This past Sunday, the KC Star of the 27th ran a front page article," It’s Hot Fuel for You, Cold Cash for Big Oil" by Steve Everly. The basic premise is that anyone who has purchased fuel [gasoline or diesel at any temperature over 60deg F, was not getting the full amount of fuel purchased.] It seems that the natural expansion of fuel’s as they rise above the level of 60 degrees is not compensated for by most retail pumps in the United States,[ Canadian’s have previously addressed this issue and their laws require a temperature or volume compensation “at the pump”] This was a multipage article on Sunday and the follow on article, mentions that there has been an investigation started in California. It was apparently some independent truckers who realized that when they were pumping hot fuel into their trucks they were having a problem with tank volume and therefore, expansion. The article says that this is approximately a 2.3 Billon hit on Consumers, and the American Petroleum Institute says the amount is insignificant[?].
National Institute of Standards and Technology tested temperatures at 1,000 truck stops nation wide, they found the average temperature nationwide all year round was 64.3 degrees F. between 2002/2004, 5 degrees higher that the government standard of 5 degrees F. At 60 degrees the consumer receives 235 cubic inches of fuel, while at 90degrees F the consumer receives 231 cubic inches. quoted:( KC Star 27 Aug2006)
Over the life of a vehicle gas or diesel you buy a lot of value that does not benefit you.
I’ve always stayed up nights wondering why I have to pay for the gasoline still left in the hose, as the volume of my purchase is measured inside the pump housing. I know it works out with each successive fillup because I get for free what’s left in the hose from the previous customer, but what if I’m the first customer all the time – when the hose is empty? [swg]
I remember when one of the new guys would fill up one of our diesel fire trucks on a hot day. He’d do a “cap-job” and then back the engine into a hot firehouse. Soon, we’d answer a call for a fuel spill – in our own engine room. Embarrassing.
Each individual has the same opportunity to drain out of the hose what is available after the pump has stopped. It seems not much will drain from the hose after the pump operation is stopped.
For some reason, this situation seems to be different with the nozzles, etc. in use today as compared to many years ago.
Years ago it was possible to drain considerable amount from the none operating pump.
Perhaps if a person overrides the process…{shuts the pump down by hand and not the nozzle installation one can “get” a bit more out of the hose.
Just to carry the thought a bit farther…Now I believe we run the pump to a certain money value or until the tank is topped off…and then return the nozzle/hose to the pump and that then shuts down the pump. I suppose if one wished to “squeeze” the last drop out he can try to shut the pump down by closing the switch by hand in place of the nozzle doing it and then at that point one could sort of “drain the hose”…Maybe…Not sure.
With a little bit of refrigeration equipment, a locomotive could chill its fuel and get more in the tank…and they can use the extra fuel to haul the extra weight of the refrigeration equipment. [:D]
…But look what’s happening now…Pricing of fuel is falling…!! What has changed…?? It’s really falling from what it was a few weeks ago.
Put gas in my truck this morning here in Muncie for 2.56…Not bad compared to the peek a short time ago. Saw some signs on local news {Indy}, for 2.49…!
Hurricane predictions are forecasting fewer hurricanes–>less chance of Gulf oil production slowdowns.
Summer driving season is about over–>Less demand
End of the hot season–>no need for expensive EPA mandated oxygenates in the gas.
And we’ve used less gas this summer than predicted.
Modelcar; I think you missed my point in the original post. The price of fuel will rise and fall as mentioned in other threads about how fuel PRICES fluctuate…
The problem I was trying to illustrate is the problem of pumping HOT[ over 60 degreesF] Fuel. Over sixty degrees the fuel expands, and the hotter it is the greater the expansion.The Less fuel reaches your tank. Hot expanded fuel delivers less cubic inches to your use.
I remember something in the 60’s about NASCAR using dry ice in the gas that was in the pits to be used during the race. I believe that the thinking was to get more laps per tankful, thus less pit stops in a long race. Don’t remember if it worked or not, but I never hear about it today. Maybe it was outlawed or something, but if it worked, you would think that it would have been used more often. About today’s pumps, when the pump shuts down, the nozzle is no longer operable so you can’t get the last few drops out. Just addin to the subject.
…Yes, Sam…I understand your point and I didn’t mean to take away your train of thought on said subject. Just making another comment of expanded or contracted costs of buying fuel to railfan or other needed trips.
Certainly, heat does expand fuel and expanded volume of fuel has less BTU’s contained in it…hence higher cost. Buy cool…ha.
Cool! That’s the working word![^] Apparently, Canada has addressed this problem of the heat in fuel some time in the past and requires temperature adjusted pumps for dispensing retail fuel. Maybe one of the Canadian members might have some insight on this. The article mentioned that to bring temperature adjusted pumps inot the retail marketing business, was an expense to the oil companies of something like $18 million. Whereas, they are estimated to make something like $2.8 Billion per year by doing nothing about it.
Apparently the 60 degrees F temp was the temperature of fuel in the old single wall underground storage tanks[UST], after it had cooled down after delivery. Today, the EPA requires doublewalled UST’s and they act like a thermos bottle, holding the fuel at a higher temperature longer. An example used in the article was diesel fuel refined at the refinery in Memphis,Tn and delivered straight away to the truckstops at West Memphis, Ark about 10/15 miles away. the temps of fuel being pumed were in the 80/90 degree range. drastically effecting the amount of fuel delivered.