nimrod1230
Well-Known Member
Todays petrol should not be stored i assume in a vented tank for a lengthy time. What about storage in a sealed can with minimal airspace?
Petrol storage?
- Thread starter nimrod1230
- Start date
Graham376
Well-Known Member
We've not had any problems with 2 stroke mix (road diesel) in outboard remote tank for around 6 months or, in plastic fuel cans for 18+ months following Covid lockdowns.
geem
Well-Known Member
We store it in 20 litre sealed cans on deck. Safest place for it.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
Yes, a 5 ltr plastic can will hold 6 ltrs. I store mine in the bow deck locker which is vented and stays quite cool.
Spirit (of Glenans)
Well-Known Member
2-stroke mix with diesel?
thinwater
Well-Known Member
Keep e10 out of the sun. The UV does not do the plastic can or the contents any favors and a sealed tank will build a lot of pressure.
geem
Well-Known Member
We use sunbrella covers. We fill the cans to the brim. No space for gas to expand. If we don't brim them they swell horribly.
We won't keep petrol below decks even in a vented locker. I would rather have damaged fuel than petrol vapours in a locker. Too much risk for me
Graham376
Well-Known Member
My mistake obviously, road E5 petrol!
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Literally doesn't matter about being full to brim or just reasonably filled.
Non Bio ... E5 ... E10 .... no difference - the storage should be DARK container, sealed and in a dark cool area .... will last for ages.
You are combating : Light - Heat - Oxygen.
Non Bio ... E5 ... E10 .... no difference - the storage should be DARK container, sealed and in a dark cool area .... will last for ages.
You are combating : Light - Heat - Oxygen.
geem
Well-Known Member
We are in the Caribbean. It doesn't matter where you keep fuel, it's hot. Our is under covers in the sun but it gets warm. A half full container expands alarmingly. A very full one doesn't expand at all. Fuel cans stay on deck for up to three months and doesn't seem to suffer in my experience. Running a 15hp two stroke that isn't fussy about fuel quality like a 4 stroke may be helpful
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Gasoline actually has different specs depending on geographical location use. Diesel is not the only fuel to have this.
Yes its shipped all round the world and appears to be same - but before it hits retail - depending on locational climate - additives may be added to modify.
Quoting Caribbean fuel vs UK / N Europe is flawed.
geem
Well-Known Member
Why would they modify fuel for the Caribbean? What would they change? Climatic conditions are no different to many places in the world where it gets hot. How do these additives change the storage requirements?
My cars sits at home sonetimes for two years unused. I take them straight to the MOT centre and they pass the emissions requirements on two year old fuel. The petrol I brought back with me from the Caribbean on deck sat in cans at home for 12 months. It got used in the outboard, eventually, with no I'll effects.
My cars sits at home sonetimes for two years unused. I take them straight to the MOT centre and they pass the emissions requirements on two year old fuel. The petrol I brought back with me from the Caribbean on deck sat in cans at home for 12 months. It got used in the outboard, eventually, with no I'll effects.
onesea
Well-Known Member
My experience of storing petrol sealed can, cool ventilated, place out of sun is best. Not always achievable so thought is required for storage, ventilation sun protection full cans etc…
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Believe it not ... your choice.
Of course fundamentally they will work in all climates within reason - but having blended Gasoline and Diesels for many years - I can state clearly that blending does occur based on location. My job was to blend base Gasoline - the final blend analysis would determine destination of that volume. Could be West Africa, Caribbean or Europe. Once destination decided - it would sail and offload to bulk terminal for final blend processing for that market.
Variations on Colour, Oxidation Stability, RVP, Density, Distilation Curve and Recovery %. Are just a few of the tests determining destination and final processing.
Ian_Edwards
Well-Known Member
I bought some steel, mini jerry cans, nominally 5L, but they take 6L. The have the traditional jerry can cap, with a lever clamp and rubber seal.
I keep them in a deck locker with a low level vent overboard.
Impressed by them, they don't leak and there's no smell of petrol when I open the locker, which is a big change from when I used typical 5L plastic fuel cans, bought from a fuel station forecourt.
They also came with a metal and plastic spout, which makes filling the outboard tank very easy, without spilling any fuel.
They came from Hong Kong, via eBay, delivery was free, and they arrived in days.
runningnoodles on eBay
I keep them in a deck locker with a low level vent overboard.
Impressed by them, they don't leak and there's no smell of petrol when I open the locker, which is a big change from when I used typical 5L plastic fuel cans, bought from a fuel station forecourt.
They also came with a metal and plastic spout, which makes filling the outboard tank very easy, without spilling any fuel.
They came from Hong Kong, via eBay, delivery was free, and they arrived in days.
runningnoodles on eBay
thinwater
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I didn't say below decks, I said out of the sun. On my PDQ there is a venter locker with the main gas tank that can take a 5-gallon jerry can. On my F-24 the portable fuel tank is under a shelf that keeps it out of the sun. Covers (white is best--by law large gasoline tanks must be either white or silver--never a matching dark color) help. But never in the main cabin or any area vented to it.
emmalina
Well-Known Member
Fuel doesn,t expand much but the air in the can does !
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Its actually the fuel going into vapour phase that causes the pressure ......
Temperature actually has a direct effect on fuel volume .... we use special tables every day to calculate this (ASTM VCF) .... each range of products has its own set of tables. Tanker Ships are not to exceed loaded to max 98% volume on any tank for this reason.,
If you do not think fuel expands significantly ....... then you have not seen an aircrafts wing tanks leaking if stood longer than planned and temp risen.
thinwater
Well-Known Member
Yes, I have seen tanks overflow in the heat. Not a happy sight!
But this leads to an interesting question. The vapor pressure at a given temperature will be the same regardless whether the can is 50%, 90% or 99% full. But the 50% full can will heat up more in the sun (only a limitied number of hours before the shade passes) so the temperature will be higher so the pressure will be greater. A nearly empty can will bulge fast and far.
If the tank is 99% full, the volume of air is very limited. The gas will reach the same temperature as the 90% can, but the volume to which it will expand is potentially 10 times less, because there isn't much air, and thus the tank stretches less (the air in contact with fuel can either increase pressure or expand in the same ratio--gas law). In the case of a vented tank, such as aircraft, when the fuel expands it comes out. In a seal metal tank it could split. Glass would certainly burst. But a plastic can will stretch a few percent without noticeably bulging.
You should never fill a metal can past 95%, but perhaps the rule with plastic is different. This may call for some experinments (until then, keep the cans out of the sun!), and the results will depend on the can design and plastic.
A good observation by Geem. All of us have noticed this difference.
thinwater
Well-Known Member
No winter. Gasoline in Minnesota has to evaporate when it is -40F.