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Methods and apparatus for determining hydrocarbon fuel properties

  • US 5,225,679 A
  • Filed: 01/24/1992
  • Issued: 07/06/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for determining the properties of a hydrocarbon-based fuel based on analysis of the components of the fuel, the apparatus comprising:

  • an examination vessel for receiving a hydrocarbon-based fuel sample;

    a mid-IR light source which illuminates the fuel sample;

    detection means for detecting a plurality of fuel components, each fuel component having known characteristics including at least one known absorbance value associated with a known quantity of that fuel component, the detection means comprising, for each one of the plurality of fuel components, at least one light absorption detector assigned to a narrow spectral band centered about a wavelength associated with a signature vibrational mode of the respective fuel component and selected from the group consisting of;

    700 wavenumbers, for the measurement of aromatic-based fuel components,1100 wavenumbers, for the measurement of ethanol fuel components,1200 wavenumbers, for the measurement of MTBE fuel components, and3300 wavenumbers, for the measurement of alcohol-based fuel components;

    each detector output expressing a detected absorbance value indicative of the quantity of the detected fuel component; and

    correlation means for predicting the properties of the fuel based upon correlation of the known characteristics of the fuel components with the output of the detectors.

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