Means and method for automatically controlling the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio during the conversion of a hydrocarbon

Claim 1

A system for controlling the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio during the operation of a hydrocarbon converting unit, comprising means for sensing the flow rate Fc of the hydrocarbon and providing a corresponding signal, a pair of meters receiving some of the hydrocarbon, one meter providing a signal corresponding to the boiling point of the hydrocarbon, the other meter providing a signal corresponding to the API gravity of the hydrocarbon, means connected to the one meter for converting the signal from the one meter to a signal corresponding to the 50 percent boiling point of the hydrocarbon, computing means connected to the other meter and to the converting means for providing signal corresponding to the specific gravity Gc and the average molecular weight Mc of the hydrocarbon in accordance with the output from the other meter and from the converting means and the following equations: Gc (141.5/API + 131.5) Mc X + Y(API30) + Z(API-30)2, X 10(1.60783 .0016007(50%BP) .45(10 )(50%BP) ) Y 10( .4244 .00152X .45 )X) , Z -.0133+.516(10 4)(50% BP), where API is the API gravity, means for sensing hydrogen entering the hydrocarbon converting unit and providing corresponding signals, means connected to the computing means and to the hydrocarbon sensing means for providing a ratio signal corresponding to the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio in accordance with the signals from the hydrogen sensing means and the computing means, means for providing a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio, means connected to the ratio signal means and to the reference signal means for providing a signal corresponding to the difference between the ratio signal and the reference signal, and means connected to the signal difference means for controlling one of the entrants to the hydrocarbon converting unit in accordance with the signal so as to control the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio.

Claim 2

A system for controlling the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio during the operation of a hydrocarbon converting unit, comprising means for sensing the flow rate Fc of the hydrocarbon and providing a corresponding signal, a pair of meters receiving some of the hydrocarbon, one meter providing a signal corresponding to the boiling point of the hydrocarbon, the other meter providing a signal corresponding to the API gravity of the hydrocarbon, means connected to the one meter for converting the signal from the one meter to a signal corresponding to the 50 percent boiling point of the hydrocarbon, computing means connected to the other meter and to the converting means for providing signal corresponding to the specific gravity Gc and the average molecular weight Mc of the hydrocarbon in accordance with the output from the other meter and from the converting means and the following equations: Gc (141.5/API + 131.5) Mc X + Y(API30) + Z(API-30)2, X 10(1.60783 .0016007(50%BP) .45(10 )(50%BP) ) Y 10( .4244 .00152X .45 )X) , Z -.0133+.516(10 4)(50% BP), where API is the API gravity, means for sensing hydrogen entering the hydrocarbon converting unit and providing corresponding signals, means connected to the computing means and to the hydrocarbon sensing means for providing a ratio signal corresponding to the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio in accordance with the signals from the hydrogen sensing means and the computing means, means for providing a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio, means connected to the ratio signal means and to the reference signal means for providing a signal corresponding to the difference between the ratio signal and the reference signal, and means connected to the signal difference means for controlling one of the entrants to the hydrocarbon converting unit in accordance with the signal so as to control the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio.

Claim 6

A method for controlling the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio in a hydrocarbon converting unit, which comprises providing signals corresponding to hydrogen entering the hydrocarbon converting unit, sensing the flow rate Fc of hydrocarbon entering the hydrocarbon converting unit, providing a signal corresponding to the sensed hydrocarbon flow rate Fc, sensing the boiling point of the hydrocarbon, providing a signal corresponding to the 50 percent boiling point in accordance with the sensed boiling point, sensing the API gravity of the hydrocarbon, providing a signal corresponding to the sensed API gravity, providing a signal corresponding to the specific gravity Gc of the hydrocarbon in accordance with the API gravity signal in the following equation: Gc (141.5/API+131.5) where API is the API gravity, providing a signal corresponding to the average molecular weight Mc of the hydrocarbon in accordance with the API gravity signal, the 50 percent boiling point and the following equations: Mc X + Y(API-30)+Z(API-30)2 , X 10(1.60783 .0016007(50%) .45(10 )(50%) ) , Y 10( .4244 .00152X .45(10 )X ) , Z .0133+.516(10 4)(50%) determining the ratio of hydrogen to hydrocarbon in accordance with the sensed hydrogen signals, the hydrocarbon flow rate Fc signal and the hydrocarbon specific gravity Gc and molecular weight Mc signals; providing a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio, providing an error signal corresponding to the difference between the ratio signal and the reference signal; and controlling the quantity of one of the entrants to the hydrocarbon converting unit in accordance with the error signal.

