Measuring and testing – Liquid analysis or analysis of the suspension of solids in a... – Lubricant testing
Patent
1996-07-09
1998-01-13
Williams, Hezron E.
Measuring and testing
Liquid analysis or analysis of the suspension of solids in a...
Lubricant testing
73 5442, 73 6141, 73 6176, G01N 2502, G01N 2514, B03C 500
Patent
active
057081964
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for determining the cloud point of oil. In the method of the invention the cloud point is determined from a turning point on the oil's cooling curve and in an apparatus wherein the oil sample is cooled in a measuring space shaped essentially as cones positioned opposite to one another.
Oil products are mixtures of many different components, and those properties of oil products which restrict their usability are often dependent on the properties of the individual components. One significant factor in particular is the solidification and crystallization of wax components of oil products in a cold climate. In particular, this concerns diesel fuels and fuel oils made of petroleum as well as aviation petroleum. As the operating temperature of oil products drops and wax begins to crystallize in them, this will result in an accumulation of solid wax in various pans of the transportation equipment for these fluids, such as in filters, connection pieces, pumps and burners.
The pour point of an oil product indicates the lowest temperature at which the product in question will flow. Even before this pour point some oil components will crystallize and form a cloud in the product due, among other things, to crystallization of paraffine hydrocarbons. The temperature at which this clouding begins is called the cloud point. The cloud point of oil is the temperature at which paraffin wax or other substances normally dissolved into the oil begin to separate and to form small crystals, thus bringing about clouding in the oil.
The components of an oil product can be influenced by adjusting the refining process, and refineries produce a wide range of oil products having different proportionings of wax, depending on the requirements of the season. For obtaining the desired properties in the refining process the various properties must be measured with sufficient precision. In addition, for controlling the refining process successfully the method of measurement must be quick enough.
The cloud point depends on the components of the oil product just like the other properties of the product: although wax components cause difficulties in cold weather due to crystallization, their energy content is nevertheless good. For this reason, the refining process aims at avoiding any splitting up of wax components as far as possible, whereby the yield of the total refining process will be higher.
An ASTM D 2500 measuring method has been standardized for cloud point determinations. The apparatus to be used in this method is shown in FIG. 1. The determination is based on visual observation of the cloud point. Although the apparatus itself and its dimensions are exactly defined, there is much variation in the obtained measurement results between individual laboratories.
The publication Oil & Gas Journal, Oct. 20, 1986, Technology presents a study in variations in cloud point measurements between different laboratories when using this ASTM method. According to this study, much deviation occurred in the results of cloud point measurements: of 30 values measured at different laboratories only 13 were in the range -29.degree. . . . -31.degree. C., while the extreme values of the measurements were -22.degree. C. and -42.degree. C. respectively.
Thus, a problem with these methods is that the measurement results are too varying or the measuring methods are too slow for adjusting the process.
It has been a problem with known apparatuses that instead of visual observation an optical measuring method has been used in the determination, whereby the results have been greatly different and the moisture content, among other things, disturbs the determination. Additionally, an optical measurement is not at all suitable for naturally opaque oil products.
It is an objective of the present invention to achieve an improvement over known methods for determination of the cloud point of oil. A more specific objective of the invention has been to bring about a method and an apparatus for determination of the cloud point
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Pilvio Olli
Tolvanen Ilkka
Waldvogel Jurg
Neste Oy
Wiggins J. David
Williams Hezron E.
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