# US 11,079,260 B2 · Pipe cross-sectional fiber optic multiphase apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,260 B2 - Document ID: US11079260B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/452,153 - Filed: 2019-06-25 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-25 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Karam Chand; Frode Hveding - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079260B2 ## CPC - G01D 5/35364: {using inelastic backscattering to detect the measured quantity, e.g. using Brillouin or Raman backscattering} - G01F 1/661: using light - E21B 41/00: Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 - E21B 47/113: using electrical indications; using light radiations - G01F 1/28: by drag-force, e.g. vane type or impact flowmeter - G01F 1/34: by measuring pressure or differential pressure - G01F 1/74: Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Systems, methods, and apparatuses for detecting components of a multiphasic flow are disclosed. A flowmeter may include a plurality of optical fibers disposed across a fluid flow. The optical fibers may generate backscattering of a portion of a laser beam transmitted along the optical fibers. The backscattering may be produced by a grating formed by zinc dicyanoaurate formed in each of the optical fibers. Heterodyne detection may be used to determine a Brillouin frequency shift that is used to determine strain and temperature measurements at different locations along the optical fibers. Artificial Intelligence uses the strain and temperature measurements to determine a flow regime of the fluid flow and flow rates of components forming the fluid flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for sensing strain and temperature at different locations along an optical fiber using a Brillouin frequency shift, the system comprising: a flowmeter comprising a plurality of optical fibers, the optical fibers comprising a core and a grating formed of zinc dicyanoaurate distributed within the core; a continuous wave laser operable to generate a laser beam, the laser beam entering a first end of the optical fibers, the laser beam being scattered to create a Brillouin scattered wave from a portion of the laser beam; an electo-optic modulator operable to generate a local oscillator; a heterodyne detector operable to receive the Brillouin scattered wave and the local oscillator and to compare the Brillouin scattered wave to the local oscillator to generate a Brillouin frequency shift; and an artificial intelligence system in electronic communication with the heterodyne detector and operable to determine volumetric flow rates of a fluid flow passing through the flow meter based on the Brillouin frequency shift. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the artificial intelligence system comprises: at least one interrogator operable to determine a strain and measurement at one or more locations along a length of the optical fibers from the Brillouin frequency shift; a Kalman filter operable to smooth the determined strain and temperature measurements; and a quantifier operable to determine volumetric flow rates of components of a fluid flow passing through the flowmeter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises a first set of parallel optical fibers extending perpendicularly to a flow direction of the fluid flow. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises a second set of parallel optical fibers disposed perpendicularly to the flow direction of the fluid flow and perpendicularly to the first set of parallel optical fibers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of parallel optical fibers are displaced from the second set of parallel optical fibers in a direction of the fluid flow. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the heterodyne detector comprises a first photodiode and a second photodiode and a summation amplifier operable to determine a phase shift between the local oscillator and the Brillouin scattered wave. ### Claim 7 A computer implemented method performed by one or more processors for automatically detecting flow rates for different components of a fluid flow, the method comprising the following operations: receiving a Brillouin scattering wave from at least one optical fiber extending into a fluid flow, the Brillouin scattering wave generated by a photodetector; determining a Brillouin frequency shift using heterodyne detection; determining strain and temperature values at one or more locations along the optical fiber; determining a flow regime of the fluid flow using a flow regime observer; and determining the different components of the fluid flow using a quantifier based on the determined strain and temperature values and the determined flow regime. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein receiving a Brillouin scattering wave from at least one optical fiber extending into a fluid flow comprises receiving backscattering from a laser beam transmitted along the optical fiber, the backscattering produced by a grating formed by zinc dicyanoaurate in the optical fiber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein determining a Brillouin frequency shift using heterodyne detection comprises comparing a local oscillator signal to the Brillouin scattered wave using a first photodiode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein determining a Brillouin frequency shift using heterodyne detection further comprises: comparing the local oscillator signal to the Brillouin scattered wave using a second photodiode; and summing a first electrical signal from the first photodiode and a second electoral signal from the second photodiode using a summation amplifier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein determining strain and temperature values at one or more locations along the optical fiber comprises correlating the Brillouin frequency shift with a position along the optical fiber to determine the stress and temperature values at the position along the optical fiber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: directing a portion of the laser beam through an electro-optic modulator; and controlling the electro-optic modulator with a microwave signal generator to generate the local oscillator having a frequency corresponding to a frequency generated by the microwave signal generator. ### Claim 13 An apparatus for automatically detecting flow rates for different components of a fluid flow, the apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions instruct the one or more processors to: generate a laser beam with a continuous wave laser; generate a local oscillator signal from a portion of the laser beam with an electro-optic modular; detect a Brillouin frequency shift with a photodiode according to heterodyne detection based on a comparison of a Brillouin scattered wave and the local oscillator signal; determine strain and temperature values at one or more locations along the optical fiber using one or more interrogators; determine a flow regime of the fluid flow using a flow regime observer; and determine the different components of the fluid flow using a quantifier based on the determined strain and temperature values and the determined flow regime. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the Brillouin scattered wave comprises backscattering from a portion of the laser beam transmitted along an optical fiber exposed to the fluid flow, the backscattering produced by a grating formed by zinc dicyanoaurate in the optical fiber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a flowmeter comprising a plurality of optical fibers extending across a fluid flow, at least a portion of the optical fibers disposed parallel to each other and perpendicular to a direction of the fluid flow. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to: compare the local oscillator signal to the Brillouin scattered wave using a second photodiode; and sum a first electrical signal from the first photodiode and a second electoral signal from the second photodiode using a summation amplifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to detect a Brillouin frequency shift with a photodiode according to heterodyne detection based on a comparison of a Brillouin scattered wave and the local oscillator signal comprises programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to: compare the Brillouin scattered wave and the local oscillator signal with a first photodiode; compare the Brillouin scattered wave and the local oscillator signal with a second photodiode; and sum a first electrical signal from the first photodiode and a second electrical signal from the second photodiode with a summation amplifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to determine strain and temperature values at one or more locations along the optical fiber using one or more interrogators comprises programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to correlate the Brillouin frequency shift with a position along the optical fiber to determine the stress and temperature values at the position along the optical fiber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to smooth the determined strain and temperature values using one or more Kalman filters. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to determine a flow regime of the fluid flow using a flow regime observer comprises programming instructions that instruct the one or more processors to determine the flow regime using artificial intelligence.