Claim 7

A method for controlling the hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio in a hydrocarbon converting unit, which comprises providing signals corresponding to hydrogen entering the hydrocarbon converting unit, sensing the flow rate Fc of hydrocarbon entering the hydrocarbon converting unit, providing a signal corresponding to the sensed hydrocarbon flow rate Fc, sensing the boiling point of the hydrocarbon, providing a signal corresponding to the 50 percent boiling point in accordance with the sensed boiling point, sensing the API gravity of the hydrocarbon, providing a signal corresponding to the sensed API gravity, providing a signal corresponding to the specific gravity Gc of the hydrocarbon in accordance with the API gravity signal in the following equation: Gc (141.5/API+131.5) where API is the API gravity, providing a signal corresponding to the average molecular weight Mc of the hydrocarbon in accordance with the API gravity signal, the 50 percent boiling point and the following equations: Mc X + Y(API-30)+Z(API-30)2 , X 10(1.60783 .0016007(50%) .45(10 )(50%) ) , Y 10( .4244 .00152X .45(10 )X ) , Z .0133+.516(10 4)(50%) determining the ratio of hydrogen to hydrocarbon in accordance with the sensed hydrogen signals, the hydrocarbon flow rate Fc signal and the hydrocarbon specific gravity Gc and molecular weight Mc signals; providing a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio, providing an error signal corresponding to the difference between the ratio signal and the reference signal; and controlling the quantity of one of the entrants to the hydrocarbon converting unit in accordance with the error signal.

Claim 10

A device adapted to receive oil and to receive voltages for providing signals substantially corresponding to the molecular weight and to the specific gravity of the oil, comprising means for sensing the 50 percent boiling point and the API gravity of the received oil and providing signals thereto, a pair of sample and hold circuits, connected to the sensing means and controlled by a received voltage, one sample and hold circuit periodically samples and holds the signal from the sensing means corresponding to the 50 percent boiling point of the oil to provide an output, while the other sample and hold circuit periodically samples and holds the signal from the sensing means corresponding to API gravity of the oil to provide an output, and a computing network connected to the pair of sample and hold circuits for providing the signal substantially corresponding to the molecular weight Mc of the received oil in accordance with the outputs from the sample and hold circuits, some of the received voltages and the following equations: Mc X + Y(API-30) + Z(API-30)2 Z -.0133 + .0000516(50%) X 10(1.60783 .0016007(50%) .45(10 )(50%) ), and Y 10( .4244 .00152X .45(10 )X ) where API is the API gravity of the received oil, and 50 percent is the 50 percent boiling point of the received oil; and a second computing network connected to the other sample and hold circuit for a signal corresponding to the specific gravity Gc of the oil in accordance with the output corresponding to the API gravity from the other sample and hold circuit, some of the received voltages and the following equation: Gc (141.5/API+131.5) . where API is the API gravity of the hydrocarbon.

Claim 11

A device adapted to receive oil and to receive voltages for providing signals substantially corresponding to the molecular weight and to the specific gravity of the oil, comprising means for sensing the 50 percent boiling point and the API gravity of the received oil and providing signals thereto, a pair of sample and hold circuits, connected to the sensing means and controlled by a received voltage, one sample and hold circuit periodically samples and holds the signal from the sensing means corresponding to the 50 percent boiling point of the oil to provide an output, while the other sample and hold circuit periodically samples and holds the signal from the sensing means corresponding to API gravity of the oil to provide an output, and a computing network connected to the pair of sample and hold circuits for providing the signal substantially corresponding to the molecular weight Mc of the received oil in accordance with the outputs from the sample and hold circuits, some of the received voltages and the following equations: Mc X + Y(API-30) + Z(API-30)2 Z -.0133 + .0000516(50%) X 10(1.60783 .0016007(50%) .45(10 )(50%) ), and Y 10( .4244 .00152X .45(10 )X ) where API is the API gravity of the received oil, and 50 percent is the 50 percent boiling point of the received oil; and a second computing network connected to the other sample and hold circuit for a signal corresponding to the specific gravity Gc of the oil in accordance with the output corresponding to the API gravity from the other sample and hold circuit, some of the received voltages and the following equation: Gc (141.5/API+131.5) . where API is the API gravity of the hydrocarbon.