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US 9,086,373 B2Granted
Method and system for blending fluids
AssigneeJP3 Measurement, LLC
InventorsJoseph Paul Little, III, Matt Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for real time, in situ monitoring and blending of hydrocarbon fluids from multiple transmission lines feeding into a downstream line or vessel are described. The method and system include the scanning of the NIR range on fluids within each of at least two transmission lines. The spectroscopic optical data from the two scans is used to determine flow rates of the fluids from each transmission line to, for example, achieve a desired energy content, physical properties, or speciation in the blended fluid.
Claims24
A method of blending fluids, comprising:
- transmitting a first fluid through a first optical cell operable within a first transmission line into a downstream line;
- transmitting a second fluid through a second optical cell operable within a second transmission line into said downstream line;
- scanning said first fluid over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using a first tunable laser within said first optical cell to determine a property of said first fluid using spectrographic analysis from said first tunable laser;
- scanning said second fluid over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using a second tunable laser within said second optical cell to determine a property of said second fluid using spectrographic analysis from said second tunable laser;
- determining a property of said first fluid using chemometric analysis of said spectrographic analysis from said first tunable laser and determining a property of said second fluid using chemometric analysis of said spectrographic analysis from said second tunable laser;
- and
- altering said transmission of said first fluid through said first transmission line or said second fluid through said second transmission line based on said property of said first fluid and said property of said second fluid, thereby altering a property of a fluid in said downstream line.
4 more elements
A system for blending fluids in transmission lines, comprising:
- a first optical cell operable within a first transmission line, wherein a first fluid is transmitted through said first transmission line into a downstream line;
- a second optical cell operable within a second transmission line, wherein a second fluid is transmitted through said second transmission line into said downstream line;
- a first tunable laser configured to scan said first fluid in said first transmission line over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum;
- a second tunable laser configured to scan said second fluid in said second transmission line over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum;
- a central processing unit configured to evaluate said scan from said first tunable laser to determine a property of said first fluid and to evaluate said scan from said second tunable laser to determine a property of said second fluid;
- a control mechanism configured to alter said transmission of said first fluid through said first transmission line or said transmission of said second fluid through said second transmission line based on said property of said first fluid and said property of said second fluid, thereby altering a property of a fluid in said downstream line.
3 more elements
A method of blending crude oil, comprising:
- transmitting a first crude oil through a first optical cell operable within a first transmission line into a downstream line;
- transmitting a second crude oil through a second optical cell operable within a second transmission line into said downstream line;
- scanning said first crude oil over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using a first-tunable laser within said first optical cell to determine a property of said first crude oil using spectrographic analysis from said first tunable laser;
- scanning said second crude oil over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using a second-tunable laser within said second optical cell to determine a property of said second crude oil using spectrographic analysis from said second tunable laser;
- determining a property of said first crude oil using chemometric analysis of said spectrographic analysis from said first tunable laser and determining a property of said second crude oil using chemometric analysis of said spectrographic analysis from said second tunable laser;
- and
- altering said transmission of said first crude oil through said first transmission line or said second crude oil through said second transmission line based on said property of said first crude oil and said property of said second crude oil, thereby altering a property of a crude oil in said downstream line.
4 more elements
A method of blending fluids, comprising:
- transmitting a first fluid through a first optical cell operable within a first transmission line into a downstream line;
- transmitting a second fluid through a second optical cell operable within a second transmission line into said downstream line;
- scanning said first fluid over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using a first-tunable laser within said first optical cell to determine a property of said first fluid using spectrographic analysis from said first tunable laser;
- scanning said first fluid over a narrow wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using said first tunable laser;
- scanning said second fluid over a broad wavelength range within the near infrared spectrum using a second-tunable laser within said second optical cell to determine a property of said second fluid using spectrographic analysis from said second tunable laser;
- determining a property of said first fluid using chemometric analysis of said spectrographic analysis, and determining quantity of a contaminant in said fluid using said spectrographic analysis, from said first tunable laser and determining property of said second fluid using chemometric analysis of said spectrographic analysis from said second tunable laser;
- and
- altering said transmission of said first fluid through said first transmission line or said second fluid through said second transmission line based on said property and said quantity of said contaminant of said first fluid and said property of said second fluid, thereby altering a property of a fluid in said downstream line.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.