SPECIAL REPORT: PIPELINES,
TERMINALS AND STORAGE
Minimize evaporation losses by calculating
boiloff gas in LPG storage tanks
S. SHIVA SHAMEKHI and N. ASHOURI, Faradast Energy Falat Co., Tehran, Iran
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is stored and transported
in tanks as a cryogenic liquid, at a temperature below its boil-
ing point near atmospheric pressure. Due to heat entering the
cryogenic tank during storage and transportation, a portion of
the LPG continuously evaporates, creating a gas called boiloff
gas (BOG). BOG causes evaporation losses in the LPG supply
chain over time.
It is imperative to minimize vaporization and displacement
losses due to the economic and safety problems that can result
from such losses. The amount of BOG depends on the design
and operating conditions of LPG plants. In the LPG supply
chain, BOG can be reliquefied or sent to the flare and burned.
The evaluation of BOG in a storage tank in all operating scenar-
ios is important for the correct selection and design of a BOG
compressor.
Different sources exist for the generation of BOG. These
sources include heat leaks from ambient air around the storage
tank, heat ingress due to the dissipation of pumping power in-
side the tanks, heat leaks from pipelines, flash vapor generated
by liquid rundown and displaced vapor from the tank due to
liquid filling (known as the piston effect).
In this study, boundary conditions and parameters have
been implemented to accurately estimate the amount of BOG
that evaporates at the C3 and C4 refrigeration and loading facili-
ties at the Bandar Abbas gas condensate refinery in Iran.
Study outline. The produced propane and butane from pro-
pane/butane splitter units are cooled down in the propane/
butane refrigeration unit via open-cycle refrigeration, and then
run down to the associated refrigerated tanks and stored at at-
mospheric pressure before being exported to overseas markets
via propane/butane carrier ships.
As shown in FIG. 1, butane rundown is subcooled at the re-
quired temperature level in two exchangers in series, both utiliz-
ing propane. The chilled butane is then sent to the storage tanks.
Propane is divided into two streams. One stream flows to the
first exchanger and is flashed, and the other stream is sent to the
high-pressure C3 suction drums and then flashed in the second
exchanger. Liquid propane from the suction drum is utilized in
the second exchanger, and relevant flashed vapor is sent to me-
dium-pressure C3 suction drums and then to the low-pressure
C3 suction drums.
Liquid propane flashes to lower pressure levels in medium-
and low-pressure suction drums before being pumped to refrig-
erated storage tanks. Propane vapors result from the rundown
product pressure reduction, and flashes at the different pressure
levels are compressed in two parallel, three-stage centrifugal
compressors, before being condensed in a C3 air cooler and a C3
compressor condenser. Liquid propane is collected in a C3 ac-
cumulator and flashed again to the high-pressure suction drum
to restart the cycle.
Boiloff vapors from propane tanks are sent to the low-pres-
sure suction drums and then to the first compressor stage. No
vapors develop from butane tanks due to the subcooling of the
stored liquid product.
Two tanks each are used for C3 and C4 storage. Since the boil-
off calculation method can be used for both types of storage tanks,
calculations are described for only one of the C3 storage tanks.
Operating modes. To load propane and butane to the ship, it
is necessary to cool down the pipelines at the lowest possible
temperature, with the aim of reducing BOG production during
the entrance to the ship compartments. Three steps are need-
ed: preloading, loading and holding. Pre-loading includes two
parts—the initial phase and the final phase—to achieve cool-
ing of the pipeline with low flowrates and appropriate pipeline
temperature, respectively.
As a general rule, each tank follows three steps during nor-
mal operation:
• Filling mode: The tank receives the product from the
process unit at rundown flowrates. During the filling
mode, it is necessary to prepare the tank for ship
loading; in project documentation, this operation
is called preloading.
• Emptying mode: When the ship is ready to receive
the products (i.e., when the pipeline is at proper
temperature, parcels are at proper temperature,
loading arms are connected, etc.), then it is possible
to transfer the product from tank to ship. This
operation is called loading.1
• Holding mode: The tank is full of product and ready
for ship loading, but the ship has not yet arrived or is
not ready for loading. This operation is called holding.
To load propane to the ship, it is necessary to cool down
the two pipelines at the lowest possible temperature, with the
aim of reducing BOG production when products enter the
ship compartments. Therefore, some days before the carrier
ship arrives, circulation from the storage tank to the jetty and
back to the tank is started. This process is applied when the
pipelines are in equilibrium with the external temperature.
Gas Processing | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 17
SPECIAL REPORT: PIPELINES, TERMINALS AND STORAGE

