New Control System Designed to Increase Accuracy of Liquid Hydrocarbon Transfer

Liquid hydrocarbon transporting and storage companies, including truck and ship loading facilities and pipelines, can now transfer materials using an enhanced lease automatic custody transfer (LACT) control system designed for accuracy and safety.

The Thermo Scientific (USA) AutoLACT system is designed to facilitate the transfer of liquid hydrocarbon from storage tanks or trucks to refineries or centralised processing facilities while accurately recording data for each transaction. The AutoLACT system features the market-proven flow computer capabilities of the Thermo Scientific AutoPILOT Pro as well as an integrated human machine interface (HMI) designed to ensure that operators capture each transaction in the system for true accountability.

“Hydrocarbon liquid transporters must precisely measure and account for the amount of liquid they are responsible for transferring,” said Benjamin Fuentes, flow computer product line manager, environmental and process monitoring for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We designed the AutoLACT system for precise measurement in a single, secure unit, which simplifies installation and operation and benefits both the transporters and the destination facilities.”

The Thermo Scientific AutoLACT system also offers:

• Touchscreen capabilities that allow transporters to comply with API 6.1 (Metering Assemblies Lease Automatic Custody Transfer – LACT System);
• Technology to meet API 21.1 custody transfer requirements;
• An optional printer for immediate receipt printing needs; and
• Additional security measures, including the ability to validate the identity of the driver and a grounding check to facilitate adherence to proper safety protocols.