Determination and control of a composition characteristic while blending a multicomponent combustible fluid

Abstract

Abstract IN A BLENDING PROCESS WHEREIN A PLURALITY OF COMPONENT FLUIDS IS CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCED INTO A BLENDING ZONE PRODUCING A COMBUSTIBLE FLUID MIXTURE, A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DETERMINING AND CONTROLLING A COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC OF THE COMBUSTIBLE FLUID MIXTURE, SUCH AS THE OCTANE RATING OF A GASOLINE BLEND. A SAMPLE OF THE FLUID MIXTURE IS OXIDIZED IN AN ANALYZER COMPRISING A STABILIZED COOL FLAME GENERATOR WITH A SERVOPOSITIONED FLAME FRONT. THE POSITION OF THE FLAME FRONT IS AUTOMATICALLY DETECTED AND UTILIZED TO MANIPULATE A COMBUSTION PARAMETER IN A MANNER SUFFICIENT TO IMMOBILIZE THE FLAME FRONT REGARDLESS OF FLUCTUATIONS IN COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FLUID SAMPLE. CHANGES IN COMBUSTION PARAMETER WHICH ARE REQUIRED TO IMMOBILIZE THE FLAME FRONT ARE CORRELATABLE WITH CHANGES IN COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC, AND MEANS IS PROVIDED FOR SENSING THE MANIPULATED COMBUSTION PARAMETER AND DEVELOPING THEREFROM A CONDITION OUTPUT SIGNAL WHICH IS FUNCTIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF AND CORRELATABLE WITH COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC. A SUITABLE REFERENCE FUEL OF KNOWN COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC IS PERIODICALLY PASSED TO THE ANALYZER IN PLACE OF THE FLUID SAMPLE, AND MEANS IS PROVIDED TO COMPENSATE THE CONDITION OUTPUT SIGNAL FOR ANY DEVIATION IN THE SIGNAL BETWEEN APPARENT REFERENCE FUEL SIGNAL AND A SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO THE TRUE KNOWN VALUE OF REFERENCE FUEL COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC. MEANS IS ALSO PROVIDED FOR ADJUSTING THE CONDITION OUTPUT SIGNAL RESPONSIVE TO ANALYZER TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS AND COMPONENT CHANGES IN THE BLENDING ZONE. THUS, THE CONDITION OUTPUT SIGNAL IS COMPENSATED FOR COMBUSTION EFFECTS NOT INDICATIVE OF COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC, AND IS THEREBY RENDERED FUNCTIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF AND CORRELATABLE WITH THE TRUE COMPOSITION CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FLUID SAMPLE OF BLENDED PRODUCT. D R A W I N G

Inventors

• 👤 Ellsworth R Fenske
• 👤 Robert W Sampson

Bibliographic Details