Versatile systems for continuous in-line blending of butane and petroleum
First Claim
1. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
- a) a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate that varies over time;
b) a butane stream;
c) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream;
d) an upstream vapor pressure sensor in sensory communication with said gasoline stream upstream of said blending unit; and
e) one or more information processing units (IPUs) in informational communication with said upstream vapor pressure sensors, logically programmed to calculate a calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate based upon vapor pressure and volumetric flow rate of said gasoline stream, and for communicating said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate to said blending unit;
wherein said blending unit periodically receives said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate from said one or more IPUs, and adjusts the actual blend ratio and actual blend rate to coincide with said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are provided for in-line processes of blending butane into gasoline streams, and for blending butane into a gasoline stream at any point along a petroleum pipeline. The invention additionally provides a method for measuring the vapor pressure and vapor to liquid ratio of the gasoline, both upstream and downstream of the blending operation, as well as the sulfur content of the butane entering the blending operation. The blending operation can be controlled to ensure that the blended gasoline meets EPA requirements for vapor pressure and sulfur content of gasoline. The invention further provides a method for accessing and monitoring the operation off-site.
48 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate that varies over time;
b) a butane stream;
c) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream;
d) an upstream vapor pressure sensor in sensory communication with said gasoline stream upstream of said blending unit; and
e) one or more information processing units (IPUs) in informational communication with said upstream vapor pressure sensors, logically programmed to calculate a calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate based upon vapor pressure and volumetric flow rate of said gasoline stream, and for communicating said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate to said blending unit;
wherein said blending unit periodically receives said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate from said one or more IPUs, and adjusts the actual blend ratio and actual blend rate to coincide with said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) a gasoline stream;
b) a butane stream;
c) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream;
d) an upstream vapor pressure sensor in sensory communication with said gasoline stream upstream of said blending unit;
e) a downstream vapor pressure sensor in sensory communication with said gasoline stream downstream of said blending unit; and
f) one or more information processing units (IPUs) in informational communication with said upstream vapor pressure sensors, logically programmed to calculate a calculated blend ratio based upon vapor pressure of said gasoline stream, and for communicating said calculated blend ratio to said blending unit;
wherein said blending unit periodically receives said calculated blend ratio from said IPU, and adjusts the actual blend ratio to coincide with said calculated blend ratio. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) a gasoline stream;
b) a butane stream;
c) an upstream gasoline vapor pressure sensor, in sensory communication with said gasoline stream;
d) a butane sampling unit for periodically or continuously withdrawing butane from said butane stream; and
e) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream, downstream of said gasoline vapor pressure sensor;
wherein said butane sampling unit and said butane vapor pressure sensor are located on a platform in proximity to said petroleum pipeline.
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19. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) a gasoline stream;
b) a butane stream in fluid communication with said gasoline stream; and
c) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream comprising;
i. an on/off valve between said gasoline stream and said butane stream; and
ii. a modulating valve that modulates rate of flow of said butane stream toward said on/off valve.
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20. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate;
b) a butane stream;
c) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream;
d) an upstream vapor pressure sensor in sensory communication with said gasoline stream upstream of said blending unit;
e) one or more informational databases on which is stored seasonal data that prescribes (i) allowable vapor pressures on two or more prescribed dates or ranges of dates, or (ii) whether butane blending is allowed on two or more prescribed dates or ranges of dates; and
f) one or more information processing units (IPUs) in informational communication with said upstream vapor pressure sensors and said informational databases, logically programmed to retrieve the date and to calculate a calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate based upon the stored seasonal data and vapor pressure and volumetric flow rate of said gasoline stream, and for communicating said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate to said blending unit;
wherein said blending unit periodically receives said calculated blend ratio from said IPU, and adjusts the actual blend ratio to coincide with said calculated blend ratio.
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21. A system for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate and comprising a plurality of batches of gasoline wherein each batch of gasoline is associated with a batch code;
b) a butane stream;
c) a blending unit for blending said gasoline stream and said butane stream at an actual blend ratio and an actual blend rate to yield a blended gasoline stream;
d) an upstream vapor pressure sensor in sensory communication with said gasoline stream upstream of said blending unit;
e) one or more informational databases on which is stored data that prescribes allowable vapor pressures for one or more batch codes; and
f) one or more information processing units (IPUs) in informational communication with said upstream vapor pressure sensors and said informational databases, logically programmed to retrieve the batch code and to calculate a calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate based upon the stored data and vapor pressure and volumetric flow rate of said gasoline stream, and for communicating said calculated blend ratio and calculated blend rate to said blending unit;
wherein said blending unit periodically receives said calculated blend ratio from said IPU, and adjusts the actual blend ratio to coincide with said calculated blend ratio.
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22. A method for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising
a) providing a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate that varies over time; -
b) providing a butane stream;
c) periodically measuring vapor pressure of gasoline in the gasoline stream;
d) periodically measuring volumetric flow rate of gasoline in the gasoline stream;
e) calculating a blend ratio based upon said vapor pressure and said volumetric flow rate; and
f) blending, with a blending unit, the butane stream and the gasoline stream at said blend ratio to provide a blended gasoline stream. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for in-line blending of gasoline and butane comprising:
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a) providing a gasoline stream;
b) providing a butane stream;
c) measuring vapor pressure of gasoline in the gasoline stream;
d) calculating a blend ratio based upon said vapor pressure;
e) periodically or continuously withdrawing butane from said butane stream;
f) periodically or continuously measuring sulfur content of the butane withdrawn from said butane stream; and
g) blending the butane stream and the gasoline stream at said blend ratio to provide a blended gasoline stream.
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31. A method for in-line blending of gasoline and butane to provide a blended gasoline stream comprising:
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a) providing a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate;
b) providing a butane stream;
c) measuring vapor pressure of gasoline in the gasoline stream;
d) storing, in one or more informational databases, seasonal data that prescribes (i) allowable vapor pressures on two or more prescribed dates or ranges of dates, or (ii) whether butane blending is allowed on two or more prescribed dates or ranges of dates;
e) calculating a blend ratio based upon current date information, said seasonal data, and said vapor pressure; and
f) blending, with a blending unit, the butane stream and the gasoline stream at said blend ratio to provide a blended gasoline stream. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for in-line blending of gasoline and butane to provide a blended gasoline stream comprising:
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a) providing a gasoline stream having a volumetric flow rate and comprising a plurality of batches of gasoline wherein each batch of gasoline is associated with a batch code;
b) providing a butane stream;
c) measuring vapor pressure of gasoline in the gasoline stream;
d) storing, in one or more informational databases, batch code data that prescribes allowable vapor pressures for one or more batch codes;
e) calculating a blend ratio based upon the batch code associated with a batch of gasoline, said batch code data, and said vapor pressure; and
f) blending, with a blending unit, the butane stream and the gasoline stream at said blend ratio to provide a blended gasoline stream. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of recording quantity of butane blended with a batch of gasoline in a continuous in-line butane blending operation providing a blended gasoline stream comprising:
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a) providing a gasoline stream;
b) providing a butane stream;
c) recording a start time when a batch of gasoline begins to pass through said in-line butane blending operation;
d) recording an end time at which the batch finishes passing through said in-line butane blending operation;
e) recording quantity of butane blended with said gasoline stream between said start time and end time; and
f) associating said quantity of butane with said batch in an informational database.
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Specification