A method for controlling temperature of a chemical reaction without measuring a temperature of the chemical reaction. Changes in mass of a chemical reaction are monitored and are used to calculate the temperature of the system. The reaction can be maintained at a desired temperature (T) without measuring the temperature. The disclosed method is useful for reactions that occur at non-equilibrium conditions where any measured temperature would presume steady-state conditions.

A method for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of petroleum oil feedstock includes reacting the petroleum oil feedstock with a catalyst mixture in a reaction zone of an FCC unit to obtain a product stream including desulfurized hydrocarbon product, unreacted petroleum oil feedstock, and spent catalyst. During the reacting a process control system develops a process model based on data collected during the reacting, the process model characterizing a relationship among the feed rate of the base cracking catalyst, the feed rate of the FCC additive, the operating conditions, the composition of the product stream, and emissions from the reaction; and one or more of (i) a target feed rate of the base cracking catalyst, (ii) a target feed rate of the FCC additive, and (iii) one or more target operating conditions of the reaction in the reaction zone to reduce the emissions from the FCC unit and to increase a yield of the desulfurized hydrocarbon product in the product stream are determined.

A method for controlling temperature of a chemical reaction without measuring a temperature of the chemical reaction. Changes in mass of a chemical reaction are monitored and are used to calculate the temperature of the system. The reaction can be maintained at a desired temperature (T) without measuring the temperature. The disclosed method is useful for reactions that occur at non-equilibrium conditions where any measured temperature would presume steady-state conditions.

A method for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of petroleum oil feedstock includes reacting the petroleum oil feedstock with a catalyst mixture in a reaction zone of an FCC unit to obtain a product stream including desulfurized hydrocarbon product, unreacted petroleum oil feedstock, and spent catalyst. During the reacting a process control system develops a process model based on data collected during the reacting, the process model characterizing a relationship among the feed rate of the base cracking catalyst, the feed rate of the FCC additive, the operating conditions, the composition of the product stream, and emissions from the reaction; and one or more of (i) a target feed rate of the base cracking catalyst, (ii) a target feed rate of the FCC additive, and (iii) one or more target operating conditions of the reaction in the reaction zone to reduce the emissions from the FCC unit and to increase a yield of the desulfurized hydrocarbon product in the product stream are determined.

A method for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of petroleum oil feedstock includes reacting the petroleum oil feedstock with a catalyst mixture in a reaction zone of an FCC unit to obtain a product stream including desulfurized hydrocarbon product, unreacted petroleum oil feedstock, and spent catalyst. During the reacting a process control system develops a process model based on data collected during the reacting, the process model characterizing a relationship among the feed rate of the base cracking catalyst, the feed rate of the FCC additive, the operating conditions, the composition of the product stream, and emissions from the reaction; and one or more of (i) a target feed rate of the base cracking catalyst, (ii) a target feed rate of the FCC additive, and (iii) one or more target operating conditions of the reaction in the reaction zone to reduce the emissions from the FCC unit and to increase a yield of the desulfurized hydrocarbon product in the product stream are determined.

A method of determining a leakage in a heat transfer fluid channel of a heat transferring reactor system includes measuring the heat transfer fluid flow rate prevailing in the channel, modelling heat transfer heat transfer fluid flow rate in the channel during operation utilizing process data in a numerical model giving the fluid flow rate of the system under substantially leak-free conditions, comparing the measured fluid flow rate and modelled fluid flow rate to obtain an error measure for heat transfer fluid flow rate included in an error measure set, monitoring the error measure set and a number of occurrences, and determining the presence of a heat transfer fluid channel leakage in case the error measures exceed a pre-defined threshold, or a number of occurrences in the error measure set exceed a predetermined threshold during a predetermined time period.

A method of determining a local temperature anomaly in a fluidized bed combustion boiler system that includes at least three temperature sensors together defining a measurement grid, each sensor representing a measurement point, includes monitoring current operation data of the boiler, including measured bed temperature and at least primary air flow, fuel moisture, main steam flow, flue gas oxygen, and bed pressure, preparing a numerical model among operation data, such as primary air flow, fuel moisture, main steam flow, flue gas oxygen, and bed pressure. The measured bed temperatures measurement points are prepared and calibrated. Bed temperatures for the measurement points are monitored using the numerical model. This obtains computed bed temperatures under normal operation conditions, and the measured bed temperatures are compared with the computed bed temperatures for at least some of the measurement points. If an anomaly threshold is exceeded, determining that a local temperature anomaly is present.

A method of determining a local temperature anomaly in a fluidized bed combustion boiler system that includes at least three temperature sensors together defining a measurement grid, each sensor representing a measurement point, includes monitoring current operation data of the boiler, including measured bed temperature and at least primary air flow, fuel moisture, main steam flow, flue gas oxygen, and bed pressure, preparing a numerical model among operation data, such as primary air flow, fuel moisture, main steam flow, flue gas oxygen, and bed pressure. The measured bed temperatures measurement points are prepared and calibrated. Bed temperatures for the measurement points are monitored using the numerical model. This obtains computed bed temperatures under normal operation conditions, and the measured bed temperatures are compared with the computed bed temperatures for at least some of the measurement points. If an anomaly threshold is exceeded, determining that a local temperature anomaly is present.

The invention relates to methods and apparatus of measuring real time temperature conditions within a reformer. The data is then used for process control optimization, overheat protection, and improved creep damage and fatigue life prediction.