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Instrument Database:
LT Industries Inc. - PetroScan- NIR Petroleum Analysis System
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| Year of introduction |
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| Status |
available |
| Company |
LT Industries Inc.
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| Categories |
Spectrometer ( Molec. ): NIR
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The benefits . . .
PetroScan systems provide virtually instantaneous analysis of the contents of a blend feed line, header or holding tank. Changes which upset the orderly production of motor fuel can by caught very quickly -- and time is money. The systems use existing, approved test methods for comparative calibration. The system integrates well with the quality laboratory workload and feeds into refinery operation very easily. With the motor fuel world facing reformulation specifications and the associated penalties, PetroScan systems are both an operation optimizer and an analytical safety valve
A blending operation workhorse
Under reformulation conditions, lab results which show that a blend is below specification warn that serious logistic problems are on the way. It may be impossible to shift volume to adjust values. The refinery continues to make product which may have nowhere to go. A PetroScan system, however, can monitor all of these components all of the time. And its time for analysis is a few seconds. The blender can have test cells on every line and at the blend header, allowing on-the-fly adjustments. The goal of a PetroScan installation is to support good, consistent product without difficulty.
Why NIR?
NIR spectroscopy responds to organic chemicals and to some physical attributes of gasoline, diesel, lubricating oils and refinery fractions. It is very fast -- measurements in seconds -- and passive with respect to the sample. NIR precision is ranks high among analytical techniques. Best of all, it provides data which models values from other sensors -- knock engines to laboratory instruments -- very closely. When time is at a premium and you can’t risk bad data, that’s the time to use NIR.
The system . . .
A PetroScan system has three main components -- a rugged Near-InfraRed (NIR) spectrometer, a multiplexed array of fiber optic channels and a set of AR-Cells™ -- highly-specialized samplers that overcome problems with sample cleanliness and changes in the sample stream.
Installation at the blender
The NIR spectrometer with its optical multiplexer usually resides in an on-site instrument house. The AR-Cells are located on the blending header and each blend feedstock line if desired. Installation options include provisions for check-sample capturing and temperature monitoring. Inserting a PetroScan system is simple, easy on analyzer space and compatible with refinery operations.
Talking with the DCS
LT Industries software includes communication with the blending or refinery DCS, through Modbus links. And since Modbus is an industry-wide de facto standard, the PetroScan system integrates seamlessly with the refinery DCS package.
Calibrating the PetroScan system
LT Industries starts with a Universal Calibration Library of gasolines collected across the USA. These data serve as a starting point. Once the system is installed, NIR spectra of local samples are collected and logged for time and conditions. They are used to expand the calibration -- improving the statistical analysis model and reflecting the refinery’s unique characteristics. Spectral data, related to approved petroleum test procedures and used as a statistical model, become the operating model.
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