The preloading mode is the most critical operating mode
from the point of view of BOG production, due to the great
quantity of hot fluid trapped in the pipeline. For this reason,
it is necessary to avoid a too-rapid displacement of the fluid to
prevent abnormal overdesign of the BOG compressor.
One of the major sources of boiloff production in lique-
fied gas handling is rollover, which can result in a boiloff rate
several times greater than normal, causing rapid over pressur-
ization while venting a considerable quantity of vapors to at-
mosphere. When the liquid layer adjacent to a liquid surface
becomes denser than the layers beneath due to boiloff of light-
er fractions from the tank, stratification develops and causes
rollover due to rapid mixing as a result of density inversion.
An effective solution is the mixing of the liquid in the tanks.
For this purpose, two circulating pumps are placed inside the
tank: one is always circulating the liquid and the other is used
for cooling the transfer line.
4. Vapor displacement due to liquid inlet in the tank
5. Rapid variation of barometric pressure.
Total BOG flowrate can be calculated with Eq. 1:
BOGTotal = BOGTank + BOGTransferLine + BOGLoadingSystem +
BOGElectricalMotor + BOGATM + BOGCirculationSystem +  (1)
BOGVaporDisplacement + BOGCompensationEffect
Note: The contribution of BOG due to rapid atmospheric
pressure variation is not considered, and is negligible when
compared to the other contributions. Also, the compensation
effect due to outflow of liquid from the tank is not considered.
BOG is calculated utilizing simulation software. The ther-
mophysical properties of propane are collected in TABLE 1. Re-
quired information for the calculation of BOG is presented in
TABLE 2. Calculations for the contribution to BOG by heat ab-
sorbed in tanks are shown in Eqs. 2 and 3.

Calculation methods. BOG evaluation in all operating sce-

K V 0.1% 581.2 21,737 Kg
narios of the tank is important for the correct definition of the (2)
BOG = = = 526.4
flowrates to the BOG compressors. 24 24 h
BOG is produced under the following conditions: 2
1. Heat absorbed from ambient air by refrigerated storage VT = D H = 31 31 28.8
= 21,737 (3)
tanks 4 4
2. Heat absorbed from ambient air by lines
(rundown lines, pipelines) Heat ingress by storage tank is equal in the three cases of
3. Heat produced by the operation of pumps holding, preloading and loading. Equations for the contribution
(loading, circulation, rundown) to BOG by the transfer system are shown in Eqs. 4–9.

C4 Loading pipeline
C4 From tank
C4 Return pipeline C4 From jetty
Quench makeup supply line
Quench makeup return line
T quench in
P quench in Q C3
BOG return
line C3 Return pipeline
C4 From jetty
C3 Air cooler/ Ambient
compressor Q transfer line C3 Loading pipeline
C4 Return C3 Transfer T Fluid in Q C3 loading line C3 From jetty
line line P Fluid in Ambient
C3 BOG T loading
compressor P loading
Transfer Quench Return T Circ. out
fluid in makeup pipeline P Circ. out
fluid in fluid in
HP LP
Vapor displacement
Q Tank due to pumping in
MP
compressor

T Tank
BOG

Compensation effect Ambient

due to pumping in C P
HP MP LP C3 Quench C3 Loading Q tank
Storage HP C3 C3 Storage tank pump pump
C4 From bl. tank Suction MP C3 LP C3
drum Suction Suction T Fluid suction
drum drum P Fluid suction
MP C3 /C4
exchanger C4 To storage T Fluid suction Transfer
tank P Fluid suction pump

C3 From bl.

