Systems for distributing blended fuels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559358-B2
Application number	US-202318451244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2023
Priority date	Aug 18, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

The disclosure relates to systems for distributing alcohol-containing gasoline. The systems herein facilitate the combination of gasoline blendstocks and alcohols to create finished gasoline products. The systems herein also measure the volumes and other characteristics of the gasoline blendstocks and alcohols and feature computers and controllers that can calculate the gross and net volumes of liquids, including the net volume of finished gasoline products.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system for distributing alcohol-containing gasoline comprising:
a gasoline blendstock source comprising gasoline blendstock; a gasoline blendstock temperature monitor configured to monitor temperature of the gasoline blendstock; a gasoline blendstock flow meter in fluid communication with the gasoline blendstock source and arranged to measure a volume of the gasoline blendstock that is flowed from the gasoline blendstock source through the gasoline blendstock flow meter; an ethanol source comprising ethanol; an ethanol temperature monitor configured to monitor temperature of the ethanol; an ethanol flow meter in fluid communication with the ethanol source and arranged to measure a volume of the ethanol that is flowed from the ethanol source through the ethanol flow meter; a control system arranged to receive measurement data from the gasoline blendstock flow meter and the ethanol flow meter, wherein the control system is further arranged to regulate a gross volume of gasoline blendstock flowed from the gasoline blendstock source and to regulate a gross volume of ethanol flowed from the ethanol source; a distribution point in fluid communication with the gasoline blendstock flow meter and the ethanol flow meter and arranged to combine the volume of gasoline blendstock flowed through the gasoline blendstock flow meter with the volume of ethanol flowed through the ethanol flow meter to create a finished gasoline product; a volume correction computer arranged to receive measurement data from the gasoline blendstock temperature monitor, the gasoline blendstock flow meter, the ethanol temperature monitor, and the ethanol flow meter, and further arranged to calculate the net volume of finished gasoline product created at the distribution point, wherein the volume correction computer comprises a processor and memory containing program code, wherein the program code comprises instructions that when executed by the processor, calculate a net volume of the finished gasoline product created at the distribution point based on the gross volume of gasoline blendstock, the gross volume of ethanol, the gasoline blendstock temperature measurement and the ethanol temperature measurement, wherein the instructions account for the temperature-dependent volumetric expansion of finished gasoline blends comprising a mixture of gasoline blendstock and ethanol, wherein the control system is further arranged to generate an invoice based on the net volume of finished gasoline product, wherein the net volume of finished gasoline product is larger than the gross volume of the sum of the net quantity of gasoline blendstock and the net quantity of ethanol.

2 . The system of claim 1 , where the ethanol source contains less than 5% water by net volume.

3 . The system of claim 1 , where the ethanol source is comprised of at least 95% ethanol by net volume.

4 . The system of claim 1 , where the finished gasoline product contains from 10% to 99% gasoline blendstock by gross volume.

5 . The system of claim 1 , where the finished gasoline product contains from 1% to 90% ethanol by gross volume.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions account for the temperature-dependent volumetric expansion of finished gasoline blends according to American Petroleum Institute Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 11.3.4.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is arranged to regulate the gross volume of gasoline blendstock flowed from the gasoline blendstock source and the gross volume of ethanol flowed from the ethanol source based on one or more characteristics of the finished gasoline product, selected from: ratio of gross volume of gasoline blendstock to gross volume of ethanol, Research Octane Number, Motor Octane Number, anti-knock index, Reid vapor pressure, Driveability Index, oxygen content, 10% distillation point, 50% distillation point, 90% distillation point and ethanol content (in vol. %).

8 . The system of claim 1 , where the anti-knock index of the finished gasoline product is in the range from and 105.

Assignees

• Phillips 66 Co

Inventors

• Stuchlik Benjamin J
• Carroll Marisa E

Classifications

• B67D2007/746

  by mixing different fuel grades or fuel and oil · CPC title

• B67D7/744

  involving digital counting · CPC title

• B67D7/16

  Arrangements of liquid meters · CPC title

• B67D7/0498 Primary

  Arrangements specially adapted for transferring biofuels, e.g. ethanol-gasoline mixture · CPC title

• B67D7/56

  Arrangements of flow-indicators, e.g. transparent compartments, windows, rotary vanes (indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of movement G01P13/00) · CPC title