Continuous Fuel Identification for Pipelines with a ClearView® db Photometer

Purpose:

Reliable, affordable, real-time identification of petroleum products flowing in pipelines to minimize waste and assist in transitions.

Experimental:

ClearView db fiber optic filter photometer. Fiber optic flow probe with 1 cm optical path. Pair of 2 meter low-0H fiber optic cables. 

Near-infrared (NIR) spectra are rich in chemical information relating to the properties of fuels. Aromatic hydrocarbons produce the peak shown in the spectra to the right. Other hydrocarbon compounds produce features between 1190 and 1230 nm. These features are used to make fuel identification with greater confidence than single parameter methods.

NIR Spectra of Fuel Samples

Samples:

R+M/2 87 and 93 octane including monthly blend changes with RVPs from 8 to 13 and temperatures from 65-75° F.

Outputs:

4-20 mA analog output with defined ranges for each fuel type and for mixing regions between fuels (4-bit digital output optional). Optoswitch circuits for lamp replacement and probe fouling alarms.

Conclusions:

Using Chemometric routines the type of fuel can be identified

ClearView db can provide positive real time fuel identification. 

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