ASTM D4177 Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
ASTM D4177 Standard Practice for Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
13. Primary Sample Receivers
13.1 A sample receiver/container is required to hold and maintain the composition of the sample in liquid form. This includes both stationary and portable receivers, either of which may be of variable or fixed volume design. If the loss of vapors will significantly affect the analysis of the sample, a variable volume type receiver should be considered. Materials of construction should be compatible with the petroleum or petroleum product sampled.
13.2 Stationary Receivers:
13.2.1 General Design Features - These features may not be applicable to some types of receivers, that is, variable volume receivers.
13.2.1.1 Receiver design must allow for preparation of a homogeneous mixture of the sample.
13.2.1.2 The bottom of the receiver must be continuously sloped downward toward the drain to facilitate complete liquid withdrawal. There should be no internal pockets or dead spots.
13.2.1.3 Internal surfaces of the receiver should be designed to minimize corrosion, encrustation, and clingage.
13.2.1.4 A means should be provided to monitor filling of the receiver. If a sight glass is used, it must be easy to clean and not be a water trap.
13.2.1.5 A relief valve should be provided and set at a pressure that does not exceed the design pressure of the receiver.
13.2.1.6 A means to break vacuum should be provided to permit sample withdrawal from the receiver.
13.2.1.7 A pressure gage should be provided.
13.2.1.8 Receivers should be sheltered from adverse ambient conditions when in use.
13.2.1.9 Receivers may need to be heat traced or insulated, or both, when high pour point or high viscosity petroleum or petroleum products are sampled. Alternatively, they may be housed in heated and insulated housing. Exercise caution to ensure added heating does not affect the sample.
13.2.1.10 Use of multiple sample receivers should be considered to allow flexibility in sampling sequential parcels and line displacements. Exercise care in the piping design to prevent contamination between samples of different parcels.
13.2.1.11 Receivers should have an inspection cover or closure of sufficient size to facilitate easy inspection and cleaning.
13.2.1.12 Facilities for security sealing should be provided.
13.2.1.13 The system must be capable of completely draining the receiver, mixing pump, and associated piping.
13.2.1.14 The circulating system shall not contain any dead legs.
13.3 Portable Receivers - In addition to considerations outlined in 13.2, portable receivers may include the following additional features:
13.3.1 Light weight,
13.3.2 Quick release connections for easy connection/disconnect to the probe/extractor and the laboratory mixer (see Fig. 7), and
13.3.3 Carrying handles.
13.4 Receiver Size - The receiver should be sized to match its intended use and operating conditions. The size of the receiver is determined by the total volume of sample required, the number of grabs required, the volume of each grab and, transportability of the receiver if portable. Typical sample receiver sizes are shown in Table 1.
