US 2021/0270795 A1 · PIPELINE INTERCHANGE/TRANSMIX

Abstract

In one embodiment, a pipeline interchange flows a product through an upstream pipeline. An automated analyzer is connected to the upstream pipeline, wherein the automated analyzer analyzes a sample of the product, and wherein the analyzer is capable of analyzing different physical and/or chemical characteristics of the product and generating a data sample. An automatic splitter is then placed downstream of the automated slipstream analyzer. In this embodiment, the automatic splitter is capable of receiving and interpreting the data sample from the automated analyzer and directing the product into at least three different downstream pipelines, wherein at least one of the downstream pipelines is a transmix pipeline and wherein at least one of the downstream pipelines returns the product upstream of the automated analyzer.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A pipeline interchange comprising:

a product flowing through an upstream pipeline;
an automated analyzer connected to the upstream pipeline, wherein the automated analyzer analyzes a sample of the product, and wherein the analyzer is capable of analyzing different physical or chemical characteristics of the product and generates data from the product;
and
an automatic splitter, downstream of the automated analyzer, capable of receiving and interpreting the data from the automated analyzer and directing the product into at least three different downstream pipelines, wherein at least one of the downstream pipelines is a transmix pipeline and wherein at least one of the downstream pipelines returns the product upstream of the automated analyzer.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/306,238Filed 3 May 2021

Priority

23 Apr 2019

Published

2 Sep 2021

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F17D 3/05
For controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of several different products following one another in the same conduit, e.g. for…: the…
F17D 3/01
Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations: for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
G01N 33/2829
Oils , i.e. hydrocarbon liquids: mixtures of fuels
G01J 3/42
Investigating the spectrum: absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry

Family

Application16/391,817Continuation in part · filed 23 Apr 2019

Application16/557,315Continuation in part · filed 30 Aug 2019

Application17/306,238Continuation in part

US 11,022,986 B2Related patent

US 11,320,095 B2Related patent

US 2019/0339724 A1Published application

US 2020/0341494 A1Published application

US 2021/0270795 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Pipeline interchange/transmix

Life of this patent

Pipeline interchange/transmix

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14