Method for the measurement of water and water-soluble components in non-aqueous liquids

Abstract

A method for assigning a grade to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel in relation to the potential for a water or water-based phase to form is provided, comprising sensing the electrical resistance and the capacitance of the fuel, determining the amount of water or water-soluble compounds in the fuel based on comparing the electrical resistance of the fuel to a plurality pre-determined values of electrical resistance corresponding to a plurality of concentrations of water or water-soluble compounds in the fuel; identifying which water-soluble compound or compounds are present based on comparing the capacitance to a plurality of pre-determined values of capacitance corresponding to a water or a plurality of water-soluble compounds that may be present; sensing the temperature of the fuel, and calculating the potential for a water or water-soluble phase to form during temperature conditions of transportation or storage.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 11 / 156,714, filed Jun. 21, 2005. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION [0002] It has long been difficult to determine the quality of liquid fuels during transportation and storage. This has especially been true due to the presence of water or water-soluble components in non-aqueous liquid fuels, as the potential for water or water-soluble components to cause harm may be less dependent upon the amount of such components which are present than upon the conditions of transportation and storage. [0003] Conventional methods for measuring water content within non-aqueous liquids usually fall into two categories, quantitative methods that require expensive equipment and labor, and simple methods that yield highly qualitative results. The quantitative approaches include analytical laboratory equipment and industry specific analyzers. While water-cut analyzers have been developed...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Enables accurate, field-capable measurement of water content in non-aqueous liquids, preventing corrosion, combustion issues, and ensuring fuel quality by providing a reliable, portable, and automated method for monitoring water levels, thus avoiding environmental damage and ensuring safe handling and storage.

Problems solved by technology

A particular complication found with some non-aqueous liquids, such as gasoline and diesel fuels, is that their chemical composition and resulting physicochemical properties constantly change due to the variability in the raw materials of their manufacture, the variability in processing procedures and parameters, and variability in the type and amounts of any blending chemicals added.

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