Apparatus for continuously measuring acid gravity in a hydrocarbon-acid system

An apparatus for collecting an inorganic acid-organic fluid sample to allow for measuring of the acid gravity in an inorganic acid-organic fluid system, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a vessel having spaced side walls and a bottom joined to retain fluid therein;
• said vessel for receiving an inorganic acid-organic fluid sample;
• said vessel including first and second spaced generally vertical baffles;
• each of said baffles being connected to said walls and defining therebetween and within said vessel a disengaging chamber, an acid-analyzing section, and an organic fluid receiving section;
• (b) means for delivering said fluid into said disengaging chamber such that the fluid sample is originally received in said disengaging chamber;
• said first and second baffles being sealably secured near opposite ends thereof respectively to each of said side walls;
• (c) said first baffle being positioned between said chamber and said acid-analyzing section and being spaced from the bottom of said vessel for providing flow communication from the chamber to the acid-analyzing section whereby the acid is operably allowed to gravitate to the bottom of said chamber so as to separate the acid from the organic fluid and thereafter to enter said acid-analyzing section;
• (d) acid gravity measuring means positioned to measure acid gravity within said acid-analyzing section;
• (e) said second baffle being positioned between said chamber and said organic fluid receiving section and having an upper edge that is positioned below the height of both the first baffle and the side walls of the vessel whereby when said chamber is filled with an acid-organic fluid mixture the organic fluid operably spills over said second baffle and into said organic fluid receiving section;
• (f) first outlet means for discharge of said acid from said acid-analyzing section after measurement of the gravity thereof;
• (g) second outlet means for discharge of said organic fluid from said organic fluid receiving section;
• and
• (h) whereby said apparatus allows a sample of said acid to be operably continuously replaced with a fresh sample in said acid-analyzing section to provide for continuous analysis of said acid.

An apparatus for measuring the acid gravity in an inorganic acid-organic fluid from an alkylation reactor, comprising:

• (a) a collecting vessel for receiving and separating an inorganic acid-organic containing fluid;
• said vessel having a bottom, generally vertical spaced side walls extending upwardly from said bottom and being sealed therewith, a cover extending between said walls and spaced from said bottom;
• said walls being joined by opposite respective ends thereof to define a fluid enclosure with said bottom, and first and second baffle means within said vessel;
• said first and second baffle means being spaced from one another and forming therebetween a centrally located disengaging chamber;
• said first baffle means cooperating with said side walls to form an acid measuring chamber therebetween and said second baffle means cooperating with side walls to form an organic fluid collection chamber;
• said first baffle means having a lower end in close proximity to but spaced away from said bottom wall to allow a separated acid component from the disengaging chamber to flow thereunder and said second baffle means being attached to said bottom and being spaced from said cover so as to operably allow separated organic fluid only to flow thereover;
• said first and second baffles generally extending between and being connected to said walls;
• (b) said vessel having inlet means connected to said cover and positioned relative to said disengaging chamber so as to feed the inorganic acid-organic fluid from an alkylation reactor directly into said disengaging chamber such that the separated acid gravitates to the bottom thereof to flow under said first baffle means into said acid measuring chamber;
• (c) acid gravity measuring means operably positioned so as to determine the specific gravity of the separated acid in said acid measuring chamber;
• and
• (d) outlet means for each of said chambers at a lower end thereof for discharging the separated acid and separated organic fluid from said vessel.