Methods and systems for inline mixing of hydrocarbon liquids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11132008-B2
Application number	US-202117226610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Dec 30, 2019
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods of in-line mixing of hydrocarbon liquids from a plurality of tanks into a single pipeline. According to an embodiment, a method of admixing hydrocarbon liquids from a plurality of tanks into a single pipeline to provide in-line mixing thereof includes determining a ratio of a second fluid flow to a first fluid flow based on signals received from a tank flow meter in fluid communication with the second fluid flow and a booster flow meter in fluid communication with a blended fluid flow. The blended fluid flow includes a blended flow of the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow. The method further includes comparing the determined ratio to a pre-selected set point ratio thereby to determine a modified flow of the second fluid flow to drive the ratio toward the pre-selected set point ratio. The method further includes controlling a variable speed drive connected to a pump thereby to control the second fluid flow through the pump based on the determined modified flow, the pump being in fluid communication with the second fluid flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of admixing hydrocarbon liquids from a plurality of tanks into a single pipeline to provide in-line mixing thereof, the method comprising:
permitting a first hydrocarbon fluid to flow from a first tank to a first output pipe;
pumping, at a pressure, a second hydrocarbon fluid from a second tank to a mixing pipe;
admixing the first hydrocarbon fluid from the first output pipe and the second hydrocarbon fluid from the mixing pipe in a blended fluid pipe to create a blended fluid;
determining, via one or more controllers, a first hydrocarbon flow rate of the first hydrocarbon fluid in the first output pipe based on a blended fluid flow rate of the blended fluid through a blended fluid pipe flow meter and a second hydrocarbon flow rate of the second hydrocarbon fluid through a tank flow meter;
comparing, via the one or more controllers, a ratio of the second hydrocarbon flow rate and the first hydrocarbon flow rate to a pre-selected set point ratio; and
controlling, via the one or more controllers, the pressure of the second hydrocarbon fluid to modify the second hydrocarbon flow rate and drive the ratio toward the pre-selected set point ratio.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining, via the one or more controllers, any difference between the ratio and the pre-selected set point ratio within a pre-selected error range.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure results from force of gravity on the first hydrocarbon fluid contained in the first tank.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the second pressure of the second hydrocarbon fluid occurs by adjusting speed of a variable speed pump, via the one or more controllers, that pumps the second hydrocarbon fluid or adjusting, via the one or more controllers, a flow control valve disposed in the mixing pipe.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein adjusting the flow control valve maintains pressure upstream thereof between about 15 psi and about 25 psi.

6. A controller for an in-line mixing system for admixing hydrocarbon liquids from one or more tanks into a single pipeline, the controller comprising:
a first input/output in signal communication with a flow control device, the flow control device to adjust a pressure of a second liquid from a second pipe to a mixing pipe, the second pipe connected to a second tank of a tank farm, the controller configured to control the pressure of the second liquid via the flow control device;
a first input in signal communication with a first sensor connected to the second pipe, the first sensor to measure the flow rate of the second liquid; and
a second input in signal communication with a second sensor, the second sensor connected to a blend pipe, the blend pipe connected to the mixing pipe and a first pipe of a first tank of a tank farm to store a first liquid, the blend pipe to mix the first liquid and second liquid to create a blend liquid, the second sensor to measure the flow rate of the blend liquid, such that the controller is configured to:
after initiation of a blending operation:
(1) obtain the flow rate from the first sensor and the flow rate of the blend liquid from the second sensor via the first input and second input, respectively,
(2) determine, based on the flow rate from the first sensor and the flow rate from the second sensor, the flow rate of the first liquid, and
(3) in response to a difference between a ratio of the flow rate of the first liquid and the flow rate of the second liquid a target flow ratio:
I. determine a corrected ratio of the of the flow rate of the first liquid and the flow rate of the second liquid, and
II. adjust, via the flow control device and based on the corrected ratio, the pressure of the second liquid during the blending operation.

7. The controller of claim 6 , wherein the flow control device is one or more of a pump and flow control valve.

8. The controller of claim 7 , wherein the flow control device further includes a spillback loop.

9. The controller of claim 6 , wherein the flow of the first fluid results from force of gravity on the first fluid contained in the first tank.

10. The controller of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain any difference between the ratio and the target flow ratio within a pre-selected error range.

11. The controller of claim 6 , wherein adjustment of the flow control device maintains pressure upstream thereof between about 15 psi and about 25 psi.

Assignees

• Marathon Petroleum Co Lp

Inventors

• Miller Kyle E

Classifications

• B01F35/2206

  Use of stored recipes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or composition in mixing plants (B01F33/846 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01F35/833

  Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently · CPC title

• B01F35/8311

  with means for controlling the motor driving the pumps or the other dispensing mechanisms · CPC title

• B01F35/82

  by adding a material to be mixed to a mixture in response to a detected feature, e.g. density, radioactivity, consumed power or colour · CPC title

• B01F35/2202

  Controlling the mixing process by feed-back, i.e. a measured parameter of the mixture is measured, compared with the set-value and the feed values are corrected · CPC title