Method and Apparatus for Determining Heating Value
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the apparatus comprising:
- a reaction chamber configured to selectively receive the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and an oxidant gas and discharge a product gas having a residual O2 concentration where the product gas is formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas;
a first sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto;
a second sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; and
a computing device operatively connected to the first sensor and the second sensor to receive the electronic signals from the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the computing device is configured to calculate the heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from a combustion oxygen requirement index and the measured value relatable to molecular weight, wherein the combustion oxygen requirement index is determined using a correlation of the combustion oxygen requirement index as a function of the residual O2 concentration and using the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas as input to the correlation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components. The sample is reacted with an excess amount of oxidant gas in a reaction chamber to form a product gas containing residual oxygen. The molecular weight of the sample is measured and the residual oxygen concentration of the product gas is measured. The heating value is calculated from the measurements of the molecular weight and the residual oxygen concentration. Pure component hydrocarbon gases may be used to calibrate the system.
15 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the apparatus comprising:
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a reaction chamber configured to selectively receive the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and an oxidant gas and discharge a product gas having a residual O2 concentration where the product gas is formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas; a first sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; a second sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; and a computing device operatively connected to the first sensor and the second sensor to receive the electronic signals from the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the computing device is configured to calculate the heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from a combustion oxygen requirement index and the measured value relatable to molecular weight, wherein the combustion oxygen requirement index is determined using a correlation of the combustion oxygen requirement index as a function of the residual O2 concentration and using the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas as input to the correlation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the method comprising:
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(a) reacting the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture with an oxidant gas, the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas provided in a ratio to form a product gas having a residual O2 concentration; (b) acquiring a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas; (c) acquiring a measured value relatable to molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture; and (d) determining a heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from a combustion oxygen requirement index and the measured value relatable to molecular weight, wherein the combustion oxygen requirement index is determined using a correlation of the combustion oxygen requirement index as a function of the residual O2 concentration and the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the apparatus comprising:
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a reaction chamber configured to selectively receive the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and an oxidant gas, and to discharge a product gas having residual O2 concentration where the product gas is formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas; a first sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; a second sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; a third sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to a hydrogen concentration of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; a computing device operatively connected to the first sensor, second sensor, and the third sensor to receive the electronic signals from the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor, wherein the computing device is configured to calculate the heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas, the measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture, and the measured value relatable to a hydrogen concentration of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the method comprising:
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(a) reacting the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture with an oxidant gas, the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas provided in a ratio to form a product gas having a residual O2 concentration; (b) acquiring a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas; (c) acquiring a measured value relatable to molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture; (d) acquiring a measured value relatable to a hydrogen concentration of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture; and (e) determining a heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas, the measured value relatable to molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture, and the measured value relatable to a hydrogen concentration of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An apparatus for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the apparatus comprising:
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a source of a calibration gas, the calibration gas having a concentration of a single hydrocarbon component greater than 99 mole % or greater than 99.9 mole %, a reaction chamber configured to selectively receive the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and an oxidant gas, and to discharge a product gas having residual O2 concentration where the product gas is formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas, wherein the reaction chamber is configured to selectively receive the calibration gas from the source of the calibration gas and to receive the oxidant gas with the calibration gas, the reaction chamber configured to receive the calibration gas severally from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture, the reaction chamber configured to discharge a product gas formed from the calibration gas, the product gas formed from the calibration gas having a residual O2 concentration; a first sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto, and the first sensor is configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the calibration gas and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; a second sensor configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto, and the second sensor is configured to acquire a measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the calibration gas and for generating an electronic signal in response thereto; a computing device operatively connected to the first sensor and the second sensor to receive the electronic signals from the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the computing device is configured to calculate the heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the calibration gas, the measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the calibration gas, the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture, and the measured value relatable to the molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for determining a heating value of a sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture having hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons as mixture components, the method comprising:
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(a) reacting a calibration gas with the oxidant gas, the calibration gas having a concentration of a single hydrocarbon component greater than 99 mole % or greater than 99.9 mole %, the calibration gas and the oxidant gas provided in a ratio to form a product gas having residual O2 concentration; (b) acquiring a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the calibration gas; and (c) acquiring a measured value relatable to molecular weight of the calibration gas; (d) reacting the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture with an oxidant gas, the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture and the oxidant gas provided in a ratio to form a product gas having a residual O2 concentration; (e) acquiring a measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas; (f) acquiring a measured value relatable to molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture; and (g) determining a heating value of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture from the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the calibration gas, and the measured value relatable to molecular weight of the calibration gas, the measured value relatable to the residual O2 concentration in the product gas formed from the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture, and the measured value relatable to molecular weight of the sample hydrocarbon-containing mixture. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification