Recent events have resulted in an ever-increasing emphasis on testing of motor fuels to ensure that they meet various quality and specification requirements. The Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 set limits on gasoline vapor pressure, diesel fuel sulfur and aromatics content and established a requirement for winter season oxygenated gasoline in certain areas of the United States. Reformulated gasoline will also be required in various parts of the country beginning in 1995.
最近的事件导致越来越强调对汽车燃料的测试，以确保它们满足各种质量和规格要求。1990年《清洁空气法案》对汽油蒸气压力、柴油燃料硫和芳烃含量进行了限制，并确定了美国某些地区冬季含氧汽油的需求。从1995年开始，全国各地也将需要重新调配汽油。
Until recently, fuels testing was largely confined to central laboratories due to the nature of the laboratory equipment which was large, expensive and not readily portable. This has changed dramatically in the last few years. The advancement of electronics technology, miniaturization and lowered costs have led to a new generation of test equipment that is easily portable and capable of operation under field conditions. With this new technology available, it is now possible to sample and test fuels at the point of sale as well as at wholesale distribution centers, bulk terminals and refineries. Ashland has taken advantage of this new generation of test equipment to expand its quality assurance programs. In addition to the fuels testing programs in place such as quality control testing each batch of fuel at the point of manufacture and scheduled shipment of samples to Ashland’s laboratories from bulk terminals and retail outlets, Ashland has recently implemented a program of on-site field testing. For example, point-of-sale octane and oxygenate content testing of Ashland gasolines is becoming a regular feature of Ashland’s Fuels Quality Assurance Programs.
直到最近，燃料测试主要限于中央实验室，因为实验室设备的性质很大，昂贵而且不易携带。这在过去几年发生了巨大的变化。电子技术的进步、小型化和降低的成本已经导致新一代的测试设备，它们很容易携带，并且能够在现场条件下进行操作。有了这种新技术，现在可以在销售点和批发销售中心、散货码头和精炼厂试样和测试燃料。阿什兰利用新一代的测试设备来扩展其质量保证计划。除了燃料测试项目，如质量控制测试每批燃料的生产和定期装运样品到阿什兰的实验室，从散货码头和零售商店，阿什兰最近实施了一个现场实地测试项目。例如，阿什兰汽油的销售点辛烷值和氧合物含量测试正在成为阿什兰燃料质量保证计划的一个常规特征。
Octane Testing辛烷测试
A key element in gasoline quality assurance programs is to ensure that a gasoline possesses the octane value that is posted on the retail dispenser pump. Until very recently, this was achieved by obtaining pump samples at retail outlets and shipping the samples to a central laboratory. Ashland maintains laboratories for complete gasoline analyses, including octane determinations.
在汽油质量保证计划中，一个关键因素是确保汽油具有被张贴在零售分发泵上的辛烷值。直到最近，这都是通过在零售商店获得泵样本并将样品送到中心实验室来实现的。阿什兰为完整的汽油分析(包括辛烷值测定)保留了实验室。
Gasoline octane value has historically been determined on “knock engine” machines, single-cylinder engines with variable compression and highly sophisticated instrumentation. Operation of this equipment requires a high degree of training and experience by qualified technicians. The stationary engines for determining Research and Motor octanes are very expensive and are most certainly not portable.
汽油辛烷值在历史上是由“爆震发动机”机器、具有可变压缩和高度精密仪器的单缸发动机决定的。该设备的操作需要有合格技术人员的高度培训和经验。固定发动机用于确定研究和电机的辛烷值是非常昂贵的，而且肯定不能携带。
The recent development of infrared analytical equipment 厂 has led to the introduction of a very small, easy-to-use octane test instrument that can be used in the field for on-site, point-of-sale testing. It is expected that these portable octane analyzers will be widely used in gasoline inspection programs. The equipment can make an octane determination in only 90 seconds (vs. 45 minutes in a knock engine), requires only a one-half i pint sample and does not require advanced training of the operator. Ashland uses one of these units for its expanded quality assurance programs. In the future, greater emphasis will be placed on a point-of-sale testing to further ensure that Ashland customers receive specification grade, quality products.
最近开发的红外分析设备厂已导致一个非常小的引入,易于使用的辛烷测试仪器,可用于现场的场,销售点测试。预计这些便携式辛烷值分析仪将被广泛应用于汽油检测项目中。该设备可以在30秒内做出辛烷值的测定(在爆震发动机的45分钟内)，只需1 / 2品脱的样品，不需要操作者的高级训练。阿什兰使用其中一个单位来扩大质量保证项目。在未来，更多的重点将放在销售点测试，以进一步确保阿什兰客户获得规格等级，高质量的产品。