STTR: Reducing Gasoline Production Costs with Diode Laser-Based Raman Instrumentation

汽油是通过昂贵而复杂的化学过程生产的，该过程严重依赖于硫酸将不太理想的烯烃转化为更高效的高辛烷值成分。酸本身是昂贵的，监测酸浓度以确保最佳性能目前是一项艰巨的任务，增加了时间和费用。本研究旨在开发一种基于二极管激光的全光谱拉曼散射仪器原型，以安全、精确地监测所需的酸浓度，降低汽油生产成本。光纤耦合将允许安全的远程监控，并且廉价的CCD阵列将提供全频谱功能，可以减少或消除滞后时间。与其他样品处理系统相比，该系统的维护也将减少。该仪器的成功开发将允许在碳氢化合物存在的情况下对硫酸浓度进行快速、连续的在线和远程监测。这将最大限度地减少汽油生产中过量酸的使用，从而减少材料费用，以及运输和处理的相关成本。

9522728 Smith Gasoline is produced through a costly and complex chemical process which relies heavily on sulfuric acid to convert less desirable alkenes to more productive high octane components. The acid is expensive in itself, and monitoring the acid concentrations to ensure peak performance is currently a rigorous task, compounding time and expenses. This research is to develop a diode laser-based, full-spectrum Raman scattering instrument prototype to safely and precisely monitor the required acid concentrations and reduce the cost of gasoline production. Fiber optic-coupling will allow for safe remote monitoring, and an inexpensive CCD array will offer full spectrum capabilities that can reduce or eliminate lag time. Maintenance of this system will also be reduced in comparison to other sample handling systems. The successful development of this instrument will allow for rapid, continuous on-line and remote monitoring of the sulfuric acid concentration in the presence of hydrocapbons. This will minimize the use of excess acid in the production of gasoline, and therefore reduce material expenses, as well as the related costs of transportation and handling.