FIG. 1. Propane refrigeration BOG production.

18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | GasProcessingNews.com

 SPECIAL REPORT: PIPELINES, TERMINALS AND STORAGE

 BOG = WTransfer (4)

Transfer line TABLE 1. Physical properties of C3 and C4 as refrigeration feed
Component Streams
∆H Transfer pump + ∆H Transfer line
 = (5) Propane
Fluid
Liquid fraction 1
∆P 1 Temperature, °C 40
 ∆H Transfer pump = 100 (6)
liq. Pressure, barg 17
Flowrate, m3/h 43
Kp Ap
∆H Transfer line = 3.6 (7) Density, kg/m3 581.5
 WTransfer
Viscosity, cp 0.086

 P = SG H 0.581 88.2
= = 5.03 bar (8)
10.2 10.2 TABLE 2. Required information for boiloff rate calculation
Major consumption Value
5.03 1
 H Transfer pump = 100 = 1.28 (9) Propane
581 0.68
where: Density, kg/m 3
581.5
Q Normal = 21.3 m3/h Storage tank operation pressure, barg 0.06
Q Max = 67.5 m3/h Storage tank height, m 28.8
Head = 88.2 m
η = 0.68 (ηShaft 0.75 × ηMotor 0.9) Storage tank diameter, m 31
ΔP = SG × ΔH Inlet of ship operating pressure, barg 2.5
The ΔH transfer line is calculated by HYSYS. External heat from sun exposure, % 0.1
BOG pertaining to lines (circulation, loading and transfer
line) can be calculated manually using Eqs. 10–14.2 Ambient temperature, °C 42/47
Rundown pressure, barg 0.06
BOG of line = 3.6 QL 1.05
(10) Rundown temperature, °C –42
Latent heat
Latent heat, kj/kg 398
5
Pr = Cpair µair = 1005 1.9 10 = 0.71 (11) Vapor pressure, barg 13.31
Kf 0.027
Wind velocity, m/s 13.5

Re = U D air Air thermal conductivity, W/mk 0.027

(12)
μair Air viscosity, kg/m/s 1.9 × 10–5
Specific heat of ambient air, J/kg/K 1,005
+ Ts)
(T
2 l – Ti
2 Insulation thickness for loading line, mm 89
QL = (13)
 r0 Insulation thickness for return line, mm 102
1
+ ln ri Insulation thermal conductivity 0.038
h0r0 Kins
Length of loading line from tank to jetty, km 23
1
5
0.5 Diameter of loading line from tank to jetty, in. 20
Nu = h0D = 0.3 + 0.62 Re Pr 3 Re 8
1 1+ (14) Length of circulation line from jetty to tank, km 23
Kf 2 4 282,000
0.4 3 Diameter of circulation line from jetty to tank, in. 20
1+
Pr
Kp Ap
∆H Circulation line = 3.6 r line =
Calculations for the contribution to BOG by the circulation WCirculation
system are shown in Eqs. 15–20. (18)
Kp Ap
3.6
BOG = Circulation WCirculation (15) WTransfer

 = ∆H Circulation pump + ∆H Circulation line (16)  P = SG H

=
0.581 339
=19.3 bar (19)
Fluid 10.2 10.2
∆P 1 19.3 1
∆H Circulation pump = 100 (17)  H Transfer pump = 100 = 5.3 (20)
liq. 581 0.68

Gas Processing | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 19

SPECIAL REPORT: PIPELINES, TERMINALS AND STORAGE

TABLE 3. Results of BOG calculation during operating modes

Bog Electrical motor
Transfer Circulation Loading Vapor
Mode Tank line system system Loading pump Circulation pump displacement
Preloading Initial phase 525.9 289.4 1,599.75 52,734.4 – 498 333.9
Final phase 525.9 213.6 1,571.15 30,986.8 869.1 332 222.5
Loading 525.9 – 1,559.9 142.7 869.1 332 109
Holding 525.9 141.1 1,506.55 – – 332 107.6

where: • The maximum pump flowrate is 67.5 m3/h for the

Q Normal = 225 m3/h transfer pump when the system is in preloading mode
Head = 339 m (initial phase)
η = 0.63 (ηShaft 0.7 × ηMotor 0.9) • ρ is determined by the simulator and is derived from
flashing before entrance to the storage tanks.
Calculations for the contribution to BOG by the loading sys- The results for the different operating modes experienced
tem are shown in Eqs. 21–26. by storage tanks are shown in TABLE 3.

