Method for preparing blend products

Claim 1

A method for controlling the blending of a plurality of blend stocks each having boiling points less than about 350° C. into at least one blend product which comprises the steps of: (a) selecting at least one of physical, perceptual, performance and chemical properties of at least one of blend stock and blend product; (b) selecting reference samples, said reference samples containing characteristic compounds present in at least one blend stock and blend product and which have known values of the properties selected in the step (a); (c) producing a training set by the steps of: (1) injecting each reference sample into a gas chromatograph which is interfaced to a mass spectrometer thereby causing at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon mixture into constituent chemical components; (2) introducing the constituent chemical components of each said reference sample into the mass spectrometer, under dynamic flow conditions; (3) obtaining for each said reference sample a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (4) calibrating the mass chromatograms to correct retention times; (5) selecting a series of corrected retention time windows; (6) selecting within each retention time window a series of molecular or fragment ions, said ions being representative of said characteristic compounds or compound classes expected within the retention time window; (7) recording the total amount of each characteristic compound or compound group selected in the step c(6); (8) forming the data from the steps c(6) and c(7) into a X-block matrix; (9) forming the property data selected in the step (a) for said reference samples selected in the step (b) into a Y-block matrix; (10) analyzing the data from the steps c(9) by multivariate correlation techniques including Partial Least Squares, Principal Component Regression, or Ridge Regression to produce a series of coefficients; (d) subjecting at least one of said blend stock and said blend product samples to the steps c(1) and c(3) in the same manner as the reference sample to produce a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (e) repeating the steps c(4) to c(8) chromatograms from the step (d); (f) multiplying the matrix from the step (e) by the coefficients from the step c(10) to produce a predicted value of the properties for the at least one of said blend stock and said blend product samples; and (g) using the predicted values of said selected properties of the at least one of said blend stock and said blend product samples to control the amount of said blend stock in the blend product.

Claim 2

A method for controlling the blending of a plurality of blend stocks each having boiling points less than about 350° C. into at least one blend product which comprises the steps of: (a) selecting at least one of physical, perceptual, performance and chemical properties of at least one of blend stock and blend product; (b) selecting reference samples, said reference samples containing characteristic compounds present in at least one blend stock and blend product and which have known values of the properties selected in the step (a); (c) producing a training set by the steps of: (1) injecting each reference sample into a gas chromatograph which is interfaced to a mass spectrometer thereby causing at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon mixture into constituent chemical components; (2) introducing the constituent chemical components of each said reference sample into the mass spectrometer, under dynamic flow conditions; (3) obtaining for each said reference sample a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (4) calibrating the mass chromatograms to correct retention times; (5) selecting a series of corrected retention time windows; (6) selecting within each retention time window a series of molecular or fragment ions, said ions being representative of said characteristic compounds or compound classes expected within the retention time window; (7) recording the total amount of each characteristic compound or compound group selected in the step c(6); (8) forming the data from the steps c(6) and c(7) into a X-block matrix; (9) forming the property data selected in the step (a) for said reference samples selected in the step (b) into a Y-block matrix; (10) analyzing the data from the steps c(9) by multivariate correlation techniques including Partial Least Squares, Principal Component Regression, or Ridge Regression to produce a series of coefficients; (d) subjecting at least one of said blend stock and said blend product samples to the steps c(1) and c(3) in the same manner as the reference sample to produce a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (e) repeating the steps c(4) to c(8) chromatograms from the step (d); (f) multiplying the matrix from the step (e) by the coefficients from the step c(10) to produce a predicted value of the properties for the at least one of said blend stock and said blend product samples; and (g) using the predicted values of said selected properties of the at least one of said blend stock and said blend product samples to control the amount of said blend stock in the blend product.

