# US 11,441,088 B2 · Controlled blending of transmix fractions into defined hydrocarbon streams > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,088 B2 - Document ID: US11441088B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/815,496 - Filed: 2020-03-11 - Published: 2020-09-17 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-12 - Assignees: Texon Ip - Applicants: Texon LP - Inventors: John Colin Robbins; Gary S. Wawak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441088B2 ## CPC - C10L 1/04: essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons - G05D 11/132: {by controlling the flow of the individual components (G05D11/133 takes precedence)} - G05D 11/138: {by sensing the concentration of the mixture, e.g. measuring pH value} - G05D 11/139: {by measuring a value related to the quantity of the individual components and sensing at least one property of the mixture} - C10L 2200/0423: Gasoline - C10L 2200/0446: Diesel - C10L 2200/0461: Fractions defined by their origin - C10L 2290/24: Mixing, stirring of fuel components - C10L 2290/543: Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel - C10L 2290/58: Control or regulation of the fuel preparation of upgrading process - C10L 2290/60: Measuring or analysing fractions, components or impurities or process conditions during preparation or upgrading of a fuel - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Automated methods and systems for blending high sulfur hydrocarbons, particularly those derived from transmix, into low sulfur hydrocarbon streams are provided. Also provided are methods for splitting transmix into usable hydrocarbon fractions and blending the fractions back into defined hydrocarbon streams. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for blending off transmix into a defined hydrocarbon stream without violating a pre-determined physical property limit comprising: a) a defined hydrocarbon stream comprising a hydrocarbon flow rate, a hydrocarbon value for the physical property, and either distillate or gasoline; b) a fractional transmix stream in fluid communication with the defined hydrocarbon stream comprising a fractional transmix flow rate, a fractional transmix stream value for the physical property, and either distillate or gasoline; c) a blended stream comprising a combination of the fractional transmix stream and the hydrocarbon stream comprising a blended flow rate, a blended value for the physical property, and either distillate or gasoline; d) an IPU on which is stored a maximum value of the physical property for the hydrocarbon stream, programmed to calculate a ratio or rate at which the fractional transmix stream can be added to the hydrocarbon stream based on the maximum value and a measured value for the physical property of at least one of the fractional transmix stream, the hydrocarbon stream, and the blended stream; e) a sampler and a physical property analyzer at a sampling point on at least one of the fractional transmix stream, hydrocarbon stream or blended stream in electronic communication with the IPU, electronically configured to withdraw samples from the fractional transmix stream, hydrocarbon stream, or blended stream, measure the physical property of the fractional transmix stream, hydrocarbon stream or blended stream, and transmit or make accessible the measured physical property to the IPU; and f) a flow regulator interposed between the transmix and hydrocarbon streams, in electronic communication with the IPU, electronically configured to receive or access the rate or ratio from the IPU and adjust the transmix flow rate without exceeding the rate or ratio. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the physical property is selected from sulfur concentration, octane, distillation temperature, Reid vapor pressure, molecular weight distribution, flash point, and API gravity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fractional transmix stream, hydrocarbon stream, and blended stream comprise gasoline. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the hydrocarbon stream and blended stream are of a gasoline type selected from conventional gasoline, conventional blendstock for oxygenate blending, reformulated blendstock for oxygenate blending, premium blendstock for oxygenate blending, reformulated gasoline, and aviation gasoline. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the fractional transmix stream comprises a gasoline type selected from conventional gasoline, conventional blendstock for oxygenate blending, reformulated blendstock for oxygenate blending, premium blendstock for oxygenate blending, reformulated gasoline, aviation gasoline, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the fractional transmix stream comprises a gasoline type different than the gasoline type for the hydrocarbon stream and blended stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, further comprising: a) a transmix supply comprising the fractional transmix stream and a transmix distillate stream; and b) a hydrocarbon splitter in fluid communication with the transmix supply and the hydrocarbon stream, configured to split the fractional transmix stream and transmix distillate stream based on boiling point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the physical property is sulfur concentration, and the transmix supply comprises a distillate comprising greater than 500 ppm sulfur. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fractional transmix stream, hydrocarbon stream, and blended stream comprise distillate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the hydrocarbon stream and blended stream are of a distillate type selected from diesel fuel, marine fuel, aviation turbine fuel, non-aviation turbine fuel, heating oil, and kerosene. