US 3,940,600 A · Method and apparatus for on-line non-interactive blending using an uncoupling matrix

Abstract

Method and apparatus for blending, particularly liquid e.g. petroleum products. A number of qualities of the blended product are monitored, on line, to produce electrical signals representative of the respective qualities. The signals are operated on in a computer with a matrix which is an inversion of a matrix representative of the linear property indices of components of the blend to produce output control signals. The output control signals are fed to valves controlling the flow of components of the blend so as simultaneously to control the flow of all components to correct for any deviation of qualities without causing further deviations of other qualities of the blended product.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of non-interactive blending, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of qualities of a blended product on line;
producing electrical signals representative of the selected qualities;
feeding the electrical signals to a control means;
operating on the electrical signals in the control means with an uncoupling matrix, which is an inversion of a matrix representing linear property indices of components of the blend, to produce output control signals;
feeding the output control signals to valve means, which respectively control the flow of each of the components of the blend, to simultaneously control the flow of all of the components to correct for any deviation without causing deviations of other qualities of the blended product.

2 more elements

Blending apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of monitoring means, each of said monitoring means being connected to a blended product line to monitor a selected quality of the blended product and produce an electrical signal indicative of the selected quality;
control means for receiving signals from said monitoring means, said control means operating on the electrical signals with an uncoupling matrix, which is an inversion of a matrix representing the linear property indices of components of the blended product, to produce output control signals;
a plurality of valve means each for controlling the flow of one of the components to the blended product line;
and
means for feeding the output control signals to said valve means to control all the valve means simultaneously so as to control the flow of all the components to correct for any deviations without causing further deviations of other qualities of the blended product.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for on-line non-interactive blending using an uncoupling matrix

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for on-line non-interactive blending using an uncoupling matrix

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12