scope:

This section describes how to correctly use various types of liquid-in-glass thermometers to accurately determine the temperatures of hydrocarbon liquids. Other methods, equipment, and procedures for temperature determination are described in the other sub-sections of API MPMS Chapter 7.

This chapter describes the methods, equipment, and procedures for manually determining the temperature of liquid petroleum and petroleum products with liquid-in-glass thermometers. This chapter discusses temperature measurement requirements in general for custody transfer, inventory control, and marine measurements. The actual method and equipment selected for temperature determination are left to the agreement of the parties involved.

The manual method covers:

- Non-pressurized tanks and non-pressurized marine vessels

- Gas-blanketed tanks and gas-blanketed marine vessels

It does not cover hydrocarbons under pressures in excess of 21 kPa gauge (3 psi gauge) or cryogenic temperature measurement, unless equipped with a thermowell.

The requirements of this chapter are based on practices for crude oils and petroleum products covered by API MPMS Chapter 11.1 (ASTM D1250). Requirements in this chapter may be used for other fluids and other applications. However, other applications may require different performance and installation specifications