Methods for making and distributing batches of butane-enriched gasoline

• US 10,428,289 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals L.P. (Energy Transfer LP)
• Original Assignee: Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals L.P. (Energy Transfer LP)
• Inventors: Vanderbur, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnett, Nicolas A
• Application Number:
  US15/481,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20170211004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/04 essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/06 for spark ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/16 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1608 Well defined compounds, e.g. hexane, benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/14 for improving low temperature properties
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0423 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/023 for gasoline engines
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/24 Mixing, stirring of fuel components
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/58 Control or regulation of the fuel preparation of upgrading process
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/60 Measuring or analysing fractions, components or impurities or process conditions during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/00 Measuring the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or a fluent solid material by mechanical or fluid pressure-sensitive elements G01L11/004 takes precedence; transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements by electric , e.g., photoelectric or magnetic means G01L9/00; measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/22 Fuels; Explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2829 Mixtures of fuels

Abstract

Disclosed are automated methods and systems for certifying the volatility of butane-enriched gasoline downstream of a butane blending operation. Such automated methods and systems provide significant advantages to comply with volatility requirements imposed by EPA or state regulations.

Claims

1. An automated method of generating key performance indicators of a butane blending operation comprising:

a) providing a central information processing unit that maintains hourly time;

b) providing a petroleum conduit and a flow of petroleum through said conduit;

c) providing a butane supply and a butane blending system on said petroleum conduit;

d) detecting points in time when said butane blending system stops and resumes operation;

e) associating said points in time with said hourly time, and generating data corresponding to segments of hourly time when said butane blending system stopped and resumed operation during a given time frame (“

inoperative time segments”

).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step (d) comprises:

a) detecting when said butane supply is empty;

or

b) detecting when valves on the butane blending system are inoperable.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a) providing an information processing unit that may or may not be the same as the central information processing unit (“

IPU (b)”

);

b) tracking in said IPU (b) one or more key attributes of said flow selected from volatility, petroleum type and flow rate;

c) associating said key attributes of said flow with said hourly time maintained by said central information processing unit.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

a) providing a maximum allowable volatility of said flow;

b) periodically determining the actual volatility of said flow and calculating the quantity of butane capable of blending with said flow to attain said maximum allowable volatility; and

c) calculating, on an automated basis, lost butane blending opportunities based on the inoperative time segments and the quantity of butane capable of blending with said flow to attain said maximum volatility.