Got this in an email this morning, and found it interesting enough to pass along. Some I already knew, but some I didn't:


I've been in petroleum pipeline business for about 31 years, currently
working for the Kinder-Morgan Pipeline here in San Jose , CA . We deliver
about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period from the pipe line; one day
it's diesel, the next day it's jet fuel and gasoline. We have 34
storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Here are some tricks to help you get your money's worth:

1. Fill up your car or truck in the morning when the
temperature is still cool. Remember that all
service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground; and the
colder the ground, the denser the gasoline. When it gets warmer gasoline
expands, so if you're filling up in the afternoon or in the evening,
what should be a gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum
business,the specific gravity and temperature of the fuel (gasoline,
diesel, jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products) are significant.
Every truckload that we load is temperature-compensated so that the
indicated gallonage is actually the amount pumped. A one-degree rise in
temperature is a big deal for businesses, but service stations don't
have temperature compensation at their pumps.

2. If a tanker truck is filling the station's tank at the time you want
to buy gas, do not fill up; most likely dirt and sludge in the tank is
being stirred up when gas is being delivered, and you might be
transferring that dirt from the bottom of their tank into your car's tank.


3. Fill up when your gas tank is half-full (or
half-empty),because the more gas you have in your tank
the less air there is and gasoline evaporates rapidly,
especially when it'swarm. (Gasoline storage tanks
have an internal floating 'roof' membrane to act as a
barrier between the gas and the atmosphere, thereby
minimizing evaporation.)

4. If you look at the trigger you'll see that it has
three delivery settings: slow, medium and high.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of
the nozzle to the highsetting. You should be pumping
at the slow setting, thereby minimizing vapors created
while you are pumping. Hoses at the pump are
corrugated; the corrugations act as a return path for
vapor recovery from gas that already has been
metered. If you are pumping at the high setting, the
agitated gasoline contains more vapor, which is being
sucked back into the underground tank, so you're
getting less gas for your money. Hope this will help
ease your 'pain at the pump'.

 

Wow, good post. Interesting stuff. Good to know

 

Interesting, but No.1 seems strange.

Temperatures underground are normally constant 24 hours a day. Ask any coal miner (even just a few feet under). Dirt us an insulator.

Can't imagine the temperature of thoudsand of gallons ofgas changing overcouple degree in a 24 hour period.

But as alway, I could be wrong.

 

It is true about cold gasoline though!

Riddle[/align]Fred has a choice of putting a gallon of cold gasoline (say 40 degrees F) or a gallon of warm gasoline (say 80 degrees F) into his car. Which choice will result in the greatest mileage?[/align]
[/align]Hint[/align]
What happens to most substances when they are heated?
[/align]
Answer
Fred would be wise to pick the cold gas. A gallon of cold gasoline will result in greater mileage because it contains more molecules. Gasoline expands when the temperature increases, like most things. And if the measuring container does not expand also to compensate exactly, a gallon of warm gasoline doesn't go as far.[/align]

 

I just don't see thousands if gallons of gas changing 40 degreess ever 12 hours. Especially under ground.

 

Myths on saving Gas

Boy, you read some of these guides and wonder where they get their "facts" from.

Myth #1. Fill up on a cool day so you get more gas. Fact: the coefficient of expansion of gasoline is 0.00060 per degree Farenheit. That means what you get is what you pay for. Gas stations have their storage tanks deeply buried underground an average of 15-20 feet. At that depth the temperature is pretty constant. So "fluctuations" in the underground temps are uncommon and therefore the gasoline doesn't become denser when the weather is cool outside.

Myth #2. Name brands have better quality gasoline. Fact: Different refineries all put out the same thing, gasoline. Oh yeah, some name brands have detergents and "additives" but if you get just gasoline, you get gasoline, period. That's like buying gold and adding lead to give it color. If you want additives, buy it separately. You'll find these "additives" worthless overall. My friend Sal the chemist who usually swears by name brand gas, found one mom&pop gas store was selling hexane heavily mixed into the gasoline. Hexane is a cheap hydrocarbon that lowers the overall quality of gas, it still burns but the energy output is alot less, kinda like waterdowned drinks. I told my friend Sal what prevents that name brand from buying the same doped gas from the same less reputable distributor? He checked a nearby name brand and guess what, he found the same formulation in the name brand. In order to compete with his neighborhood underpriced mom&pop operation, Namebrand also bought some doped gas to "waterdown" and get a profit.

Myth #3 You can buy better gas mileage using additives, magnets, or intake turbines, etc. Fact: No additive or gadget maker has ever been proven to get better gas mileage. No matter how many ten to twenty actors with paid testimonials these infomercials throw at you, you will be convinced that this product will work, regardless of what millions of other consumers have already found out, these gadgets and additives don't work.

Myth #4 Filling up the tank wastes gas, because you're using more gas by carrying the extra weight. Fact: A gallon of gas weighs around six pounds. In a 15 gallon tank capacity, a full tank is about 90lbs. and a half tank is 45 lbs. National averaged estimated savings is 1-2% per 100 lbs of weight reduced in a car. Keeping the tank half empty would save you 0.5% or 1 penny per gallon. On the flip side, keeping the tank half empty requires more trips to the gas station. Keeping the tank half empty allows more room for gas vapor loss to escape to the charcoal canister. Keeping the tank half empty allows more water vapor to get into your tank to cause rust, because at night, the gas vapor condenses, drawing humidified outside air into the tank. Keeping the tank half empty makes you more prone to the fluctuations in gas prices, because you're constantly buying gas.

 

[/align][align=center]So what are some fuel-savings tips you can trust?[/align][ul][*]Make sure your tires are properly inflated for starters. Besides posing a safety hazard, underinflated tires can reduce your fuel economy slightly, based on Edmunds.com's 2005 study.[/ul]
[ul][*]Removing excess weight from your car can also help save you gas. The Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 3 and 6 cents a gallon (assuming gas prices of $2.97 a gallon) just by removing those golf clubs and other unnecessary weight from your trunk.[/ul]
[ul][*]If your car comes equipped with cruise control, make sure you use it, especially on long trips. Edmunds.com's study revealed that using cruise control at highway speeds offered an average fuel economy savings of 7 percent.[/ul]
[ul][*]But the biggest fuel saver is driving the speed limit and driving sensibly. Rapid starts and stops and exceeding the speed limit will dent your pocketbook. Just by adhering to one of those, the Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 15 and 98 cents a gallon, again assuming pump prices are at $2.97 a gallon.[/ul]

 

good stuff guys, i don't see where the speed you pump at matters either though to be honest. gas is more of a liquid than a gas, its the vapors coming off of itthat burn. i don't think it would svae you the extra time it takes to fill up.

 

Holy crap GPD, you are a veritable fountain of knowledge on this topic. You and Space Dood must surf the same websites. God I wish I knew my way arond the old magic box like you guys.

Buy the way, I agree with you, gas stored underground shouldn't have much of a temperature fluctuation day or night. What is it they say, 5 feet down is a constant 58 degrees. This is why you can make use of a ground source heat pump system.

 

Hey Rev, thanks for the comps, I just love using the I-net (the clean part anyways).

As the unofficial Grandpa of the unofficial forum for Monte Carlo Owners, I'm just trying to take advantage of this DSL and give Space Uncle a hand.