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Flowmeter LC Units: High-Volume Petroleum Tanker Truck Loading Station Equipment

Quick Answer: LC flowmeter units are positive displacement meters that deliver repeatable batch totals for petroleum truck loading stations. They suit diesel, gasoline, fuel oil, and other petroleum products at high loading rates. Select a DN50 to DN100 oval gear flow meter with pulse plus 4-20 mA HART output and ATEX Zone 1 certification.

Why Loading Stations Need Stable Metering

A truck loading station fills road tankers at flow rates from 200 L/min to 1500 L/min. The batch controller opens valves, reads the meter pulses, and shuts off the valve at the target volume. If the meter drifts, each batch can be off by tens or hundreds of litres. We have seen this on customer sites in Indonesia and Nigeria. Last year a customer in Vietnam asked us to replace a turbine meter on a diesel loading skid because batch totals drifted. Positive displacement LC units hold repeatability well because they measure fixed volumes per shaft rotation.

What LC Flowmeter Units Bring to Petroleum Loading

LC units such as oval gear flow meters move liquid in small measuring chambers. Each chamber has a fixed volume. The sensor counts pulses per chamber. That gives stable output when viscosity changes from diesel at 3 cP to heavy fuel oil at 380 cP. In practice, this matters at terminals that load several products through the same loading arm. A positive displacement meter reduces the number of product recipe changes. Typical accuracy is plus or minus 0.2 percent of reading. For custody transfer style batch loading, that is often enough for terminal operations.

Key Specifications for Truck Loading Skids

Most truck loading skids use DN80 or DN100 flanged flowmeter LC units. A DN80 oval gear meter from Silver Instruments can handle 10 to 60 m3/h. A DN100 gear meter can manage 20 to 100 m3/h on light oils. Pressure rating is usually PN16 or ANSI 150. Temperature range covers 0 to 80 °C for standard seals, or up to 150 °C with PTFE seals. Output should include pulse and 4-20 mA HART. Pulse output feeds the batch controller. 4-20 mA HART feeds the terminal PLC or SCADA.

Installation and Calibration at the Loading Bay

Install the LC flowmeter unit downstream of the strainer and the air eliminator. Many loading systems include a back pressure valve after the meter to prevent cavitation and measurement error. Positive displacement meters do not always need long straight pipe. But avoid sharp bends directly at the inlet. Here is the thing about calibration. It can be done with a master meter or a prover. We normally recommend a five point calibration across the expected flow range. Send us your fluid, viscosity in cP, flow range in L/min, pressure in bar, temperature in °C, and pipe size in DN. We will size the meter and provide a quote.

Common Problems on High Volume Petroleum Loading Skids

Pulsation from gear pumps can cause unstable readings if the meter is undersized. Vapour bubbles in gasoline reduce chamber filling and cause under measurement. Mechanical register failure happens if a strainer is missing. In tropical terminals in Malaysia, humidity affects old pulse preamplifiers. Use an IP66 or IP67 preamplifier with a local display. We have supplied Silver Instruments LC units to diesel depots in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The common fix is a strainer, an air release valve, and a back pressure valve.

FAQ: Five Questions Engineers Ask

Q: Which flow meter is best for a petroleum tanker loading station?

A: For diesel, fuel oil, and gasoline batch loading, a positive displacement LC unit such as an oval gear flow meter is a strong choice. It gives pulse output for batch control and works over a wide viscosity range.

Q: What accuracy can I expect from an LC flo