Real time blending apparatus and method

An apparatus for dispensing a blended fuel comprising:

• a) a first real time octane sensor in fluid communication with a source of a low octane blend component for generating an output signal indicative of the octane level of the low octane blend component;
• b) a second real time octane sensor in fluid communication with a source of a high octane blend component for generating an output signal indicative of the octane level of the high octane blend component;
• c) first and second valves in fluid communication with the first and second octane sensors respectively for independently controlling the flow rates of the low level and high level blend components;
• d) first and second meters in fluid communication with first and second valves respectively for generating a signal indicative of the flow rates of the first and second blend components;
• e) a blend manifold in fluid communication with first and second meters for blending the low octane blend component and the high octane blend component to create a blended fuel;
• and
• f) a dispenser controller for receiving outputs from the first and second octane sensors, and the first and second meters, and generating output control signals to first and second valves so as to maintain the blended product octane level at a predetermined level or within a predetermined range.

An apparatus for dispensing a blended fuel comprising:

• a) first and second valves in fluid communication with a low octane blend component and a high octane blend component respectively for independently controlling the flow rates of the low level and high level blend components provided to the apparatus;
• b) first and second meters in fluid communication with first and second valves respectively for generating a signal indicative of the flow rates of the first and second blend components;
• c) a blend manifold in fluid communication with the first and second meters for blending the low octane blend component and the high octane blend component to form a blended fuel;
• d) a blended fuel real time octane sensor in fluid communication with the blend manifold for generating an output signal indicative of the octane level of the blended fuel;
• and
• e) a dispenser controller for receiving outputs from the first and second meters and the blended product octane sensor and generating output control signals to first and second valves so as to maintain the blended product octane level at a predetermined level.

A method for monitoring the blending of a low octane fuel source and a high octane fuel source to create a desired fuel including at least one desired blended fuel grade and at least one non-blended fuel grade comprising:

• a) determining on a real time basis the octane level of the low octane fuel source;
• b) determining on a real time basis the octane level of the high octane fuel source;
• c) comparing the octane levels determined in steps a) and b) to predetermined minimum octane levels for each fuel source;
• d) determining which of the desired blended and non-blended fuel grades may be created using the results of comparison of step c);
• and
• e) permitting the dispensing of each blended fuel grade that the results of comparison of step c) indicate may be created.