Method and system for analysing a blend of two or more hydrocarbon feed streams
Inventors
STUBBINS, Frederick J. • Wade, John • WINSTONE, Paul
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10557842-B2
Publication Date
2020-02-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for analysing a blend of two or more hydrocarbon feed streams such as crude oils. These crude oils are blended in a facility such as a refinery. The method assesses the compatibility of a hydrocarbon feed in a blend to calculate the blend stability such that organic deposition is minimised. The method uses all of a plurality of hydrocarbon feeds to be blended for analysis. The method either selects a neat hydrocarbon feed, from a plurality of the hydrocarbon feeds included in a blend, as a titrant, wherein the or each other hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon feed are used to make a pseudo-blend and titrating the pseudo-blend with said selected neat hydrocarbon feed for a plurality of different blend ratios. Alternatively the method involves preparing a reference hydrocarbon and making a blend from the plurality of hydrocarbon feeds and titrating the blend with the reference hydrocarbon. Measurements associated with the change in characteristics of the titrated blend are made and data recorded. The method then calculates, using said data, the stability of the blend.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to analysing a blend of two or more hydrocarbon feed streams for processing in a blending facility in order to assess the compatibility of a hydrocarbon feed in a blend and to calculate blend stability for assessing organic deposition from said blend. The approach uses all of a plurality of hydrocarbon feeds to be blended for analysis and prepares a reference hydrocarbon and making a blend from the plurality of hydrocarbon feeds. The prepared blend is titrated with the reference hydrocarbon as a titrant, and data associated with the change in characteristics of the titrated blend is measured and recorded.
During the titration, changes in blend characteristics are recorded over ratios/time/conditions to determine an organic-deposition inflection point. The recorded data is then used to apply regression and/or chemometric modelling to compute blend stability metrics including a Blend Stability Coefficient (BSC) and a Blend Instability Coefficient (BIC), and to derive stability metrics for blend feasibility and evaluation reporting. The process can include microscopy validation and NIR measurement of relevant changes in blend characteristics and/or spectra.
A blending-facility evaluation framework is provided that includes aggregate stability plots and quality tracking, including fingerprinting, spectral distance analysis and near neighbor analysis for outlier detection. The method monitors the characteristics of the hydrocarbon feed stream(s) and, if the measured characteristics fall outside a control limit or if a new hydrocarbon feed is to be included in the dataset, selects the hydrocarbon feed as the titrant. The calculated metrics and classifications support assessing feasible and infeasible blends and reporting stability classifications for time periods after titration.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides two independent claims (a method and a system). Across these claims, the inventive features are centred on reference-hydrocarbon titration of a blend formed from a plurality of hydrocarbon feed streams, measurement and recording of changes in the titrated blend characteristics, dataset-based selection of feed properties and feasible/infeasible blends, conditional titrant selection based on control limits and dataset updates, and calculating blend stability from the measurement data.
Reference hydrocarbon titration for blend stability
Using all of a plurality of hydrocarbon feeds to be blended for analysis, preparing a reference hydrocarbon and making a blend from the plurality of hydrocarbon feeds, titrating the blend with the reference hydrocarbon as a titrant, measuring and recording data associated with the change in characteristics of the titrated blend, and calculating, using said data, the stability of the blend.
Dataset-based feed properties and feasible/infeasible blend list
Wherein the properties of two or more hydrocarbon feed streams are selectable from a dataset having a record of the properties of each hydrocarbon feedstream, wherein the dataset includes a list of feasible and infeasible blends for a blending facility.
Control-limit and new-feed based titrant selection
Wherein the method monitors the characteristics of the or each hydrocarbon feed stream and, if the measured characteristics of a hydrocarbon feed stream fall outside a control limit, or a new hydrocarbon feed is to be included in the dataset, said hydrocarbon feed is selected as the titrant.
System apparatus with measurement and stability calculation
Apparatus configured to utilize all of a plurality of hydrocarbon feeds to be blended for analysis and titrate a blend of the plurality of hydrocarbon feeds with a reference hydrocarbon, wherein the reference hydrocarbon is the titrant and the blend is prepared from the plurality of hydrocarbon feeds; a measurement device configured to measure the change in characteristics of the titrated blend and output the associated measurement data; and a processor configured to receive the measurement data, record said data for a plurality of titrations at different blend ratios and calculate the stability of the blend.
System dataset-based feed properties and conditional titrant selection
Wherein the properties of two or more hydrocarbon feed streams are selectable from a dataset having a record of the properties of each hydrocarbon feedstream, wherein the dataset includes a list of feasible and infeasible blends for a blending facility, and wherein the system monitors the characteristics of the or each hydrocarbon feed stream and, if the measured characteristics of a hydrocarbon feed stream fall outside a control limit, or a new hydrocarbon feed is to be included in the dataset, said hydrocarbon feed is selected as the titrant.
Across the independent claims, blend stability for assessing organic deposition is determined by titrating a blend made from all intended hydrocarbon feeds with a reference hydrocarbon used as a titrant, measuring and recording changes in the titrated blend characteristics, and calculating stability using the resulting measurement data. Both claims further rely on selecting feed properties from a dataset containing records and a feasible/infeasible blend list, and on conditional titrant selection when measured feed characteristics fall outside a control limit or when new feeds are added to the dataset.
Stated Advantages
Enables assessing the compatibility of a hydrocarbon feed in a blend and calculating blend stability for assessing organic deposition from said blend.
Supports identifying and reporting blend feasibility using a dataset that includes feasible and infeasible blends for a blending facility.
Supports updating titrant selection when feed characteristics fall outside a control limit or when a new hydrocarbon feed is to be included in the dataset.
Documented Applications
Processing in a blending facility/refinery context for assessing compatibility of hydrocarbon feed streams and calculating blend stability to assess organic deposition from hydrocarbon blends.
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