Systems, methods and apparatus for determining physical properties of fluids

A computerized method for determining one or more properties of a multi-component fluid comprising:

• selecting an indicator that characterizes the fluid as one of polar fluid, non-polar fluid;
• receiving information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, a first reference fluid, and a second reference fluid;
• collecting based on the selected indicator and the received information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, a first reference fluid, and a second reference fluid operating parameter;
• determining the molar volume of the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid from the received information and acquired operating parameters;
• determining a departure function from the received information and operating parameters for the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid;
• determining thermodynamic deviation from a combination of the departure function and acquired operating parameters;
• determining one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid from the departure function, the thermodynamic deviation, and the determined molar volume;
• and
• displaying the determined one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid.

A computer-accessible medium having executable instructions to determine one or more properties of a multi-component fluid, the executable instructions capable of directing a processor to perform:

• selecting an indicator that characterizes the fluid as one of polar fluid, non-polar fluid;
• receiving information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, a first reference fluid, and a second reference fluid;
• collecting based on the selected indicator and the received information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid operating parameters;
• determining the molar volume of the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid from the received information and acquired operating parameters;
• determining a departure function from the received information and operating parameters for the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid;
• determining thermodynamic deviation from a combination of the departure function and acquired operating parameters;
• determining one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid from the departure function, the thermodynamic deviation, and the determined molar volume;
• and
• displaying the determined one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer useable medium having a computer readable code means embodied in said medium for determining one or more properties of a multi-component fluid, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to perform the function of:
• selecting an indicator that characterizes the fluid as one of polar fluid, non-polar fluid;
• receiving information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, a first reference fluid, and a second reference fluid;
• collecting based on the selected indicator and the received information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid operating parameters;
• determining the molar volume of the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid from the received information and acquired operating parameters;
• determining a departure function from the received information and operating parameters for the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid;
• determining thermodynamic deviation from a combination of the departure function and acquired operating parameters;
• determining one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid from the departure function, the thermodynamic deviation, and the determined molar volume;
• and
• displaying the determined one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid.

A method of executing real-time control of a process through analyses of one or more properties of a fluid, comprising the actions of:

• providing an interactive modeler that models the equation of state for the fluid in the process based on measured signals and for selectively enabling the modeling of control changes to the process;
• receiving input signals which represent measured parameter values for a fluid from a plurality of sensors;
• periodically transmitting said measured parameter values to an interactive modeler having a process model that models the equation of state for the fluid in the process;
• estimating one or more properties for the fluid from at least one unmeasured process parameter in said interactive modeler from said process model;
• disturbance error model for predicting the difference between the estimated one or more properties of the fluid and the expected one or more properties of the fluid;
• determining a set of current and future manipulated parameter values which will minimize the predicted difference between the estimated one or more properties and the expected one or more properties of the fluid;
• displaying the estimated one or more properties of the fluid;
• and
• causing a process control device electrically coupled to said process to control the process based on said manipulated parameter values.

A system to perform fluid analysis comprising:

• a processor;
• a storage device coupled to the processor;
• and
• software means embedded in the storage device and operative on the processor operable to:
• receive information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, a first reference fluid, and a second reference fluid;
• collect based on the received information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid operating parameters;
• determine the molar volume of the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid from the received information and acquired operating parameters;
• determine a departure function from the received information and operating parameters for the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid;
• determine thermodynamic deviation from a combination of the departure function and acquired operating parameters;
• and
• determine one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid from the departure function, the thermodynamic deviation, and the determined molar volume;
• display the determined one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid.

A computerized system comprising:

• a processor;
• a storage device coupled to the processor;
• an input/output interface coupled to the processor;
• and
• software means embedded in the storage device and operative on the processor operable to:
• select an indicator that characterizes the fluid as one of polar fluid, non-polar fluid;
• receive information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, a first reference fluid, and a second reference fluid;
• collect based on the selected indicator and the received information indicative of the physical properties of a simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid operating parameters;
• determine the molar volume of the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid from the received information and acquired operating parameters;
• determine a departure function from the received information and operating parameters for the simple fluid, first reference fluid, and second reference fluid;
• determine thermodynamic deviation from a combination of the departure function and acquired operating parameters;
• and
• determine one or more properties of a multicomponent fluid from the departure function, the thermodynamic deviation, and determined molar volume;
• display the determined one or more properties of a muiticomponent fluid.

An apparatus for monitoring the health of a machine through analyses of one or more properties of a fluid, the apparatus comprises:

• a modeler that models the equation of state for the fluid in the machine based on measured signals;
• a sequencer having a processor;
• a storage device coupled to the processor;
• and
• software means embedded in the storage device and operative on the processor operable to:
• receive input signals which represent measured parameter values for a fluid from a plurality of sensors;
• transmit said measured parameter values to said a modeler having a process model that models the equation of state for the fluid in the machine;
• receive one or more properties for the fluid from at least one unmeasured machine parameter in said modeler from said process model;
• determine the difference between the received input signals which represent measured parameter values and the received one or more properties for the fluid from at least one unmeasured machine parameter from the modeler;
• determine if the difference is beyond a predetermined set point;
• generate a machine health signal based on the determined difference, wherein a difference that is less than the predetermined set point is an indication of machine health.