Intelligent system for real-time measurement and analysis, quantitative and qualitative evaluation and acceptance of fuel oil

Abstract

1. The system allows the acquisition, monitoring, display, analysis and storage, notification and alarm of a number of parameters in real time during the bunkering process of a ship (or any means of transport) or the loading and unloading process of a fuel cargo. The system consists of (at least) the following parts: a. It is installed along the fuel flow and (1) it is capable of recording a number of parameters related to the quantitative delivery-acceptance of fuel: ■ Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) fuel volumetric rates (m 3 / h). ■ Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) fuel mass velocity (tn / h). ■ Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) total fuel volume (m 3 (2) provide a measurement of the operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) total fuel mass (tn); and (3) identify the fuel category / type (e.g., RMG 380, RMG 180, gasoline, etc.); (3) Detect possible fuel entrainment (providing an alarm if detection levels exceed desired limits); and (4) perform instantaneous / real-time chemical analysis of the fuel, providing: ■ the fuel's kinematic viscosity and kinetic viscosity (cSt); ■ the fuel's dynamic and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) density (kg / m 3 ) and API degree, ■Fuel temperature (°C), ■Fuel humidity (% water content (P 1 / 20)), ■% content of various chemical elements such as S, Al, Si, Ca, V, P, Zn, Na (all elements of the "Periodic Table" can be detected depending on the application), (5) locating the location (WGS84 coordinates) of the bunkering site using all available global navigation satellite systems, (6) providing notifications and alarms if any of the measured fuel parameters exceed certain limits / thresholds defined in valid international / national standards, (7) providing geo-fencing notifications and alarms, (8) transmitting all the aforementioned data to a cloud application and database via a wireless link for communication with a cellular network or satellite communication or local router / gateway, and ■ to a mobile application via a short-range wireless link available in a mobile phone, and (9) detecting the limits / thresholds. The thresholds, sampling rates, various configuration parameters and firmware (FW) can be updated remotely: ■ from a cloud application, via a wireless link for communication with a cellular network or satellite communication or a local router / gateway, ■ from a mobile application, via a short-range wireless link available on the mobile phone; (10) a portable device (powered by a rechargeable battery or an external DC or AC power source) that stores all the above data; b. cloud applications and databases supporting: (1) all the functions of the portable device described in paragraph 1.a; (2) data analysis and statistics; (3) historical data storage and processing; (3) user management; c. a mobile application developed to support the functions of the portable device described in paragraph 1.a. This application is used on a mobile phone in the vicinity of the portable device. The radio access technology (RAT) between the mobile phone and the portable device allows for a short-range wireless link available on the mobile phone.2. The system: a. ensures the delivery and receipt of the correct amount (volume and mass) of fuel; b. ensures the delivery and receipt of fuel of appropriate quality in accordance with valid international / national standards; c. ensures optimal management of the ship's bunkering or loading / unloading process of the fuel cargo and the minimization (or elimination) of economic losses for all stakeholders due to adulterated or poor quality fuel.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] 1. Application Areas

[0002] a. The present invention is mainly applicable to the bunkering process of ships, but potentially to the bunkering process of any means of transport. The international term for the bunkering process of ships is "bunkering". Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to the loading and unloading process of any kind of fuel oil used in cargo. The main objectives of the present invention are:

[0003] (1) Delivery-acceptance of the correct amount of fuel.

[0004] (2) Delivery and acceptance of fuel quality in accordance with ISO 8217:2017 specifications or valid international / national standards relevant to the bunkering process or the loading and unloading of fuel cargoes, thus eliminating or minimizing cases of contaminated or poor quality fuel that could have devastating consequences for the ship / vehicle's engine and / or the environment.

[0005] (3) Optimal management of the bunkering / bunkering or fuel cargo loading / unloading process and minimization (or elimination) of economic losses.

[0006] b. The present invention is a system that achieves the above objectives by collecting, monitoring, presenting and analyzing a number of parameters of interest in real time during the bunkering / bunkering or fuel cargo loading / unloading process by utilizing at least the following subsystems:

[0007] (1) Portable devices.

[0008] (2) Cloud applications and databases (DB).

[0009] (3) Mobile application (for smartphones or any portable device with short-range wireless communication capabilities). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] The fuel supply pipe connections are shown. [Diagram 2] The fuel supply pipe connections are shown. [Diagram 3] The parameters are shown. [Figure 4] The apparatus is shown. [Diagram 5] 1 shows a portable device and fuel flow. [Figure 6] A portable device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 2. Description of the problem and need for the invention

[0012] The process described below focuses on, but is not limited to, bunkering procedures (i.e., it can be generalized to the process of loading and unloading fuel cargoes, the refueling process of all vehicles, etc.).

[0013] a. The ship's bunkering process includes the following steps-procedures:

[0014] (1) Step 1: A floating fuel tank (vessel) approaches the ship that is to be bunkered. The international term for this tank is a "barge".

[0015] (2) Step 2: The barge connects its pipe to the ship's bunkering pipe. The connection can be direct if the two pipes have the same cross section, or through a "cross-section converter" (called a "reducer" in shipping) if the two pipes have different cross sections. The connection is made with flanges and bolts, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0016] (3) Step 3: The fuel sample collection assembly is fitted / attached to the connection points between the aforementioned pipes (see step 2). At the end of the bunkering process, the collected fuel is divided into four equal samples / portions as follows: (a) Two parts remain on board. (b) One part is delivered to the barge. (c) One portion will be sent by the shipowning company to a third-party laboratory for chemical analysis.

[0017] (4) Step 4: The bunkering process is carried out at a specific pressure (measured in bar) and fuel flow rate (m 3 The fuel temperature during bunkering must allow a smooth flow of fuel. Therefore, fuel with a high viscosity (measured in centistokes (cSt)) shall be supplied (from the barge) at a relatively high temperature (e.g. 40°C).

[0018] (5) Step 5: The bunkering process is finished and the quantitative receipt of fuel is as follows: The ship's engineer measures (manually) the level / height of the fuel in the ship's tanks which corresponds to a certain fuel quantity (based on knowledge of the tank dimensions). This procedure is done in all cases.

[0019] b. Qualitative acceptance of the fuel will be communicated several days after completion of the laboratory chemical analysis (see step 3 / c above).

[0020] c. The main problems with the above process are:

[0021] (1) Quantitative Acceptance (a) The procedure for measuring the "height" of fuel in the ship's tanks is not generally accepted. Barges usually contest the accuracy of measurements made by the ship, but the measurements (made with "positive displacement" or "Coriolis" flowmeters) are considered to be the most valid, in accordance with international practice. In such cases the general solution is to: 1 / Mutual compromise results in significant economic loss to one of the two parties (ships or barges). 2 / Or a court decision again causes significant economic loss to one of the two parties. (b) In the case of air bubbles in the fuel supplied (from the barge), the "height" of the fuel in the ship's tanks is "temporarily" correct. After some time (after the barge has departed and a quantitative receipt of fuel has taken place), the air bubbles escape from the fuel and therefore the level in the tanks drops dramatically. However, the shipowner company cannot prove any fraud resulting in significant economic losses after the barge has departed. The presence of air bubbles in the fuel supplied is known in shipping as the "cappuccino effect".

[0022] (2) As regards qualitative acceptance, the chemical analysis of the fuel carried out by the laboratory as described in paragraph 2a (3) (c) above is always delayed for several days. In the meantime, the ship travels on the received fuel. If the quality of the fuel is inadequate (e.g. high percentage of water or chemical elements beyond the limits, which causes problems in the operation of the engines), this will affect the operation, efficiency and service life of the ship's engines, with significant medium and long-term economic consequences for the shipowner-company. If the quality of the supplied fuel is very poor and causes immediate and significant problems in the operation of the engines, the ship will have to abort the voyage and immediately unload the supplied fuel, which is a process that involves very high costs for the shipowner-company.

[0023] d. The added value of this invention lies at least in the following:

[0024] (1) It is the only known portable system capable of performing real-time measurements and chemical analysis for quantitative and qualitative evaluation and acceptance during bunkering.

[0025] (2) Measurements and data are available in real time on the cloud or mobile application.

[0026] (3) To the inventor's knowledge, there are no other similar systems used in the bunkering process. A simple flow meter is not considered a "similar system" for the following reasons: (a) They are not portable. (b) in most cases, they do not transmit data or provide notifications and / or alarms. (c) They do not perform chemical analysis.

[0027] (4) Through the chemical analyses carried out, it is possible to provide the ship’s personnel and the shipowner company with direct / real-time information on the quality of the received fuel, enabling an immediate decision to stop the bunkering process if the fuel quality is outside the ISO 8217 specifications.

[0028] (5) Capable of being implemented in a generally accepted system that minimizes or eliminates: (a) Events of fraud. (b) Economic loss due to: 1 / Delivery of less fuel (than paid for). 2 / Low efficiency of ship's engines. 3 / Damage to the ship's engine. 4 / The need for fuel unloading. 5 / Litigation costs.

[0029] 3. Analysis of the technical and economic objectives of the invention

[0030] As an example or case study illustrating the usefulness of the present invention, the following incident recorded in shipping and related to the bunkering process (names of the companies involved not mentioned):

[0031] In 2011, a ship received 410 tonnes of fuel of type IFO-180cSt in the West African region. The person responsible for the delivery of the fuel was a German-Cypriot company (intermediary supplier), which purchased the fuel from an African supplier. After delivery of the fuel, the ship left port, but after 72 hours of travel, the engines started to have problems due to the poor quality of the fuel (revealed by chemical analysis after a few days). The need to remove the fuel from the ship's tanks was urgent. The fuel removal process was carried out in a Swedish port (the only port available for this process due to the size of the ship). This process caused economic losses totalling USD 350,000 to the intermediary supplier (i.e. the German-Cypriot company), and the intermediary supplier was not able to claim the corresponding amount from the African supplier. Furthermore, the ship suffered serious damage to its engines, which delayed the planned voyage by 10 days, causing a major economic impact to the shipowner company.

[0032] Obviously, a system of on-site (real-time) chemical analysis of the fuel would have stopped the bunkering process from the very first minutes, protecting both the shipowner and the intermediate supplier from significant financial losses.

[0033] Many similar incidents have been reported in the shipping industry. In general, shipowners' losses from each bunkering are estimated to range from tens of thousands of USD, mainly due to underdelivery of fuel, to hundreds of thousands of USD due to delivery of "non-ISO 8217" fuel (causing damage to the ship's engines), delays, legal costs, etc. The losses considered are estimated to be 4% (at least) of the cost of fuel supplied from each bunkering.

[0034] So, for a fleet of only 10 ships, with an average fuel load of 1000 tn IFO-380cSt per ship, the annual economic loss is calculated as follows: [No. of ships] x [average fuel load (tn)] x [cost / tn (USD)] x [no. of bunkerings / year] x [4% loss] = 10 x 1000 x 650 x 10 x 4% = $2,600,000.00 (Note: cost per tonne is assumed to be $650 USD based on current bunker oil costs (February 2022)).

[0035] Using an intelligent system for real-time quantity and quality measurement / analysis can save shipowners the aforementioned amounts (on an annual basis). Moreover, it can protect intermediate suppliers from lesser and / or unexpected quality deliveries of fuel, which can lead to significant financial and reliability losses.

[0036] To achieve the objectives of the present invention, the system: ■High reliability. ■Certified for use in marine environments. ■Flexible design and ease of use - easy to handle. ■Affordable price.

[0037] 4. System Description

[0038] The system includes the following configuration items / components / equipment:

[0039] 4.1. Portable measurement and chemical analysis equipment

[0040] It is a portable sensor platform / device powered by a rechargeable battery. The device has the shape of a pipe and is adapted / installed at the end of the ship's bunkering or fuel cargo loading / unloading pipe along the fuel flow as shown in Figure 4. The device does not block or impede the fuel flow during the bunkering process. However, the device can also be "fixed installed" in the ship's piping system (along the fuel flow) and can be permanently powered by a DC / DC or AC / DC adapter. The device performs at least the following functions simultaneously and in real time:

[0041] a. Provide measurements of a number of parameters related to the quantitative acceptance of fuel. The indicator parameters are: (1) Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) fuel volume rate (m3 / h). (2) Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) fuel mass rate (tn / h). (3) Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) total fuel volume (m 3 ). (4) Operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) total fuel mass (tn).