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the fractional transmix stream comprises a distillate type selected from diesel fuel, marine fuel, aviation turbine fuel, non-aviation turbine fuel, heating oil, and kerosene and combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the fractional transmix stream comprises a distillate type different than the distillate type for the hydrocarbon stream and blended stream. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising: a) a transmix supply comprising the fractional transmix stream and a transmix gasoline stream; and b) a hydrocarbon splitter in fluid communication with the transmix supply and the defined hydrocarbon stream, configured to split the fractional transmix stream and transmix gasoline stream based on boiling point. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the physical property comprises sulfur concentration, the defined hydrocarbon stream comprises low sulfur diesel or ultra-low sulfur diesel, and the transmix supply comprises a distillate comprising greater than 500 ppm sulfur. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon value for said physical property is obtained by generating a spectral response of said defined hydrocarbon stream using absorption spectroscopy with a near infrared analyzer, and comparing said spectral response to a chemometric dataset specific for said physical property in said defined hydrocarbon stream. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said transmix value for said physical property is obtained by generating a spectral response of said fractional transmix stream using absorption spectroscopy with a near infrared analyzer, and comparing said spectral response to a chemometric dataset specific for said physical property in said fractional transmix stream. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein said chemometric dataset is built by taking two or more samples of said defined hydrocarbon or fractional transmix from a pipeline; measuring said physical property of the samples offline; simultaneously with taking the two or more samples, obtaining a spectral response of the defined hydrocarbon or the fractional transmix in the pipeline using absorption spectroscopy with a near infrared analyzer; and correlating the spectral response with the measured physical property of the samples. ### Claim 18 A system for blending off hydrocarbon sulfur into a defined hydrocarbon stream without violating a pre-determined sulfur concentration limit comprising: d) a defined hydrocarbon stream comprising a defined hydrocarbon sulfur concentration and a defined hydrocarbon flow rate; e) a second hydrocarbon stream in fluid communication with the defined stream, comprising a second sulfur concentration higher than the defined hydrocarbon sulfur concentration and a second flow rate; f) a blended stream comprising a combination of the defined stream and the second hydrocarbon stream; g) an IPU on which is stored a maximum sulfur concentration for the defined stream, programmed to calculate a ratio or rate at which the second hydrocarbon stream can be added to the defined stream based on the maximum sulfur concentration and a measured sulfur concentration of the defined stream, the second hydrocarbon stream, or the blended stream; h) a sampler and a sulfur analyzer at a defined stream, second hydrocarbon stream or blended stream sampling point in electronic communication with the IPU, electronically configured to withdraw samples from the defined stream, second hydrocarbon stream or blended stream, measure the sulfur concentration of the defined stream, second hydrocarbon or blended stream, and transmit or make accessible the measured sulfur concentration to the IPU; and i) a flow regulator interposed between the defined hydrocarbon and second hydrocarbon streams, in electronic communication with the IPU, electronically configured to receive or access the rate or ratio from the IPU and adjust the second flow rate without exceeding the rate or ratio. ### Claim 19 A system for recycling petroleum transmix comprising: a) a transmix supply comprising distillate transmix and gasoline transmix; b) a hydrocarbon splitter in fluid communication with the transmix supply, capable of splitting the distillate transmix and gasoline transmix based on boiling point; c) piping exiting the splitter configured to direct distillate transmix toward a flow regulator, wherein the distillate transmix has a sulfur concentration and a flow rate; d) a recipient distillate stream comprising a recipient sulfur concentration and a recipient flow rate; e) an IPU on which is stored a maximum sulfur concentration for the recipient distillate stream, programmed to calculate a ratio or rate at which the distillate transmix can be added to the recipient distillate stream based on the maximum sulfur concentration and the actual sulfur concentration of the distillate transmix stream; f) a sampler and a sulfur analyzer at a distillate transmix sampling point in fluid communication with the transmix distillate and in electronic communication with the IPU, electronically configured to withdraw samples periodically from the transmix distillate, measure the sulfur concentration of the sample, and transmit or make accessible the sulfur concentration to the IPU; and g) a flow regulator interposed between the recipient distillate stream and the transmix distillate, in electronic communication with the IPU, electronically configured to receive or access the ratio from the IPU and adjust the rate or ratio at which the transmix distillate is added to the recipient distillate stream without exceeding the rate or ratio.