Apparatus and Method for Measuring the Properties of Petroleum Factions and Pure Hydrocarbon Liquids by Light Refraction

Abstract

A Method and apparatus to accurately measure and display various properties of hydrocarbons and petroleum factions for a small volume of sample in a short period of time in one test with less cost and energy for the analysis by the method of light refection. The refraction of light through the sample is measured and compared to the refraction f the light through vacuum by the apparatus. The method of the invention comprises a property estimation from the apparatus to output a property estimate value. The property estimation means is equipped with a property estimation model for evaluating the property estimate value outputted from the property estimation model. The method is incorporated into standard or otherwise any refractive index test apparatus or refractometer to provide accurate measure of the thermodynamic and transport properties of pure hydrocarbons and undefined multicomponent mixtures such as petroleum factions.

1 . A method for measuring the chemical, performance, perceptual or physical properties of a hydrocarbon sample which comprises at least on for the following properties:
 the API gravity at 15° C.,   the specific gravity,   the density at 20° C.,   the average boiling point,   the Watson characterization factor,   the molecular weight,   the critical volume,   the Reid vapor pressure,   the kinematic viscosity at 37.8° C. and 98.9° C.,   the true critical temperature,   the pseudocritical temperature,   the true critical pressure,   the pseudocritical pressure,   the acentric factor,   the net heat of combustion at 25° C.,   the isobaric liquid heat capacity at 15.6° C.,   the isobaric vapor heat capacity at 15.6° C.,   the liquid thermal conductivity at 25° C.,   the research octane number,   the motor octane numbers,   the heat of Vaporization at the Normal Boiling Point,’   the carbon to hydrogen content,   the true vapor pressure,   the flash point,   the freezing point,   the surface tension of the liquid,   the aniline point,   the cloud point,   the critical compressibility factor,   the solubility parameter, and   the compositional analysis for paraffins, napthenes, aromatics, sulfur, mono-aromatics, poly-aromatics: which comprises:   a) placing said hydrocarbon sample in a refractive index apparatus; analyzing a of said sample by refractometry, under suitable and repeatable conditions, to determine the refractive index of the of said hydrocarbon in the refractive index apparatus;   b) determining the API gravity of the hydrocarbon sample by calculation form the first set of data of step (a) or by analyzing the hydrocarbon sample by a suitable method, under suitable and repeatable conditions;   c) applying at least the first set of data of step(a) or by analyzing the hydrocarbon sample by a suitable method, under suitable and repeatable conditions to determine the average boiling point of the hydrocarbon sample;   d) inputting the values of a least one set of data from the first set of data of step (a), the second set of data of step (b), and the third set of data of step (c) into a computational model;   e) applying a computational method to said sets of data of step (d) comprising a mathematical model wherein the computation method further performs a correlation between the amounts of the detected values of said sets of data to the properties of the hydrocarbon; and   g) determining the physical and chemical property that is derived from the hydrocarbon as a function of that least the refractive index of its components in-situ or in real time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computational method in step (e) comprises at least on of the following methods; optimization, neural networks, multivariate regression, partial least square regression, principal component regression, a topological approach, genetic algorithms, or any computational method. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the refractive index apparatus conforms to at least one of the following standard or otherwise non-standard test methods and its apparatus;
 (a) ASTM D1215 test method for clear hydrocarbons'   (b) ASTM D1218 test method using the Bausch and Lomb refractometer; and   (c) ASTM D1747 test method for viscous oils.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the refractive index in is obtained from at least one of the following standard or otherwise non-standard test methods and procedures;
 (a) ASTM D1215 test method for clear hydrocarbons'   (b) ASTM D1218 test method using the Bausch and Lomb refractometer; and   (c) ASTM D1747 test method for viscous oils.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon is a petroleum fraction such as naphtha, kerosene, middle distillated, heavy distillate, vacuum distillate, gasoil, heavy gasoil, and cracked feed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon is a pure hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said data from steps (a) to (c) are stored in a standalone computer or in an integrated computer in the refractive index apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said data from steps (a) to (c) are treated in a standalone computer or in an integrated computer in the refractive index apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein computations in steps (d) to (g) are performed and displayed in a standalone computer or in an integrated computer in the refractive index apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said method for predicting the fluid properties:
 (a) is powerful for simulation an d predicting the properties of petroleum fluids;   (b) is simple and straightforward;   (c) requires limited information from readily available lab analysis and simple analytical characterizations to describe the petroleum feedstock;   (d) can predict the global properties of molecular ensembles produced during various physical and chemical processing scenarios as they progress;   (e) can be combined with or incorporated in process simulation packages thus enhancing their information content;   (f) provides a foundation for developing property relationships and incorporating well-established correlations to estimate mixture properties;   (g) the capability of predicting the physical and performance properties of undefined multicomponent hydrocarbon mixtures during processing;   (h) can be incorporated as software in the refractive index apparatus hardware to provide estimation of properties of petroleum fractions using one single laboratory test;   (i) leads to large savings in terms of energy, tie and cost;   (j) can predict the properties of undefined multicomponent mixtures and petroleum factions as well as pure hydrocarbons than the current methods and can enhance the prediction performance of chemical process simulation packages;   (k) combines routine analytical test and a modeling approach to provide direct measurement of the thermodynamic and transport properties of a hydrocarbon sample;   (l) can calculate the properties of hydrocarbon with good accuracy when at least one bulk property is available (i.e. the refractive index);   (m) is applicable to any hydrocarbon or petroleum faction; and   (n) can predict the properties of petroleum fuels from refractive index date alone.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for measuring the chemical, performance, perceptual or physical properties of a hydrocarbon sample which comprises at least on of the following properties:
