At 16°F, a gallon of diesel weighs 7.1 pounds; at 106°F, the same gallon weighs 6.8 pounds. To put it another way, even in the worst-case situation (largest tank, greatest temperature shift), the weight differential owing to temperature change will never be more than 50 pounds.
How much does off road diesel weigh per gallon?
Fuel is the lubricant that keeps trucks on the road. If you want to haul profitable goods and keep your trucking firm afloat, you’ll need diesel fuel to get from point A to point B.
Although it’s a simple calculation, have you ever considered the intricacies of diesel fuel? Have you considered how much diesel fuel weighs? What’s the weight of a full tank of diesel fuel? Is there a difference in the weight of diesel based on the outside temperature? How does the weight of diesel fuel affect the weight of your truck, especially when it’s time to weigh it?
What is the weight of diesel fuel?
A gallon of diesel is approximately 7 pounds in weight. In the United States, diesel weighs somewhat less than 7 pounds per gallon (and slightly more than 7 pounds per gallon in Canada), but we’ll use 7 pounds per gallon to keep things simple.
What is the fuel weight of a full tank?
Semi-truck fuel tanks are available in a variety of sizes, but they typically store 125 to 300 gallons of petroleum. Each side of the tractor has a gasoline tank, with fuel apportioned between the two tanks to balance the truck’s total weight. Because diesel fuel weighs around 7 pounds per gallon, a full tank of diesel might weigh anywhere between 875 and 2,100 pounds.
Does the weight of diesel fuel change when it’s colder vs. warmer?
Yes, but it’s a teeny-tiny fraction of a percent. Take a look at this handy calculator. Let’s say the temperature is 16 degrees Fahrenheit and a gallon of diesel weighs 7.1 pounds. When the temperature is 106 degrees Fahrenheit, a gallon of diesel fuel weighs 6.8 pounds. Now set the temperature to 69 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a very pleasant temperature. The weight of a gallon of diesel fuel is 6.9 pounds. See? All of the differences are minor. Consider the following scenario: Depending on the size of the fuel tank, the temperature weight differential of diesel fuel will never be more than 10-50 pounds.
Does diesel weigh more than gas?
We’ve also witnessed the opposite: one of our clients put gasoline directly into one of his tractor’s diesel fuel tanks by accident. He wanted to know whether there would be any issues.
If you work in the fuel industry long enough, you’ll come across a situation like this at some point. Mixing gasoline with diesel is never a good idea, but it isn’t always a disaster. The most important factor is how much of each you unintentionally added. If that happens to you, here’s what you may expect.
Big Differences between gasoline and diesel fuel
When we talk about diesel fuel, we’re talking about #2 diesel fuel, whether it’s for on-road or off-road use.
When attempting to foresee what problems might occur if one fuel is mistakenly mixed with the other, you must consider the most significant distinctions between the two fuels.
Because diesel fuel is made up of big molecules, it is heavier than gasoline. Because of the difference in density and viscosity, it atomizes differently. It also has a much greater flash point and autoignition temperature. And, given these, the inverse can be applied as well. Gasoline is lighter than diesel and flashes at a lower temperature.
When you bring in fuel that isn’t supposed to be there, these variations in physical qualities cause difficulties in engines and fuel systems.
How much does number two diesel fuel weigh?
- Unit of measurement. While density is expressed in a variety of ways – g/cm3, kg/L, kg/m3, lbm/ft3, or slugs/ft3 – the real number is nearly constant. How you convert one gallon of fuel will cause a variance in determining how much it weighs. Are you measuring in US, British, or Canadian units? Do you want to calculate in US gallon, dry gallon, or imperial gallon? The imperial gallon (impgal = 4.55 liters), the US gallon (usgal = 3.76 liters), and the US dry gallon (usdrygal = 4.40 liters) are the three measurements currently in use (values are rounded off to the second decimal place). Despite the fact that the imperial gallon weighs the most, the US gallon is the international standard.