[0042] b. Identify the fuel category / type (e.g., RMG 380, RMG 180, gasoline, etc.).

[0043] c. Detect possible fuel contamination by air bubbles (providing an alarm when detected levels exceed desired limits).

[0044] d. Perform instant chemical analysis of fuel to determine: (1) Fuel kinematic viscosity and dynamic viscosity (cSt). (2) The operating and standard (normalized to any desired temperature) density of the fuel (kg / m 3 ) and API degree. (3) Fuel temperature (°C). (4) Fuel humidity (% water content (H2O)). (5) The % content of various chemical elements in the fuel, such as S, Al, Si, Ca, V, P, Zn, Na (all elements in the "Periodic Table" can be detected depending on the application).

[0045] e. Utilize available global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo) to detect the location of the bunkering site.

[0046] f. Providing notifications and alarms if any of the parameters (in paragraph 4.1.ad.) exceed certain limits / thresholds defined in ISO 8217:2017 (Petroleum products - Fuels (Class F) - Specification for marine fuels) or current international / national standards relevant to the bunkering or loading / unloading of fuel cargoes process, as shown in Figure 3. With regard to location (4.1.e), geofencing notifications and alarms can be provided. These limits / thresholds can be dynamically and remotely set / configured by the system user in the following ways: (1) From the cloud application, via a cellular network (using any available cellular technology) or satellite communication or any wireless link (e.g., but not limited to, WiFi, WiMax, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Sigfox, etc.) for communication with a local router / gateway. (2) From a mobile application, over a short-range wireless link (using any short-range wireless link available on your mobile phone).

[0047] g. Conduct measurements as per paragraph 4.1.ae. at a remotely configurable sampling rate and transmit all bunkering / fuel cargo data to: (1) To the cloud application via a cellular network (using any available cellular technology) or satellite communication or any wireless link (e.g., but not limited to, WiFi, WiMax, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Sigfox, etc.) for communication with a local router / gateway. (2) via a short-range wireless link (using any short-range wireless link available on the mobile phone) to the mobile application.

[0048] i. Store all the above data locally.

[0049] For the implementation of the functions of paragraph 4.1.ac, the portable device employs ultrasonic (u / s) technology based on commercially available solutions, specifically configured and customized for the needs of the present invention. More specifically, an audio source generates and transmits a periodic sound signal - a pulse of the appropriate frequency (Hz) that passes through the fuel and is received by the u / s receiver. This is done in the direction of the fuel flow and against the direction as shown in Figure 5. The system is able to measure the propagation delay of the sound signal between the transmitter and the receiver, which is affected by the flow rate, density (or API degree) and temperature of the fuel. As shown in Figure 5, neither the u / s transmitter nor the receiver is in contact with the fuel. The measured propagation delay of the sound signal corresponds to a specific combination of density (or API degree) and fuel velocity. Temperature measurements are also taken into account and are performed using a dedicated temperature probe. Knowing the density, velocity and temperature of the fuel, as well as the dimensions of the portable device, the device calculates the parameters of paragraphs 4.1.a.-b., as well as the presence of bubbles in the fuel (described in 4.1.c), which "distort" the fuel flow and affect various diagnostic parameters monitored (in real time) by the processing unit of the device.

[0050] For the measurements of paragraph 4.1.de., the portable device employs a variety of sensors of appropriate technology. All devices function as follows: ■ Real-time measurement, ■ Real-time analysis, processing and storage of measurements, ■ Real-time transmission of measurements, notifications and alarms, ■Remote settings and firmware (FW) updates are Implemented by a suitable ECU (Electronic Control Unit), which includes: ■ Embedded processing units based on microprocessor units and various interfaces; ■ Any wireless link for communicating with a cellular transceiver (using available cellular technologies) or satellite transceiver or local router / gateway (e.g., but not limited to, WiFi, WiMax, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Sigfox, etc.); ■Real-time clock (RTC).

[0051] A representation of a portable device is shown in FIG.

[0052] 4.2. Cloud Applications and Databases

[0053] Cloud applications and systems databases: a. Supports all the functions / features of the Portable Device detailed in paragraph 4.1; b. Other features, including: (1) Storage and processing of historical data. (2) Statistical and economic analysis. (3) User management. has been developed to support.

