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US 7,689,370 B2Granted
On-line absolute viscosity measurement system
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsRichard W. Grosser, Eugenio Sanchez, Angela Galiano-Roth, Alan M. Schilowitz
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for determining the viscosity of a lubricating fluid in a process on line. The method of the present invention obviates the need to accurately control the temperature of the lubricating fluid in the system when taking fluid viscosity measurements.
Claims22
A method comprising:
- flowing fluid through a system, the system comprising a flow meter and at least one additional sensor for measuring at least one additional property
- determining an absolute viscosity (aV) of the fluid at a section A in the system using the flowmeter;
- measuring a property of the fluid (P) in the system using at least one sensor for measuring at least one additional property;
- determining a virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid at section A using the measured property of the fluid (F) with a relationship that correlates the property of the fluid (F) with the virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid at section A;
- estimating a kinematic viscosity (kV) of the fluid from the absolute viscosity (aV) of the fluid at section A;
- and
- extrapolating the kinematic viscosity (kVstandard) of the fluid at a standard temperature (Tstandard) using the kinematic viscosity (kV) of the fluid, the virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid, and a relationship that correlates the temperature of the fluid with the kinematic-viscosity of the fluid to determine on-line the kinematic viscosity of the fluid at any temperature.
4 more elements
An on-line method for estimating kinematic viscosity (kVstandard) of a fluid flowing through a system, comprising:
- determining an absolute viscosity (aV) of the fluid at a section A in the system using a flowmeter;
- measuring a temperature (T) of the fluid in the system;
- determining a virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid at section A using the measured temperature (T) with a relationship that correlates the temperature (TB) of the fluid at point B with the virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid at section A;
- estimating the kinematic viscosity (kV) of the fluid from the absolute viscosity (aV) of the fluid at section A;
- and
- extrapolating the kinematic viscosity (kVstandard) of the fluid at a standard temperature (Tstandard) using the kinematic viscosity (kV) of the fluid, the virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid, and a relationship that correlates the temperature of the fluid with the kinematic-viscosity of the fluid.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- Flowing fluid through a system, the system comprising a flowmeter, and at least two additional sensors for measuring at least two additional properties
- determining an absolute viscosity (aV) of the fluid at a section A in the system using the flowmeter;
- measuring at least two properties (Pi, Pii) of the fluid at different points in the system using at least two sensors for measuring at least two additional properties;
- determining a virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid at section A using the measured at least two properties (Pi, Pii) of the fluid with a relationship that correlates the at least two properties (Pi, Pii) of the fluid with the virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid at section A;
- estimating the kinematic viscosity (kV) of the fluid from the absolute viscosity (aV) of the fluid at section A;
- and
- extrapolating the kinematic viscosity (kVstandard) of the fluid at a standard temperature (Tstandard) using the kinematic viscosity (kV) of the fluid, the virtual temperature (TV) of the fluid, and a relationship that correlates the temperature of the fluid with the kinematic-viscosity of the fluid to determine on-line the kinematic viscosity of the fluid at any temperature.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.