Renewable Diesel Pipeline Buffering to Reduce Interface Losses
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of mixed interfaces during the transport of fuels through pipelines leads to significant losses and inefficiencies, as these interfaces must be reprocessed, resulting in lost fuel product and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
Methods and systems for transporting renewable diesel and compatible fuels through pipelines by wrapping the fuel movements with compatible diesel fuel, followed by precise separation and combination techniques to minimize mixed interface volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fuels are transported through pipelines, then efficient and cost-effective transport is achieved, but mixed interfaces form between fuel movements requiring costly reprocessing and resulting in fuel product losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third fuel composition as an intermediary substance between two different fuel movements. This intermediary fuel acts as a buffer that prevents direct contact and mixing between the primary fuel compositions, thereby eliminating mixed interface formation while maintaining continuous pipeline operation and transport efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the fuel transport stream by inserting a distinct intermediary fuel composition between two different fuel compositions. This segmentation creates separate zones within the pipeline, preventing the formation of mixed interfaces while allowing efficient continuous transport of multiple fuel types
2Manufacturing precision
If mixed interface volumes are cut out from fuel movements, then pure fuel streams are obtained, but reprocessing is required and fuel classification is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary fuel composition serves as a protective barrier that prevents mixing between fuel streams, eliminating the need to cut out mixed interfaces. This maintains fuel stream purity while avoiding the complex reprocessing operations that would otherwise be required to separate and purify mixed fuels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of interface formation into a benefit by using the intermediary fuel's controlled composition to define clear separation zones. The intermediary fuel, which would normally be considered waste or excess material, becomes a useful tool for maintaining fuel purity and simplifying downstream processing
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for, among other embodiments, transporting renewable diesel (RD) through a pipeline, or a portion thereof, are provided. In certain embodiments, the method may include transporting the renewable diesel from a first pipeline terminal to a second pipeline terminal, the renewable diesel wrapped head and tail with a compatible diesel fuel. The method may also include restricting the transport of the diesel fuel in the pipeline to diesel fuel compositions having a first composition or first specification, the first composition or first specification characterized by a selected amount of the renewable diesel, or a component thereof, the selected amount being less than the selected amount allowed in a second target specification for the diesel fuel. The method may also include combining, at the second pipeline terminal, at least a portion of the mixed interface fraction stream with at least a portion of the diesel fuel fraction stream so as to produce a diesel fuel stream meeting the second target specification.