Optics: measuring and testing – Oil testing
Patent
1996-07-15
1998-02-03
Font, Frank G.
Optics: measuring and testing
Oil testing
356134, G01N 3328, G01N 2141
Patent
active
057150460
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method and a device for determination of the stability or storability of oil.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oil refining gives rise to dark heavy high-boiling oil fractions and their mixtures, of which bitumen and heavy fuel oil are made, among other things. The use and storability of these oil raffinates are impaired by the poor solubility or precipitation of asphaltenes in the oil. The precipitation ability of asphaltenes determines the stability or storability of the oil, and this dpenends both on the oil production process used and on the raw materials. In particular, the heat-cracking unit which is used today affects the precipitation ability of asphaltenes. Hereby the oil refining process should be controlled so that the heavy fuel oil obtained as the basis product of the unit will be stable.
The stability of oil has traditionally been determined from samples taken from the oil, i.a. by so-called flocculation methods (for example, the Shell method; Flocculation ratio of bitumen and fuel oil). These methods are based on paper chromatography and on visual perceptions in this connection. Getting a result takes from 1/2 to 6 hours when using this method.
Automatic on-line analyzers have been developed which are based, for example, on an observation of the oil product's asphaltene content either in connection with the production process or on a measurement of laboratory samples.
In an automatic on-line analyzer of this type a computer-controlled process analyzer automatically takes a samples from the desired product flow at determined intervals and put out a parameter indicating the stability to the process control room at determined intervals of time, for example, 10 minutes.
However, in these methods it has been a problem that the measurement results are too varied or the measurement methods have been too slow for adjusting the process.
Another problem with the known methods is that the measuring cell used for measuring has been open. As measurements can not be done in a closed measuring system, handling of the sample has been cumbersome and protection against explosion, which is very important in oil refining, has been problematic.
The invention aims at bringing about an improvement in the known methods of determining the stability or storability of oil. A more closely specified aim of the invention is to bring about a method of determining the stability of oil directly from the oil surface, so that the obtained measurement result can be used in controlling the oil quality or in controlling the production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the invention to bring about a method allowing a fully automatically operating analyzer for determining the stability of oil.
An other objective of the invention is to bring about a closed measurement system. In a closed measurement system separate sample handling is avoided and the problem of protection against explosions, which is very important in oil refining, has been solved.
The above-mentioned objectives are achieved through a new method and device, which are characterized by the features presented in the independent patent claims.
The invention is based on the surprising finding that the stability of oils can be determined promptly and reliably by measuring the intensity of light scattering from the oil surface.
It was also found surprisingly that by designing the analyzer's measuring cell for oil stability measurement so that measuring takes place through a prism, the drawbacks of methods representing the ate of the an could be avoided.
Several advantages are obtained by using a prism in a measuring device in accordance with the invention. Using the prism it is possible to direct the light ray arriving in the studied oil sample directly to the desired point without any harmful reflections. Likewise, the desired part of the light leaving the oil sample can be directed to an indicator. When a prism is used there is no open oil sample surface in the measuring dev
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Pilvio Olli
Tolvanen Ilkka
Waldvogel Jurg
Font Frank G.
Neste Oy
Stafira Michael P.
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