Development of the oil-water monitor

Technical Report · Mon Apr 02 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6856927· OSTI ID:6856927

Swanson, C

The oil-water monitor is a device invented by Dr. Claude Swanson of Applied Physics Technology to respond to the petroleum-loss problem in crude oil transfers. It is a device which measures water content in crude oil and other petroleum products, in a flowing pipe such as a pipeline or tanker manifold. It is capable of accurately measuring the water contamination levels in crude oil shipments, in real time as the crude oil flows through the loading manifold into the tanker, or at the receiving point as the oil is off-loaded It has application in the verification of oil volumes and concentration of contaminants at petroleum transfer points. The industry-estimated level of water loss at transfer points due to inadequate monitoring technology amounts to several billion dollars per year, so there is a definite perceived need within the petroleum community for this type of accurate water monitoring technology. The device has been patented, and initial feasibility experiments have been conducted. The present research is directed toward developing and demonstrating a bench model prototype of the oil-water monitor, complete with the computer software and automated microwave equipment and electronics which will demonstrate the performance of the invention, for implementation in full-scale fielded systems. 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Applied Physics Technology, Inc., Great Falls, VA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: FG01-89CE15444
• OSTI ID: 6856927
• Report Number(s): DOE/CE/15444-T2; ON: DE90010522
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
022000 -- Petroleum-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
440800* -- Miscellaneous Instrumentation-- (1990-)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
CONTAMINATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MONITORING
MONITORS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PIPELINES
PROGRESS REPORT
REAL TIME SYSTEMS
SIGNAL CONDITIONING
WATER