PETROSPEC QUICKSPEC BY PAC DELIVERS FAST ETHANOL PURITY VERIFICATION IN THE FIELD PAC
Global consumption of fuel-grade ethanol is rising, as is the need to determine ethanol purity to ensure that the resulting blended fuel is uniform in quality and meets regulatory requirements. Ethanol is produced principally from bio- or renewable sources: sugar cane, corn, potato, cassava, and other common crops; variations in quality can result, and the increasing global demand for fuel-grade ethanol has created a need to quickly and accurately measure the purity of the ethanol that will be blended into fuels for final consumption.
The portable QuickSpec™ analyzer is a low-cost solution to quickly determine water and denaturant content of ethanol anywhere throughout the ethanol distribution system. Terminal operators and others need to know at all times that they are receiving fuel ethanol that meets the ASTM D 4806 standard. The rugged, user-friendly QuickSpec™ lets producers know precisely the purity of the denatured ethanol being delivered to the terminal, in the refinery, or in the blending tank, within seconds.
Analysis is performed using a new near-infrared red spectral method, and is accurate down to tenths of volume percent. To use the QuickSpec™, a technician simply fills a sample cell with a fuel/ethanol mixture, places the sample cell in the instrument, and receives an answer in seconds. The instrument sets a baseline and adjusts electronics through automatic calibration. It delivers optimum results after each analysis, without the use of reagents.
QuickSpec™ was developed around a new method for analyzing the composition of gasoline grade ethanol, a method known as near-infrared spectrophotometry. The method is pre-calibrated on the new QuickSpec™, which can quickly determine ethanol purity in the range of 70 – 100%, water at 0 – 5% and denaturant from 0 – 30%. Quickspec™ is very portable, being no larger essentially than a pair of field glasses. An optional battery pack allows instant mobility with power that will last days due to a built-in automatic sleep mode.
03 May 2011