BOG = Loading WLoading (21) Takeaway. The calculations described represent a simple
approach for engineers to estimate produced BOG ratio in
∆H Loading pump + ∆H Loading line
 = (22) cryogenic systems for LPG and LNG. The BOG ratio can be
Fluid calculated manually or with the use of a process simulator. GP
 ∆P 1
∆H Loading pump = 100 (23) ACKNOWLEDGMENT
 liq. The author thanks the board of directors and the process division of Faradast
Energy Falat Co., the general contractor of Bandar Abbas Gas condensation refinery,
Kp Ap for its support.
∆H Loading line = 3.6 (24)
 WLoading NOMENCLATURE
λ Latent heat
α Vapor fraction
SG H 0.581 365.5
 P= = = 21 bar (25) η Pump shaft efficiency
10.2 10.2 W Mass flow
Kp Average heat flux through the pipe, W/m2
21 1 Ap Piping external surface area, including insulation, m2
 H Transfer pump = 100 581 0.68 = 5.02 (26) H Enthalpy
Kt Vaporization coefficient, considered equal to 0.001 for C3/C4
where: Vt Geometrical volume of tank, m3
ρ Density
Q Loading = 1,250 m3/h Kf Thermal conductivity of ambient air, W/km
Head = 365.5 m Kins Thermal conductivity of insulation, W/km
η = 0.72 (ηShaft 0.8 × ηMotor 0.9)
LITERATURE CITED
Calculations for the contribution to BOG by electric motors
1
Chen, C. C., “Fine-tune refrigerated LPG loading line operation,” Hydrocarbon
Processing, August 2005.
are shown in Eqs. 27–28. 2
Wordu, A. A. and B. Peterside, “Estimation of boiloff gas from refrigerated vessels
Q Electrical motor in liquefied natural gas plant,” International Journal of Engineering and Technology,
BOG = λ Fluid (27) Vol. 3, No. 1, January 2013.
3
Adom, E., et al. “Modelling of boiloff gas in LNG tanks: A case study,” International
⎡ 1 ⎤ Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2010, pp. 292–296.
Q Electrical motor = 3,600 × Power × ⎢1− ⎥ (28)
⎣ η ⎦  S. SHIVA SHAMEKHI is a process engineer in the process
where: engineering department of Faradast Energy Falat Co. She is
Power of loading pump = 904.3 kw working on a mega-size project for a gas condensation refinery
in Tehran, Iran. She holds BSc and MSc degrees from Amirkabir
Power of circulation pump = 172.7 kw. University of Technology in Iran. Her areas of specialization
include basic design of refrigeration plants and detailed
The calculation for the contribution to BOG by vapor dis- design of gas and petrochemical plants. She can be reached
placement is shown in Eq. 29. at S.Shamekhi@fefalat.com or s.shamekhi@gmail.com.

N. ASHOURI is the process lead engineer in the process

BOGVAP = Rundown × ρVap
(29) engineering department of Faradast Energy Falat Co. He is
working on a mega-size project for the Bandar Abbas gas
condensate refinery in Iran. He has 16 years of experience
Rundown flowrate definitions include: in the design of oil and gas refineries. Mr. Ashouri holds an
• The normal flowrate is 21.3 m3/h on the transfer pump MSC degree in process engineering from the Iran University
when the system is in holding mode of Technology. He can be reached at N.Ashouri@fefalat.com.

20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | GasProcessingNews.com

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