Patent ID: 7389186
Filing Date: 2008-06-17
Classification: G01N,G16C

Abstract:
1. A method of predicting the molecular composition of streams in a crude oil refinery comprising the following steps: (i) storing, in a database, composition data for potential feed streams; (ii) selecting, from the database, composition data for feed streams flowing to a designated group of one or more refinery operations during a designated time period; (iii) obtaining from at least one real time optimization applications, analyzers, laboratory analysis, or combination thereof, property measurements of actual intermediate and/or product streams produced in, or by, the group of refinery operations during the designated time period; (iv) communicating the feed stream composition data selected in step (ii) above and the intermediate and/or product stream property data obtained in step (iii) above to a process engine that comprises one or more molecular accounting models for modeling changes in composition made in or by the designated group of refinery operations; (v) running the one or more molecular accounting models in the processing engine, using the feed stream composition data communicated in step (iv) above as an input to at least one molecular accounting model, to obtain a prediction of the composition of a stream formed in or by the designated group of refinery operations during the designated time period and then reconciling the prediction with actual intermediate and/or product stream property data; and (vi) storing the reconciled prediction of intermediate and/or product stream composition in a database.