# US 2014/0151560 A1 · Route-based substance analysis system and method

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- Number: US 2014/0151560 A1
- Document ID: US20140151560A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/090,685
- Filed: 2013-11-26
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Spectro, Inc.
- Applicants: Spectro, Inc.
- Inventors: Yuegang Zhao; Raymond E. Garvey, III; Robert David Corak; Eric J. Olson; Matthew B. Fratkin; Patrick Henning
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151560A1

## CPC

- G01N 21/3577: for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
- G01N 33/28: Oils {, i.e. hydrocarbon liquids} (edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03)
- G01N 21/552: Attenuated total reflection
- G01N 2201/0221: Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A route based analysis system includes, in one version, an infrared spectrometer subsystem configured to produce a spectrum for oil introduced to an oil sample cell. The system displays a route including assets with oil to be inspected. The type of oil used in each asset is determined. For each asset on the route, one or more oil property methods specific to the oil used in the asset are located. The spectrum of each asset's oil is analyzed using specific methods in order to produce oil properties.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A route based analysis system comprising:
an oil sample cell;
an infrared spectrometer subsystem configured to produce a spectrum for oil introduced to the oil sample cell; and
a processing subsystem configured to:
display a route including assets with oil to be inspected,
determine the type of oil used in each asset,
locate, for each asset on the route, one or more oil property methods specific to the oil used in the asset,
locate, for each asset along the route, an alarm set specific to the asset,
analyze the spectrum of each asset's oil using said one or more specific methods producing oil properties after introducing said oil to the sample cell along the route,
compare the oil properties with the alarm set specific to the asset, and
display said oil properties and any alarm indications.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further including locating, for each asset's oil, a reference spectrum.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 in which analyzing includes using oil property methods which compare said produced spectrum with said reference spectrum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 in which different oil property methods cover different spectrum wavelength ranges.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4 in which different oil property methods include differently weighted functions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 in which said oil properties include water content, acidity, soot content, the presence of additives, and/or percent oxidation, and/or combinations of the same.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6 in which said properties further include, for select assets, a calculated total acid and/or saponification number.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 in which said oil properties include, for other assets, a total base number.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 in which said sample cell is a flip-top sample cell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further including a screen for said displays.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 in which the type of oil used in each asset on the route is stored in the system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 in which said oil property methods are stored in the system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 in which said alarm sets are stored in the system.

### Claim 14

A route based analysis method comprising:
displaying a route including assets with oil to be inspected;
determining the type of oil used in each asset;
locating, for each asset on the route, one or more oil property methods specific to the oil used in the asset;
locating, for each asset along the route, an alarm set specific to the asset;
loading oil from an asset on the route into a sample cell;
producing an infrared spectrum for the oil introduced to the oil sample cell;
analyzing said spectrum of each asset's oil using said one or more specific methods producing oil properties;
comparing the oil properties with the alarm set specific to the asset; and
displaying said oil properties and any alarm indications for each asset.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further including locating, for each asset's oil, a reference spectrum.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 in which analyzing includes using oil property methods which compare said produced spectrum with said located reference spectrum.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 in which different oil property methods cover different spectrum wavelength ranges.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 in which different oil property methods include differently weighted functions.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 in which said oil properties include water content, acidity, soot content, the presence of additives, and/or percent oxidation, and/or combinations of the same.

### Claim 20 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 in which said properties further include, for select assets, a calculated total acid and/or saponification number.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20 in which said oil properties include, for other assets, a total base number.

### Claim 22

An analysis system comprising:
a sample cell;
an analysis subsystem configured to analyze a substance introduced to the sample cell; and
a processing subsystem configured to:
determine the type of substance associated with an asset,
locate, for each asset, one or more analysis methods specific to the substance used in the asset, and
analyze the asset's substance using said one or more located analysis methods producing at least one property after introducing said substance to the sample cell.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22 in which the processing subsystem is further configured to locate, for each asset, an alarm set specific to the asset, and to display one or more alarm indications based on the alarm set.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22 in which the substance is oil and the analysis subsystem is an infrared spectrometer producing a spectrum for oil introduced into the sample cell.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22 in which the processing subsystem is configured to locate, for each asset's oil, a reference spectrum, analyzing includes using oil property methods which compare said produced spectrum with said reference spectrum, and wherein the methods cover different spectrum wavelength ranges and differently weighted functions.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22 in which the processing subsystem is further configured to display a route including assets to be inspected.

### Claim 27

An analysis method comprising:
determining the type of substance associated with an asset;
locating, for each asset, one or more analysis methods specific to the substance associated with the asset; and
analyzing each asset's substance using said one or more analysis methods producing at least one property after introducing said substance into a sample cell.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27 further including locating, for each asset, an alarm set specific to the asset and displaying one or more alarm indications based on the alarm set.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27 in which the substance is oil and analyzing includes using an infrared spectrometer producing a spectrum for oil introduced into the sample cell.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29 in which a reference spectrum is located and analyzing includes using oil property methods which compare said produced spectrum with said reference spectrum, the methods cover different spectrum wavelength ranges and differently weighted functions.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27 further including displaying a route including assets to be inspected.