 the API gravity at 15° C.,   the specific gravity,   the density at 20° C.,   the average boiling point,   the Watson characterization factor,   the molecular weight,   the critical volume,   the Reid vapor pressure,   the kinematic viscosity at 37.8° C. and 98.9° C.,   the true critical temperature,   the pseudocritical temperature,   the true critical pressure,   the pseudocritical pressure,   the acentric factor,   the net heat of combustion at 25° C.,   the isobaric liquid heat capacity at 15.6° C.,   the isobaric vapor heat capacity at 15.6° C.,   the liquid thermal conductivity at 25° C.,   the research octane number,   the motor octane numbers,   the heat of Vaporization at the Normal Boiling Point,’   the carbon to hydrogen content,   the true vapor pressure,   the flash point,   the freezing point,   the surface tension of the liquid,   the aniline point,   the cloud point,   the critical compressibility factor,   the solubility parameter, and   the compositional analysis for paraffins, napthenes, aromatics, sulfur, mono-aromatics, poly-aromatics; which comprises:   a) placing said hydrocarbon sample in a refractive index apparatus; analyzing a of said sample by refractometry, under suitable and repeatable conditions, to determine the refractive index of the of said hydrocarbon in the refractive index apparatus;   b) determining the API gravity of the hydrocarbon sample by calculation form the first set of data of step (a) or by analyzing the hydrocarbon sample by a suitable method, under suitable and repeatable conditions;   c) applying at least the first set of data of step(a) or by analyzing the hydrocarbon sample by a suitable method, under suitable and repeatable conditions to determine the average boiling point of the hydrocarbon sample;   d) inputting the values of a least one set of data from the first set of data of step (a), the second set of data of step (b), and the third set of data of step (c) into a computational model;   e) applying a computational method to said sets of data of step (d) comprising a mathematical model wherein the computation method further performs a correlation between the amounts of the detected values of said sets of data to the properties of the hydrocarbon; and   g) determining the physical and chemical property that is derived from the hydrocarbon as a function of that least the refractive index of its components in-situ or in real time.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the computational method in step (e) comprises at least on of the following methods; optimization, neural networks, multivariate regression, partial least square regression, principal component regression, a topological approach, genetic algorithms. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the refractive index apparatus conforms to at least one of the following standard or otherwise non-standard test methods and its apparatus;
 (a) ASTM D1215 test method for clear hydrocarbons'   (b) ASTM D1218 test method using the Bausch and Lomb refractometer; and   (c) ASTM D1747 test method for viscous oils.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said data from steps (a) to (c) are stored in a standalone computer or in an integrated computer in the refractive index apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein computations in steps (d) to (g) are performed and displayed in a standalone computer or in an integrated computer in the refractive index apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11  comprising a microprocessor to execute the correlation means and a display screen to display said predicted properties. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11  comprising a microprocessor to execute the correlation means and to display screen to display said predicted properties. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11  comprising wherein said apparatus for predicting the fluid properties is a handheld analyzer. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11  comprising wherein said apparatus for predicting the fluid properties is a Laboratory bench-top analyzer. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11  comprising wherein said apparatus for predicting the fluid properties is an inline process sample analyzer. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein said method for predicting the fluid properties:
 (a) is powerful for simulation an d predicting the properties of petroleum fluids;   (b) is simple and straightforward;   (c) requires limited information from readily available lab analysis and simple analytical characterizations to describe the petroleum feedstock;   (d) can predict the global properties of molecular ensembles produced during various physical and chemical processing scenarios as they progress;   (e) can be combined with or incorporated in process simulation packages thus enhancing their information content;   (f) provides a foundation for developing property relationships and incorporating well-established correlations to estimate mixture properties;   (g) the capability of predicting the physical and performance properties of undefined multicomponent hydrocarbon mixtures during processing;   (h) can be incorporated as software in the refractive index apparatus hardware to provide estimation of properties of petroleum fractions using one single laboratory test;   (i) leads to large savings in terms of energy, tie and cost;   (j) can predict the properties of undefined multicomponent mixtures and petroleum factions as well as pure hydrocarbons than the current methods and can enhance the prediction performance of chemical process simulation packages;   (k) combines routine analytical test and a modeling approach to provide direct measurement of the thermodynamic and transport properties of a hydrocarbon sample;   (l) can calculate the properties of hydrocarbon with good accuracy when at least one bulk property is available (i.e. the refractive index);   (m) is applicable to any hydrocarbon or petroleum faction; and   (n) can predict the properties of petroleum fuels from refractive index date alone.