Measuring component concentrations of nonhomogeneous immiscible mixtures in multiphase flows using near-infrared (NIR) filter photometry

A non-transitory program storage device comprising instructions stored thereon to cause an apparatus for analyzing a nonhomogeneous mixture of immiscible components in a multiphase flow to:

• emit spectral energy of at least four wavelengths at initial intensity for transmission through the mixture;
• detect transmitted spectral energy of the at least four wavelengths at resultant intensity after transmission through the mixture;
• determine, from the initial and resultant intensities, an absorbance measurement of the mixture at each of the at least four wavelengths;
• characterize each of the absorbance measurements as a function of at least two pathlengths of the at least two immiscible components, a scatter parameter, and a non-homogeneity parameter, the scatter parameter representing attenuation of the transmitted spectral energy independent of the wavelengths, the non-homogeneity parameter representing the non-homogeneity of the mixture using a plurality of cells of the transmitted spectral energy through the mixture in which the at least two pathlengths of the at least two immiscible components are different for each cell;
• and
• determine, from the characterization of the absorbance measurements as the function, concentrations of the at least two immiscible components in the mixture.

An apparatus for analyzing a nonhomogeneous mixture of immiscible components in a multiphase flow, the apparatus comprising:

• a probe having first and second windows, the first and second windows opposing one another by a gap for the fluid in the flow;
• one or more sources emitting spectral energy of at least four wavelengths at initial intensity from the first window for transmission through the mixture in the gap to the second window;
• one or more detectors in optical communication with the second window and detecting transmitted spectral energy of the at least four wavelengths at resultant intensity after transmission through the fluid;
• and
• a processing unit in communication with the one or more detectors and configured to:
• determine, from the initial and resultant intensities, an absorbance measurement of the mixture at each of the at least four wavelengths;
• characterize each of the absorbance measurements as a function of at least two pathlengths of the at least two immiscible components, a scatter parameter, and a non-homogeneity parameter, the scatter parameter representing attenuation of the transmitted spectral energy independent of the wavelengths, the non-homogeneity parameter representing the non-homogeneity of the mixture using a plurality of cells of the transmitted spectral energy through the mixture in which the at least two pathlengths of the at least two immiscible components are different for each cell;
• and
• determine, from the characterization of the absorbance measurements as the function, concentrations of the at least two immiscible components in the mixture.