Fuels Technical Information

Knowledge of a fuel's density is of fundamental commercial importance as fuel is delivered by volume and sold by mass. The relationship between mass and volume is density.



The SI unit for density is kg/m³ and for fuel a reference temperature is always stated. This temperature is usually 15^oC. A reference temperature has to be given as the density of fuel varies with temperature (see Fig.1).

In practice the density of a fuel is measured at the temperature at which it is stored. The value is then corrected back to the reference temperature by standard tables.

Density is one of the factors in the empirical equations for both energy content and ignition performance. For fuel treatment systems containing a centrifuge with a water seal, knowledge of the fuel density is necessary so that the correct gravity disc is fitted to obtain the correct fuel / water interface, and hence efficient treatment.