LPG Terminal Management Solution

Endress+Hauser, a world leader in measurement instrumentation and solutions, delivers precise and efficient LPG measurement solutions.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is widely used in Vietnam as a clean fuel. The country’s annual LPG consumption was projected to exceed 1.8 million tonnes by 2020, with consistent growth expected in the coming years. As domestic LPG production cannot meet this substantial demand, investors continuously import LPG, driving significant need for import terminals and storage facilities.

With over 60 years of experience, Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement instrumentation and solutions. We provide customers with accurate and efficient LPG measurement solutions.

LPG Measuring Solutions of Endress+Hauser

The integrated system includes the following subsystems:

- Ship Loading/Unloading Skid
- Tank Gauging System
- Overfill Prevention System
- Truck Loading System
- Central Control Room Management Software

Furthermore, the system is capable of integrating data with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as SAP.

1. Ship Loading/Off-Loading System

The Ship Loading/Off-loading system enables customers to accurately manage the mass of LPG being imported/exported. The heart of this system is the Coriolis mass flow meter.

Coriolis meters provide the highest accuracy for direct mass measurement of LPG on the market today: ±0.05%. They are certified for custody transfer applications worldwide and in Vietnam by organizations such as PTB (Germany), NMI (Netherlands), and VMI (Vietnam).

Đồng hồ Coriolis đo trực tiếp khối lượng LPG

Benefits of using Coriolis mass flowmeters:

- Direct mass measurement, unaffected by temperature, pressure, or the physical properties of the medium.
- Suitable for both liquid and vapor LPG.
- Measures multiple parameters: mass, flow rate, temperature, and density of the medium.
- No moving parts internally, eliminating the need for annual maintenance.
- Compact design, requires no upstream/downstream straight piping.
- Accuracy of ±0.05% – certified for custody transfer.

Coriolis flowmeter measuring principle

2. Tank Gauging System

Tank Gauging System from Endress+Hauser

Level measurement with Proservo

With years of experience providing measurement solutions for LPG customers, we understand that accurately measuring liquid LPG level in storage tanks is challenging due to LPG’s high volatility, which can cause measurement errors. Endress+Hauser addresses this with the Proservo level transmitter, which operates on a mechanical-electronic float principle based on Archimedes’ buoyancy principle.

Measuring principle of Proservo from Endress+Hauser

This measurement principle offers distinct advantages, making it perfectly suited for LPG:

- Unaffected by foam
- Unaffected by LPG vapor
- Independent of the dielectric constant
- Unaffected by the perforation pattern of the stilling pipe, suitable for both old and new tanks.

Benefits of Using Proservo for LPG:

Measuring range: Up to 70m max.
Simultaneous multi-parameter measurement: Level, Density, Interface, and Bottom Clearance (even when the tank contains product).
High accuracy: ±0.4mm (level), ±2mm (interface), ±3g/m³ (density).
Certified for custody transfer in Vietnam (VMI) and internationally (PTB, NMI, OIML, etc.).
Direct calibration without opening the tank. Maximum calibration time of 30 minutes without the need to pump LPG to various levels for linearization, significantly reducing tank downtime.

The installation of Proservo in the spherical tank

he installation of Proservo in the bullet tank

Multi-point temperature and pressure transmitters also play a crucial role in calculating the total mass of LPG, including both liquid and vapor phases.

Pressure transmitter and Multipoint sensor from Endress+Hauser

The data acquisition unit, with its integrated software, provides all the functionalities of a comprehensive tank monitoring system, including: monitoring, alarm management, report generation, real-time and historical trending, data calculation, and storage.

The recorder Tank scanner with integrated Tankvision software of Endress+Hauser

Benefits:

- No license fee required
- Certified for custody transfer by NMI, PTB, and VMI
- Modular design allows for easy customization to specific customer applications and future upgrades
- Configuration, setup, and calibration via a web browser – no additional software installation needed
- Remote device configuration from the control room, minimizing time spent on the tank
- Supports up to 10 concurrent users from any computer with proper access rights
- Integrated standard calculation tables (API/ASTM/IP) and tank strapping tables
- Pre-programmed or customizable operator displays
- Integrated OPC Data Access server (3.0) for Windows PC connectivity

3. Overfill Prevention System

The Overfill Prevention System is designed to prevent LPG from being pumped beyond the tank’s capacity and is completely independent of the Tank Gauging System.

Overfill Prevention System from Endress+Hauser

Benefits:

- SIL 2/3 safety certification
- Scalable safety solution for future expansion
- Integrated “Proof Test” function allows for device health and operational status checks directly from the control room, saving time and effort
- Detailed system status reports support quick user decision-making
- Open communication standards: Ethernet IP, Modbus, etc.
- Vibrating fork level switch highly sensitive to LPG

4. Truck Loading System

The Truck Loading system is similar to the Ship Loading system but includes additional auxiliary equipment: batch controllers, control valves, and block valves. These components enable fully automatic setting and loading of specific LPG quantities into tank trucks. The system’s core is the Coriolis flow meter (as detailed in the Ship Loading system section).

LPG Truck Loading of Endress+Hauser

Benefits:

- Pre-fabricated and factory-tested skid
- MID certification for custody transfer
- Overall skid accuracy class of 0.3
- Uses high-precision Coriolis flow meters with market-leading accuracy of ±0.05%
- Low maintenance costs due to the Coriolis meter design
- Lower pressure drop compared to mechanical meters