24


ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION


Vapour pressure testers allow versatile ramp measurements for gasoline-ethanol blends


Gasoline vapour lock causes engines to stall, mostly when a car is in traffic and temperature is rising. Similarly, when a car is parked for a short period of time the heated motor won´t start. The higher the temperature, the higher the altitude, the more likely it is that Gasoline vapours build a vapour lock, preventing the fuel in the line from moving to the engine. Regulations to prevent vapour lock As Gasoline vapour pressure is also essential to assess fuel performance and risk of outgassing, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) forces strict regulations for vapour pressure on petroleum manufacturers. To prevent vapour lock and environmental issues, automotive fuel specification ASTM D4814 requires that Gasoline is tested according to ASTM D5188. This standard is governing the assessment of vapour- liquid ratio temperatures. In automotive fuel specifications the temperature, at which a ratio of 20 (vapour) to 1 (liquid) is reached (commonly referred to as T(V/L) = 20), indicates the risk of the fuel to form a vapour lock. This tendency is higher in hotter climate and in higher altitude.


How is Ethanol blending affecting vapour lock tendency? With petroleum refineries adding more and more Ethanol to Gasoline, and as longer and longer periods of hot weather are experienced worldwide, testing fuels for the risk of forming a Vapour Lock is of renewed interest. Many older engines simply have not been built to be prepared to match modern fuels. In the USA more and more states are adopting the E10 rule, which allows for 10% Ethanol (EtOH) added to the fuel. The US


EPA frequently adapts Gasoline volatility regulations for the petroleum industry, to prevent emissions becoming too high and to guarantee driveability. The main reason, why testing fuels for their V/L ratio temperature is essential, is because Ethanol blending affects the vapour pressure. The vapour pressure of Ethanol is much lower than the vapour pressure of Gasoline. The addition of Ethanol changes the temperatures, at which various V/L ratios occur. Adding 10% of Ethanol to Gasoline – as is currently done in the USA - drastically reduces the V/L ratio temperature. A critical vapour liquid ratio, which can cause vapour lock, will be reached at lower temperatures with Gasoline-Ethanol blends than with regular Gasoline.


How about modern injection motors and vapour lock tendency? Vapour lock is also a growing challenge for car manufacturers, who are developing new engines, which have to run on different fuels. When modern injection motors are stopped after long travelling, some might not be able to restart immediately. The reason is that those new motors reach temperatures up to 120- 140°C, and vapour lock is prone to happen at high temperatures. Especially with modern fuel blends vapour lock issues show more frequently. Recent feedback from car manufacturers indicates that they have a specific need to detect vapour pressures up to 5-6 bar and to closely watch vapour pressure when developing their new generation engines.


Grabner Instruments has developed the MINIVAP VP VISION, a versatile analyser to assess temperature at different V/L ratios for ASTM D5188 tests. The VP VISION also is the optimum solution for testing vapour pressure of Gasoline-Ethanol blends at high temperatures. The analyser complies with all industry vapour pressure testing standards, thus enabling safe development of the new generation automotive engines for Ethanol blended fuels. MINIVAP VP Vision features best-in-class precision and a pressure range of 0-2000 kPa. It is the first analyser that demonstrates excellence in engineering by earning certificates for robustness and durability. Based on Grabner´s cutting-edge Cockpit™ technology, the instrument offers unmatched networking capabilities and enables worldwide access to analysers.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/yRO4 For More Info, email:


email: For More Info, email: email:


55516pr@reply-direct.com


Rotational Tapered Bearing Simulator (TBS) viscometer – High Temperature High Shear (HTHS) method of choice


Developed in 1979 by Mr. Ted Selby of Savant Inc., and under multiple patents, the rotational TBS Viscometer became the world’s first commercial high shear viscometer for measuring viscosities of automotive engine oils and fluids under High Temperature, High Shear (HTHS) conditions. Today, the TBS (Tapered Bearing Simulator) remains the modern benchmark ‘referee’ instrument method for HTHS viscometry due to its innovative precision measuring technique, robust design, and notable operational features and is exclusively available through Tannas Co.


The coaxial tapered Rotor/Stator Set design permits the exact measurement of rotor position and the torque response of the liquid’s resistance to flow (viscous friction), which determines the apparent fluid viscosity. Applying a constant and linear shear rate profile continually to the fluid makes the TBS an absolute viscometer where ‘true’ shear rate is calculated from known dimensions and speed of rotation – no need for shear rate corrections or the possibility of erroneous results due to clogged capillaries.


The TBS Viscometer is associated with several industry test methods; ASTM D4683, D6616, and CEC L-36 for HTHS viscosity at 100°C and 150°C. The D4683 method is included in the SAE J300 Engine Oil Viscosity Classification System and the ILSAC GF series Engine Oil Specifications – the most recent being GF-6, API SP, and CK-4/ FA-4 specifications. The CEC L-36 method is utilised for HTHS measurements in the European ACEA engine oil specifications.


The two TBS models available are the long-standing TBS 2100E-F and the newly introduced TBS 3000, depending on your testing needs. The TBS provides viscosity measurements of fresh and used oils over a broad shear rate range and temperature range (40°C to 180°C). The TBS 3000 is a redesigned and re-innovated model providing multiple enhancements to electrical and temperature components, automation, calibrations, and oil injection features, improving the overall user experience.


For more information on the features and benefits of these two TBS models, visit us at TannasKing.com.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/3Wyk For More Info, email:


All of our articles are online! To view and download them, visit: www.petro-online.com


email: For More Info, email: email:


Taking the headache out of sample loading for UV-Visible/NIR spectrophotometers


HTA S.r.l. have engineered a solution to end the monotony and lost time that users of UV-Visible/NIR Spectrophotometers are all too familiar with. The HTI500U has enabled fully automated sample loading specifically for UV-Visible/NIR Spectrophotometers


This sample loading automation will not only save time from the rigours manual sample loading, but operators will also experience an increase in productivity, analytical performance and even a minimisation of the carry-over.


The on-board solvent reservoir allows the probe and the whole flow path to be cleaned before processing the next sample, with the option to program the number of washing cycles according to the sample’s physical and chemical properties. Furthermore, sample replicas and calibration curves will be performed more regularly and without complaint because the whole process is carried out unattended.


HT1500U is available in multiple configurations: it supports stainless steel as well as polymeric needle to deal with metal sensitive applications and a wide choice of fluidics to deal with different levels of flow through cells, including also nano flow through cuvettes, micro cuvettes and macro cells. Different types of tubes are supported too: open or sealed tubes can be hosted to fit any applications. Moreover, the tubes are organised in multiple racks, each of them removable, to enable continuous sample feeding and improved organisation during analyical tasks.


Regardless of the application, whether environmental analysis, routine measurements, advanced research or quality control in production lines, the HT1500U will meet and even exceed expectations in terms of quality and reliability whilst requiring no or just minimal training.


Automating a UV-Visible/NIR Spectrometer requires just a preliminary step to make the spectrophotometer suitable for automation using the HT1500U: the standard quartz cell/cuvette must be replaced with a flow cell. This flow cell will be then fully handled by HT1500U and all the samples will be automatically processed. No additional action is required: you can simply leave the HT1500U to do its work and return later for the post-production data management.


For More Info, email: email:


For More Info, email: 53894pr@reply-direct.com 55867pr@reply-direct.com


WWW.PETRO-ONLINE.COM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44