, are not unusual in Russia. I n some of the newer TRANSPORTATION BY PIPE LINE fields in this country where it has not been possible to erect The first pipe line was 3 miles long and was laid in 1862. It was a gas pipe 4 in. in diameter and with caulked joints. wrought iron tanks, before some of the first wells were brought in, earthen tanks are now being utilized. A large concrete lined The leakage was so great t h a t little oil was delivered a t destination and the line was soon abandoned. I n 186j the first reservoir has recently been constructed in the Southwest section of our own country for experimental purposes. successful line was constructed and was the forerunner of this The most unique reservoirs, however, will be the ones evenmost useful method of transportation. I t connected the Shaffcr tually t o be owned by our own government. Secretary Daniels Farm with Benninghof Run, was of 4 in. pipe and was 4 miles states that when the three years’ program of oil-burning naval long. All the great oil-producing territories are now connected vessels, authorized by Congress, is completed, the navy alone with the seaboard refineries. will require 6,721,000 barrels of fuel oil annually and by 1927 I n Russia kerosene is pumped through lines connecting rethis will amount t o IO,OOO,OOO barrels. The present oil reserves fineries on the Caspian Sea with the open Black Sea. Just Nos. I and 2 are located in California and S o . 3 in lyyoming. one concrete example will be given t o show the magnitude of this Reserve No. 2 is in proven fields and probably contains above method of transportation. Crude oil is pumped from the Kansas ~oo,ooo,ooo barrels of oil. The scheme is to hold the oil in fields t o h-ew York-by relays of course. nature’s great reservoirs safe from fire and wastage until needed. I have not obtained definite figures as t o the lines between Whiting (Chicago) and Kansas City, b u t from data feel safe When this time arrives the drills will be started. The one great in assuming there are a t least an equivalent of two 8-in. lines precaution is to keep “poachers” a t a safe distance away from these preserves, because it has been pretty well cstablished all the way. A map issued by the Department of the Interior that the crude in one lease can be drawn away by an adjoining shows two lines all the distance of 450 miles, b u t not their size, one. many sections of three lines, a less number with four lines and With a careful selection of such great bodies of crudes and one considerable distance having five lines. From Whiting to with proper safeguarding, our country can be macle reasonably New York the following data on lengths of lines are taken from sure of an ample supply of fuel oil for many years to come, and Redwood’s “Treatise on Petroleum.’’ The trunk lines are of various diameters and contain the following number of barrels let us hope until the time arrives when it will no longer tie necessary to have a fleet of battleships afloat. of 42 gallons each per mile in length : 4 in. 82.07 bbls.
5 in. 128.23 bbls.
6 in. 184.67 bbls.
8 in. 3 2 8 . 2 4 bbls
From Whiting to 9 e w York the trunks are in pairs nearly all the distance and include : 129.20 miles 1316.93 miles 624.48 miles 900.00 miles
of 5 in. of 6 in. of 8 in. of 8 in.
pipe pipe pipe uiue . -
holding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,56i bbls. holding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243.19i bbls. holding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.979 bbls. from Whiting to Kansas C i t y . . . 295,416 bbls.
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Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
i60.159 bbls.
The average price for the crude oil t h a t is pumped through this line was quoted in May, 1 9 1 7 , as S1.90. The value of the oil in the line therefore is S1,444,302. This line must be full of oil before a single barrel can be delivered a t the other end; in other words, it represents actual dead capital. The pipe itself is of special construction, wrought iron, lap welded, tested to 1200 lbs. pressure. The ends are threaded with greater taper than for ordinary work and the unions, are correspondingly better made. At distances of approsimately 25 miles, pumping stations are located. The oil is usually discharged into tanks from which the pumps draw it. and force i t along t o the tanks a t the next station. As a n indication of the capacities of these lines we find the following definite statements: “The Gulf Pipe Line Company has an 8 in. trunk line from Watkins Station Glenn Pool t o Sour I,ake, a distance of 419 miles. It has a capacity of 14,000 barrels per day. “The Texas Company has an 8 in. trunk line from Lefebre Station, Tulsa, t o Humble, Texas, the length of which is 470 miles. The capacity of the line is I j , O O O barrels daily.” STORAGE
a t t h e wells is usually in wooden tanks having capacities of 2 5 0 barrels and upward. They are connected with the trunk line through 2 in. pipes and are practically measuring tanks. As soon as the tanks are gauged the oil is taken away through the trunk line and delivered either into tank cars or into storage. The standard size for the tanks for storage of crude by the National Transit Company is 30 ft. high by 90 ft. in diameter: these hold 35,000 gallons. STORAGE OF CRUDE OILS
TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF LIQUIDS I N SMALL PACKAGES By I,. R. ADKIXS,of t h e Vacuum Oil Company The container next smaller than the tank and pipe line used in storing and transporting liquids is the barrel. The barrel as a unit of quantity is a rather variable standard. According t o the old arithmetics i t contains 3 I . j gallons and this figure is still used in wine statistics. Crude petroleum in bulk is bought and sold and also calculated by the refiner as of 42 gallons. The container in which the finished products are shipped out holds approximately j o gallons. This discrepancy sometimes causes errors in calculating and is taken advantage of by the unscrupulous Oil Company promoter, who figures a very nice profit on that eight gallons in the size of his barrels from crude oil purchased to gasoline sold. THE WOOD BARREL
The wood barrel used in the petroleum industry in the Eastern United States is made of red and white oak. Some tight gum wood barrels arc used for soft waxes but all the barreled liquid oil goes into oak. These packages are made a t the works or by independent coopers in the oil regions, from staves and heads manufactured in the oak forests of Arkansas. The best material goes to the wine barrel people. Their barrels must hold liquid without a n inside coating, as the contents sivel1 the barrel tight. The oil man must use some barrel coating to make his barrel tight so that small worm holes, etc., arc. filled and of no great consequence. The staves are received a t the cooperage in 34 in. lengths, 3 , 4 in. thick and from 3 to 6 in. wide. The headings are cut t o size, 20 5,’8 in. in diameter. The whole process of manufacture in a modern cooper shop is semi-automatic-that is, after the barrel is once set up machinery does practically all the work on it, the operators merely feeding the machines. The hoops are formed and riveted similarly. As mentioned before, a wood barrel, to hold petroleum products, must have some kind of an inside coating. Many substances have been tried, including various sugar house by-products, water glass and vegetable gums. Many of these adhesives
