Method for measuring coke quality by digital quantification of high intensity reflectivity

摘要

The invention includes an improved test for quantifying lustre of petroleum products in particle form, especially coke, as an index of quality. The test involves obtaining and preparing a sample and then placing it beneath an illuminating device in a manner that promotes the formation of a substantially smooth upper surface. The illuminating device uses visible light from a desired direction to produce a visible light pattern from the light reflected from the sample's upper surface. The pattern is then acquired to capture an image. The sample may be slightly magnified for acquisition of the image. The pattern may be acquired multiple times to develop an average image. The image is then processed digitally to produce a representative lustre measurement for the sample. The preceding process may be repeated several times for each sample and the resultant lustre measurements for each iteration are totalled and averaged. Once the lustre measurement for the sample is obtained, it is compared to established parameters to assign a CTE value to the sample, assuming there is sufficient historical data correlating the two measurements. Various refining operating parameters including feedstocks, temperatures and pressures, may be altered to obtain a desired product.