Portable Fuel Analyzer (PFA)

RTA’s Portable Fuel Analyzer (PFA) has been designed specifically for operation in demanding environments, such as petrochemical refineries, field, port and tarmac operations.

 

Fuel Identification and Characterization
Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels represent fractions of crude oil distilled at different temperatures. Each fraction consists of aromatic, heterocyclic, saturated and unsaturated, branched- and straight-chained hydrocarbons that boil at similar  temperatures. The rich chemical information provided by the Portable Fuel Analyzer can be used to identify the different fuel types and chemical components as shown in the figure below. For example, the aromatic hydrocarbons in gasoline, such as toluene, produce several sharp and quantifiable peaks.

However, it is also important to characterize fuels in terms of performance properties. For example the gasoline octane number indicates its antiknock performance during combustion, the diesel cetane number indicates its ignition delay and how well an engine will start in cold weather, while the jet fuel viscosity value indicates its atomization and hence combustion properties. During the past several years, RTA has measured the Raman spectra of some 800 different fuel samples from around the world. RTA has used this large database to develop correlations between the Raman spectra and the fuel properties, such that an unknown fuel can be fully characterized from a 2-minute Raman spectrum. The Portable Fuel Analyzer provides the following information:

Designed for military use, the system can withstand vibration, shock, and a wide operating temperature range.