Claim 3

A method for controlling or monitoring chemical or refinery processes which utilize feed stocks and/or produce products having boiling points less than abut 350° C. which comprises the steps of: (a) selecting at least one of physical, perceptual, performance and chemical properties of at least one feed stock, intermediate stream and process product. (b) selecting reference samples, said reference samples containing characteristic compounds present in the at least one said feed stock, intermediate stream or product and which have known values of the properties selected in the step (a); (c) producing a training set by the steps of: (1) injecting each said reference sample into a gas chromatograph which is interfaced to a mass spectrometer thereby causing at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon mixture into constituent chemical components; (2) introducing the constituent chemical components of each said reference sample into the mass spectrometer, under dynamic flow conditions; (3) obtaining for each said reference sample a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (4) calibrating the mass chromatograms to correct retention times; (5) selecting a series of corrected retention time windows; (6) selecting within each retention time window a series of molecular and/or fragment ions, said ions being representative of said characteristic compounds or compound classes expected within the retention time window; (7) recording the total amount of each characteristic compound or compound group selected in the step c(6); (8) forming the data from the steps c(6) and c(7) into a X-block matrix; (9) forming the property data selected in the step (a) for said reference samples selected in the step (b) into a Y-block matrix; (10) analyzing the data from the steps c(9) by multivariate correlation techniques including Partial Least Squares, Principal Component Regression, or Ridge Regression to produce a series of coefficients; (d) subjecting at least one of said refinery process chemical process, intermediate stream, product and feed stock sample to the steps c(1) to c(3) in the same manner as the reference sample to produce a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (e) repeating the steps c(4) to c(8) mass chromatograms from the step (d); (f) multiplying the matrix from the step (e) by the coefficients from the step c(10) to produce a predicted value of the properties of the refinery or chemical sample or samples; and (g) using the predicted values of the properties of the refinery or chemical sample or samples to control the refinery or chemical process.

Claim 4

A method for controlling or monitoring chemical or refinery processes which utilize feed stocks and/or produce products having boiling points less than abut 350° C. which comprises the steps of: (a) selecting at least one of physical, perceptual, performance and chemical properties of at least one feed stock, intermediate stream and process product. (b) selecting reference samples, said reference samples containing characteristic compounds present in the at least one said feed stock, intermediate stream or product and which have known values of the properties selected in the step (a); (c) producing a training set by the steps of: (1) injecting each said reference sample into a gas chromatograph which is interfaced to a mass spectrometer thereby causing at least a partial separation of the hydrocarbon mixture into constituent chemical components; (2) introducing the constituent chemical components of each said reference sample into the mass spectrometer, under dynamic flow conditions; (3) obtaining for each said reference sample a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (4) calibrating the mass chromatograms to correct retention times; (5) selecting a series of corrected retention time windows; (6) selecting within each retention time window a series of molecular and/or fragment ions, said ions being representative of said characteristic compounds or compound classes expected within the retention time window; (7) recording the total amount of each characteristic compound or compound group selected in the step c(6); (8) forming the data from the steps c(6) and c(7) into a X-block matrix; (9) forming the property data selected in the step (a) for said reference samples selected in the step (b) into a Y-block matrix; (10) analyzing the data from the steps c(9) by multivariate correlation techniques including Partial Least Squares, Principal Component Regression, or Ridge Regression to produce a series of coefficients; (d) subjecting at least one of said refinery process chemical process, intermediate stream, product and feed stock sample to the steps c(1) to c(3) in the same manner as the reference sample to produce a series of time resolved mass chromatograms; (e) repeating the steps c(4) to c(8) mass chromatograms from the step (d); (f) multiplying the matrix from the step (e) by the coefficients from the step c(10) to produce a predicted value of the properties of the refinery or chemical sample or samples; and (g) using the predicted values of the properties of the refinery or chemical sample or samples to control the refinery or chemical process.

Claim 5

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the gas chromatograph is a capillary gas chromatograph and the mass spectrometer is a quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Claim 6

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer are operated under repeatable conditions.

Claim 7

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the selection of a series of molecular and/or fragment ions characteristic of compounds or compound classes is accomplished using Chemist's Rules.

Claim 8

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the selection of a series of molecular and/or fragment ions characteristic of compounds or compound classes is accomplished using Hydrocarbon Type Analysis.

Claim 9

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein data from the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer are stored in a computer.

Claim 10

The method of claims i or 2 wherein data from the steps (c) to (f) are treated in a computer.

Claim 11

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein other performance, perceptual, chemical or physical properties of the hydrocarbon mixture are selected.

Claim 12

The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the data are collinear.