Diesel tank storage question

[Robert Morein]

To start up my new Dek Diesel, I apprehensively opened a sealed, full Blitz
can that had been filled twenty-one years ago. I poured some into a glass.
To my surprise, it was perfectly clear. I put a quart into the Dek, and the
engine ran well. This conforms with what others on this group have said,
which is that diesel stores well in sealed containers. Twenty-one years!

Since the purpose of my fuel stockpile is for a catastrophe that hopefully
will never happen, I would like to store more fuel with the same longevity
this stuff has experienced. I'm thinking of installing a heating oil tank,
but I see a problem. Because these tanks are active, they are not completely
sealed. They have an air inlet for pressure equalization. It seems that
unless this inlet is blocked, the fuel will needlessly deteriorate from
water condensation and oxidation. If the tank is sealed, the free oxygen is
eventually used up, drastically slowing deterioration of the fuel.

Is there standard hardware to change a home heating oil tank into a
completely sealed vessel, where fuel expansion would be accomodated by a
sealed plenum of air, rather than by a constantly open equalization vent?

 

[[email protected]]

Newsgroups: alt.energy.homepower [snip]
Since the purpose of my fuel stockpile is for a catastrophe that
hopefully will never happen, I would like to store more fuel with
the same longevity this stuff has experienced. I'm thinking of
installing a heating oil tank, but I see a problem. Because these
tanks are active, they are not completely sealed. They have an air
inlet for pressure equalization. It seems that unless this inlet is
blocked, the fuel will needlessly deteriorate from water
condensation and oxidation. If the tank is sealed, the free oxygen
is eventually used up, drastically slowing deterioration of the
fuel.

I replace the air with an inert gas when I am storing oils. CO2 is
handy around here (MIG welder shield gas), readily displaces air,
being more dense. Olive oil goes wierd with CO2: it contains a bit of
water which absorbs the gas, goes sour with carbonic acid.


Tom Willmon
near Mountainair, (mid) New Mexico, USA

Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered

 

[Robert Morein]

Newsgroups: alt.energy.homepower [snip]
Since the purpose of my fuel stockpile is for a catastrophe that
hopefully will never happen, I would like to store more fuel with
the same longevity this stuff has experienced. I'm thinking of
installing a heating oil tank, but I see a problem. Because these
tanks are active, they are not completely sealed. They have an air
inlet for pressure equalization. It seems that unless this inlet is
blocked, the fuel will needlessly deteriorate from water
condensation and oxidation. If the tank is sealed, the free oxygen
is eventually used up, drastically slowing deterioration of the
fuel.

I replace the air with an inert gas when I am storing oils. CO2 is
handy around here (MIG welder shield gas), readily displaces air,
being more dense. Olive oil goes wierd with CO2: it contains a bit of
water which absorbs the gas, goes sour with carbonic acid.

Great idea, but do you know if it's possible to seal a home heating storage
tank, reversibly, with off-the-shelf hardware?

 

[Prostate Cancer Man]

To start up my new Dek Diesel, I apprehensively opened a sealed, full Blitz
can that had been filled twenty-one years ago. I poured some into a glass.
To my surprise, it was perfectly clear. I put a quart into the Dek, and the
engine ran well. This conforms with what others on this group have said,
which is that diesel stores well in sealed containers. Twenty-one years!

Since the purpose of my fuel stockpile is for a catastrophe that hopefully
will never happen, I would like to store more fuel with the same longevity
this stuff has experienced. I'm thinking of installing a heating oil tank,
but I see a problem. Because these tanks are active, they are not completely
sealed. They have an air inlet for pressure equalization. It seems that
unless this inlet is blocked, the fuel will needlessly deteriorate from
water condensation and oxidation. If the tank is sealed, the free oxygen is
eventually used up, drastically slowing deterioration of the fuel.

Is there standard hardware to change a home heating oil tank into a
completely sealed vessel, where fuel expansion would be accomodated by a
sealed plenum of air, rather than by a constantly open equalization vent?

LOL

 

[P. Lyttle]

Newsgroups: alt.energy.homepower [snip]
Since the purpose of my fuel stockpile is for a catastrophe that
hopefully will never happen, I would like to store more fuel with
the same longevity this stuff has experienced. I'm thinking of
installing a heating oil tank, but I see a problem. Because these
tanks are active, they are not completely sealed. They have an air
inlet for pressure equalization. It seems that unless this inlet is
blocked, the fuel will needlessly deteriorate from water
condensation and oxidation. If the tank is sealed, the free oxygen
is eventually used up, drastically slowing deterioration of the
fuel.

I replace the air with an inert gas when I am storing oils. CO2 is
handy around here (MIG welder shield gas), readily displaces air,
being more dense. Olive oil goes wierd with CO2: it contains a bit of
water which absorbs the gas, goes sour with carbonic acid.

Great idea, but do you know if it's possible to seal a home heating
storage tank, reversibly, with off-the-shelf hardware?

A fuel resistant plastic sack inside the tank is maybe one of the things
that might be tried. This is comparable to the water tanks used on
sailboats. The plastic sack fills up, while the air stays outside.

P. Lyttle