Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – With testing or weighing receiver content
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-29
2002-01-29
Jacyna, J. Casimer (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
With testing or weighing receiver content
C141S001000, C141S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06341629
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a testing device and a method of its use, in particular for distinguishing between hydrocarbons.
There are many occasions when liquids are to be mixed commercially on a large scale and/or frequently, in particular distillate liquid products in a refinery or derived from a refinery, and it is essential that the correct liquids are mixed. Examples of such mixing occurs during transfer of fresh product e.g. gasolines or kerosenes to replenish tanks containing previously made product, as well as the dispensing of propulsion fuel e.g. motor gasoline or aviation gasoline, marine fuels, jet fuel or diesel into tanks of appropriate vehicles e.g. cars, lorries or piston or jet aircraft. The consequences of mis-fuelling are at best a nuisance and at worst lethal in the case of aircraft. In particular it is essential to be able to distinguish easily between aviation gasoline and jet fuel, or between motor gasoline and diesel. Existing methods involve use of a number of different techniques e.g. different colours and labels, audible warnings, and different nozzle sizes.
A device and method have now been found to achieve the distinction quickly, easily and routinely.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for controlling the movement of a liquid preferably comprising a liquid hydrocarbon from a first location to a second location, via closure means capable reversibly of moving at least partly (and preferably completely) between an open and a closed position, at least one of said first and second locations having a vapour space, and preferably at least one of the first and second locations having a vapour space above the liquid, which process comprises analyzing the vapour in one or both locations, comparing the results of the analysis(es) with a standard or each other, and using the results of the comparison to control the movement of the closure means. Preferably the first location has vapour space above the liquid and the second location has vapour space, optionally above a liquid, and the process especially comprises analyzing the vapour in or from the second location and optionally in or from the first location comparing the results of the analysis in or from the second location, with a standard or the results from the analysis in or from the first location.
The invention also provides an apparatus for controllable passage of a liquid which comprises a first zone containing said liquid, a reversible closure means, a first line between said first zone and said closure means, a second zone defining a vapour space for vapour of said liquid and optionally also said liquid, a second line from said closure means to or into said second zone, at least one detector for analyzing vapour in or from said second zone and/or above liquid in said first or second zones, means for transmitting the data from said detector(s) to processing means for comparing said data from one of said zones with a pre-set level or with data from the other of said zones, means for controlling movement of enclosure means, operation of said processing means and said controlling means being dependant on said comparison.
The present invention also provides a modification of said apparatus in which said second line passes into said second zone but is not integral with it and said detector is inside or preferably outside said second line and analyzes the vapour from said second zone. In this case the second line preferably has mounted on or in it said detector, and may be reversibly inserted into said second zone and the vapour analyzed. The second line provides the line for transporting the liquid as well as a support for the detector.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for dispensing a liquid e.g. a hydrocarbon such as a fuel which comprises a nozzle for inserting into a tank containing vapour e.g. a fuel tank, a reversible closure means preferably valve in said nozzle or in a feed line thereto for control of dispensing of liquid e.g. fuel, a detector for contacting the vapour from or in the tank, e.g. for insertion into said vapour, said detector being preferably capable of being in vapour contact with the dispensing end of said nozzle, means for passing a signal from said detector to a processing means for comparison of said signal, and a controller receiving output from said comparison for controlling movement of the liquid e.g. fuel, e.g. allowing or stopping its movement, preferably using said valve.
The invention will be described with respect to differentiating between fuels, but is applicable to other liquids as described below.
The movement of the liquid from the first zone to the second may be from a tank, a bulk one such as a non movable one e.g. an underground fuel tank via a fuel dispenser e.g. nozzle or bowser into a tank of a movable vehicle e.g. one powered by a combustion engine, as at a gasoline or rail car filling station, or an aircraft or boat, ship or tanker refuelling point or cargo loading point. The first zone may also be in a tank or pipe and the second zone a tank, e.g. for passing fresh gasoline feed components or blended gasoline to fill a partly full tank of previously made material, for example in a tank farm or from a fuel tanker into the pipes and tank of a filling station or from a tank on land and pipes into a ship tank. The first zone may also be in a tank and the second in a pipe, leading elsewhere in a refinery e.g. moving gasoline from a tank to a second location for subsequent blending. The first and second zones may also be in refinery pipes. In the case of pipes, there may be head space above the liquid level in which vapour is present and can be analyzed. The tanks are usually storage vessels for the liquid, either stationary as in underground or above ground repositories for fuel, especially ones periodically filled with fuel, e.g. from sea, rail or road tankers or fed directly by pipeline e.g. in/or from a refinery, or moveable in transport vehicles for propelling them e.g. in cars, lorries or boats or for containing them e.g. in gasoline road rail or sea tankers. Thus the tanks may be storage vessels or containers for long or short term retention of fuel.
The liquid being moved into the second location is one whose vapour is different from that of a liquid which it is not desired to be present in the second location e.g. because they are incompatible with each other or more usually because of the unsuitability of the undesired liquid in that second location. An Example of the latter is when the second location is a fuel tank for powering a combustion engine, for which one or more liquid fuels cannot or should not be used.
The liquid being moved preferably comprises a hydrocarbon which is liquid at 25° C. e.g. fuel, lubricant or crude oil containing partly volatile hydrocarbons, e.g. of 4-20 such as 4-10 carbons and usually aliphatic or aromatic, and possibly also non-hydrocarbon components, such as oxygen compounds e.g. ether octane boosters or phenols, or antioxidants, nitrogen compounds such as inhibitors/dispersants or cetane improvers such as organo nitrates and/or sulphur compounds e.g. impurities in the fuel, and/or perfumes and/or octane boosters e.g. organo leads.
The apparatus and method can also be used to distinguish between hydrocarbon liquids e.g. different types of crude oils, different kinds of gasolines e.g. leaded/unleaded or super unleaded fuels (with non lead octane boosters) or oxygenated
on oxygenated fuels, e.g. ones containing oxygen such as ethers e.g. MTBE, ETBE or TAME or alcohols, or feedstocks therefor e.g. reformate, alkylate etc. middle distillate fuels e.g. kerosene, diesel and fuel oils or bunker fuels such as marine fuel, heating and electricity generating oils. Other examples are the distinction between high sulphur diesel oil (e.g. a residual fuel) and low sulphur diesel oil e.g. a middle distillate, the diesel oils containing more or less than 0.05% of sulphur containing compounds (expressed by weight as sulphur). Diesels of nominally the sa
Clark Alisdair Quentin
Read Harry
BP Oil International Limited
Jacyna J. Casimer
Nixon & Vanderhye
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