[0054] Mobile Applications

[0055] A mobile application is developed to support the functionality of paragraph 4.1. This application shall be used on a mobile phone in the vicinity of the portable device. The Radio Access Technology (RAT) between the mobile phone and the portable device can be any short-range wireless link available to the mobile phone.

[0056] 5. Conclusion

[0057] The present invention has been designed and tested in a laboratory where a functional prototype has been validated. The results show that the present invention contributes to: a. Delivery / acceptance of precise quantities of fuel (tolerance ≤ 0.5%). b. Delivery – Acceptance of fuel quality in accordance with ISO 8217:2017 specifications or valid international / national standards. c. Optimal management of the bunkering / bunker cargo loading / unloading process and minimization (or elimination) of economic losses.

[0058] The innovation of this invention lies in:

[0059] The system is the only portable system capable of providing ship personnel and shipowners with real-time information on the quantity and quality of fuel received, allowing early stopping / pausing of the bunkering / bunker cargo offloading process if certain conditions and limits / thresholds are not met. In this context, the invention can be applied to any commonly accepted system that can minimize or eliminate the economic losses and the phenomenon of fraudulent activities.

[0060] b. The bunkering / fuel cargo loading / unloading process is supported by cloud applications and databases, and mobile applications, which enable: ■Remote real-time data acquisition. ■Remote real-time notifications and alarms. ■Remote management, configuration and firmware updates for portable devices. ■Data analysis. ■ Storage of historical data and statistics.

Claims

1. An intelligent (portable or fixed) system for real-time measurement and analysis of fuel oil for quantitative and qualitative assessment and acceptance, said system enabling to acquire, monitor, display, analyze and store in real time a number of parameters during the ship's bunkering or fuel cargo loading / unloading process, including but not limited to: a. Portable devices; b. Cloud Applications; c. Mobile applications (for smartphones); Implemented using system.

2. The portable device is placed along the fuel flow and performs the following functions: a. An electronic control unit (ECU) connected to various sensors that perform measurements of various parameters of interest (e.g., flow / mass flow, total volume / mass, fuel category, % moisture content, air bubble content, viscosity, density, API, temperature, % content of chemical elements, etc., but not limited to) at a desired sampling rate, the measurements being stored in said ECU; (1) to the cloud application via any wireless link for communication with a cellular network or satellite communication or local router / gateway (e.g., but not limited to, WiFi, WiMax, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Z-wave, Sigfox, etc.); (2) to the mobile application via any short-range wireless link available to the mobile phone; Sent, b. The ECU records and sends notifications and alarms when certain conditions are met and / or measurements cross certain limits / thresholds, the notifications and alarms being sent in real time: (1) to the cloud application via the cellular or satellite network or any wireless link (e.g., but not limited to, WiFi, WiMax, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Z-wave, Sigfox, etc.) for communicating with the local router / gateway; (2) to the mobile application via any short-range wireless link available to the mobile phone; Sent, c. The firmware and configuration of the portable device and the thresholds referred to in subparagraph b above are: (1) via any wireless link for communication from the cloud application to the cellular or satellite network, or a local router / gateway (e.g., but not limited to, WiFi, WiMax, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Z-wave, Sigfox, etc.); (2) from the mobile application, via any short-range wireless link available to the mobile phone; Dynamic and remotely configurable, The system of claim 1 .

3. The cloud application has the following specifications: a. Application software and databases hosted on remote servers; b. is accessible via the Internet by authorized users; c. Providing a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI); d. Collecting, storing, displaying and analyzing data / measurements, notifications and alarms transmitted in real time by said portable device; e. Notifying the user in various ways (e.g., via GUI, email, etc.) about the alarm; f. Used for remote configuration and firmware updates of said portable device. d. Maintain historical data and statistical information; Fulfilling The system of claim 1 .

4. The mobile application has the following specifications: a. installed on a mobile phone that will be located near said portable device; b. Can be accessed by authorized users; c. Providing a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI); d. Collect and present basic data / measurements, notifications and alarms transmitted in real time by said portable device; f. Maintain basic historical data and statistics; Fulfilling The system of claim 1 .

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