Fuel Blending: Produce Maximum Amount of On-Spec Gasoline at Minimum Costs

There are profits to be made at the blender if refiners can be assured of using the maximum amount of low cost components while rigorously meeting the required regulatory specifications. To accomplish this, real-time knowledge of the properties of the components feeding the blender and the final specifications of the blended product are required. Even more profits can be achieved if blending is to a pipeline rather than tankage.

Guided Wave has your high performance fuel blending solution. One Guided Wave NIR-O™ process analyser can measure multiple parameters on multiple streams thus making feed forward and feed back control of the blender feasible. The NIR-O analyser is a new unique dual beam, plane grating near infrared (DG-NIR) - scanning spectrometer that uses transmissive optics to provide aberration free high optical throughput that translates to state-of-the-art signal-to-noise ratio.

Accurate, Real-Time Measurements for Feed and Product Analysis

In today’s competitive blending environment, refinery operators require high speed, tankless blending of multiple grades of fuels to meet multiple regulatory requirements for many different markets. To meet this large matrix of requirements, operators need an analyzer that is similarly flexible and can provide a large matrix of answers. A single Guided Wave’s NIR-O analyser can measure multiple streams and provide a host of analyses of each stream, such as:

Gasoline

• Research Octane Number (RON)
• Motor Octane Number (MON)
• Oxygenates
• Distillation points
• Olefins
• Benzene
• Reid Vapor Pressure

Diesel

• Cetane Index
• Cetane Number
• Cloud Point
• Flash Point

Online measurement accuracy is crucial for all process measurements. With many crude oil and blending component variations, it is the blending step that determines the competiveness of the refinery. Using a Guided Wave NIR-O process analyser can provide real time analysis results with accuracy comparable to off-line techniques such as the CFR knock engine and other laboratory methods.

The Benefits of NIR-O’s Real-Time Refinery Optimisation

Process engineers and operators will appreciate NIR-O’s ability to monitor up to 12 process streams or points within a stream with accuracy, repeatability and reliability in the refinery. The built in multiplexer allows a single Guided Wave NIR-O analyser system to make measurements in multiple locations and in multiple streams within seconds. Guided Wave’s DG-NIR technology allows the refinery to see payback within months.

The benefits of real-time optimisation include:

• Eliminate re-blends
• Minimise the number of blend stock component tanks
• Provide a much faster response to dynamic changes in the refinery operations
• Provide a greater flexibility to produce multiple grades of gasoline at the lowest cost
• Minimise product quality giveaways at the blend header level
• Provide real-time information to allow for blending control

Optimise Production

• Improve yields of gasoline & diesel fuel
• Improve flexibility of processing crude feedstocks
• Increase total throughput capacity
• Reduce production interruptions
• Increase life of refinery

Reduce Environmental Impacts

• Accurately monitor benzene levels
• Verify composition of renewable fuels (ethanol, biofuel)
• Verify compliance with required seasonal variations
• Maintain compliance with regulations

Example: Simple Blending Block Diagram with Guided Wave’s NIR-O (DG-NIR) Analyser. _{(Please see Image A)}

The Smart Choice for Fuel Blending

Now older online CFR knock engines and a host of other online process analysers can be eliminated, saving money on installation and maintenance. The results with Guided Wave’s NIR-O are virtually instantaneous, no lag time waiting for laboratory measurements and no expensive consumables are needed.

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