- Temperature. It’s vital to remember that fuel volume varies depending on humidity, temperature, and weather conditions. Diesel has a density of less than 7 lb/gal at normal temperature. It weighs a little more than 7 pounds at 32°F. A gallon of fuel will weigh around 6.8 pounds at temperatures of 100°F or higher. Because of this variation, fuel density is measured at standard temperatures of 15°C or 59°F. Similarly, as the temperature drops, the viscosity of diesel increases. Its shape changes from a gel at 19 °C (2.2 °F) to 15 °C (5 °F), which not only clogs gasoline lines and filters but also makes it a little heavier.
- API and Specific Gravity The American Petroleum Institute devised this standard to estimate the weight of petroleum in relation to water, which is required for converting diesel volume to, say, US gallons. Furthermore, it is a widely used field test for determining the quality and energy content of diesel fuel: the higher the API, the lower the energy; the higher the S.G., the higher the energy output. The specific gravity (S.G.) of pure biodiesel is 0.88. Sulfur-rich diesel blends, such as ULSD, have greater values than biodiesel, which contributes to its lighter weight. The 2D or Number 2 diesel ranges from 0.876 to 0.802. Diesel fuel’s specific gravity ranges from 0.82 to 0.90, resulting in a weight of 6.85 to 7.5 pounds per gallon.
- Fuel Quality. The ease of ignition, horsepower, and fuel efficiency of diesel fuel are all measured in cetane levels, which are proportional to the fuel’s entire weight. A greater cetane number leads in a higher API gravity and lower density in fuel when obtained through the refining process. Because the minimum cetane rating in Europe is higher than in other countries, diesel in the United Kingdom would have a lower weight range of 6.95-7.04 lbs compared to diesel in the United States. Fuel grades in Canada, like in Europe, are moving toward EN 590 standards, resulting in lighter diesel.
How much does 30 gallons of diesel fuel weigh?
This should be a simple question to answer. It should have a straightforward response. But it’s not that straightforward, and every truck driver should be aware of it. How much weight will I gain if I fill my fuel tanks? We’ll start with the most direct answer in this post. Then we’ll talk about why you might be better off not filling those tanks.
Diesel fuel weights 6.91 pounds per gallon at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s under typical atmospheric conditions. To make things easy, most truckers round this up to 7 pounds per gallon. A Canadian gallon is slightly larger than an American gallon, measuring 4.5 litres vs 3.8 litres. A gallon of Canadian (imperial) water weighs 8.4 pounds. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll use the US gallon.
How many gallons of diesel does a tanker truck hold?
Large tankers have a maximum capacity of 11,600 gallons, whereas small tanker vehicles have a maximum capacity of 1,000 to 3,000 gallons. According to Nick Harmon of Trailers of Texas, the maximum capacity of a tanker truck is determined by the density of the liquid being transported.
Will a diesel engine run on gasoline?
Diesel is classed as a combustible, but gasoline is classified as flammable. That is, a diesel engine cannot run on gasoline, and a gasoline engine cannot run on diesel. Diesel is too thick for the fuel pump system of a gasoline engine, and gasoline produces too much of an explosion for the diesel engine to handle.
How heavy is a gallon of fuel?
A gallon of conventional fuel (such as gasoline) weighs six pounds, according to the Science and Technology Desk Reference. Water, on the other hand, weighs around 8.4 pounds per gallon.
How do you calculate the weight of diesel fuel?
Water has a density/specific gravity of 1.0 (SG=1.0) because it weighs about 1kg per litre (1000L = 1000Kg).
Remember that 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilogram, so 1920 litres of water weigh 1920 kilograms; however, if the tank is filled with a different fluid, you must consider the following factor, which affects the weight of the tank when full.
Diesel fuel, for example, has a specific gravity (SG) of 0.82, making it lighter than water (SG =1.0). To calculate the weight of diesel in the same sized storage tank, multiply the volume (litres) by the specific gravity (SG).
To summarize, a 45kg diesel tank with a volume of 1920 litres weighs: