US 10,884,437 B1Granted

Continuous fluid metering system

AssigneeFlowCore Systems, LLC

InventorsCharles D. Black, Ian C. Black, Alec J. Driscoll, Steven E. Hayden

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A continuous fluid metering system for continuously dispensing a fluid for injection and for accurately measuring the fluid dispensed. The system generally includes one or more fill valves for transferring fluid from an additive tank to first and second measuring tubes, one or more injection valves for directing fluid dispensed by the measuring tubes to an injection point such as an oil well, a pump, and first and second sensors that indicate the volume of fluid dispensed by the first and second measuring tubes as it is dispensed. The system also includes a control unit that controls the injection and fill valves to cause the fluid dispensed from the first and second measuring tubes to be alternately and continuously and directed to the injection point, and the first and second measuring tubes to be alternately and repeatedly refilled without substantial interrupting the flow of fluid to the injection point.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A fluid metering system, comprising:

an additive tank for holding a fluid;
a first measuring tube coupled to the additive tank and adapted to receive the fluid from the additive tank and to dispense the fluid;
a second measuring tube coupled to the additive tank and adapted to receive the fluid from the additive tank and to dispense the fluid;
a first fill valve coupled to the additive tank and to the first measuring tube, wherein the first fill valve is operable to selectively transfer the fluid from the additive tank to the first measuring tube;
a second fill valve coupled to the additive tank and to the second measuring tube, wherein the second fill valve is operable to selectively transfer the fluid from the additive tank to the second measuring tube;
a first injection valve coupled to the first measuring tube, wherein the first injection valve is operable to selectively direct the fluid dispensed from the first measuring tube to a fluid injection point;
a second injection valve coupled to the second measuring tube, wherein the second injection valve is operable to selectively direct the fluid dispensed from the second measuring tube to the fluid injection point;
and
a control unit in communication with the first fill valve, the second fill valve, the first injection valve, and the second injection valve, wherein the control unit is configured to:
control the first injection valve and the second injection valve to carry out a plurality of fluid dispensing cycles wherein the fluid alternately is dispensed from the first measuring tube and directed to the injection point by the first injection valve, and is dispensed from the second measuring tube and directed by the second injection valve to the injection point, so that the fluid is provided at the injection point substantially continuously;
and
control the first fill valve and the second fill valve to carry out a plurality of fluid refill cycles wherein the fluid alternately is transferred from the additive tank to the first measuring tube by the first fill valve and to the second measuring tube by the second fill valve to alternately refill the first measuring tube and the second measuring tube with the fluid.

9 more elements

A fluid metering system, comprising:

an additive tank for holding a fluid;
a first measuring tube coupled to the additive tank and adapted to receive the fluid from the additive tank and to dispense the fluid;
a second measuring tube coupled to the additive tank and adapted to receive the fluid from the additive tank and to dispense the fluid;
a fill valve coupled to the additive tank, to the first measuring tube, and to the second measuring tube, wherein the fill valve is selectively operable to be in a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state the fill valve is adapted to transfer the fluid from the additive tank to the first measuring tube and in the second state the fill valve is adapted to transfer the fluid can from the additive tank to the second measuring tube;
an injection valve coupled to the first measuring tube and to the second measuring tube, wherein the injection valve is selectively operable to be in a first state and in a second state, wherein in the first state the injection valve is adapted to direct the fluid dispensed from the first measuring tube to a fluid injection point and in the second state the injection valve is adapted to direct the fluid dispensed from the second measuring tube to the fluid injection point;
and
a control unit in communication with the fill valve and the injection valve, wherein the control unit is configured to:
control the injection valve to carry out a plurality of fluid dispensing cycles wherein the fluid alternately is dispensed from the first measuring tube and directed to the injection point by the injection valve in the first state, and is dispensed from the second measuring tube and directed to the injection point by the injection valve in the second state, so that the fluid is provided at the injection point substantially continuously;
and
control the fill valve to carry out a plurality of fluid refill cycles wherein the fluid alternately is transferred from the additive tank to the first measuring tube by the fill valve in the first state and to the second measuring tube by the fill valve in the second state to alternately refill the first measuring tube and the second measuring tube with the fluid.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.