US 11,709,090 B2Granted

Technique to identify anomaly amongst base prover volumes using estimated uncertainty

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorChandulal N Bhatasana

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Abstract

A system for identifying an anomaly in flow meter proving equipment includes four detectors D1, D2, D3, and D4. A data acquisition and monitoring system is configured to signals from D1, D2, D3, and D4 to measure flow volumes between D1 and D3 as a measured volume Va, between D2 and D4 as a measured volume Vb, between D2 and D3 as a measured volume Vc, and between D1 and D4 as a measured volume Vd. The data acquisition and monitoring system calculates Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty as an upper range value and Va+Vb−Vc−Vd minus the max uncertainty as a lower range value. The data acquisition and monitoring system identifies an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero or the lower range value being greater than zero and initiates recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A system for identifying an anomaly in flow meter proving equipment, the system comprising:

four detectors D1, D2, D3, and D4, wherein the detectors are arranged on a prover such that:
a calibrated volume of the prover between D1 and D3 is base prover volume A (BPVA),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D2 and D4 is base prover volume B (BPVB),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D2 and D3 is base prover volume C (BPVC),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D1 and D4 is base prover volume D (BPVD), and
BPVA+BPVB−BPVC−BPVD=0;
a data acquisition and monitoring system in communication with D1, D2, D3, and D4;
wherein the data acquisition and monitoring system is configured to perform steps of:
receiving signals from detectors D1, D2, D3 and D4 on a prover;
using the received signals to:
measure a flow volume between the detectors D1 and D3 as a measured volume Va;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D2 and D4 as a measured volume Vb;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D2 and D3 as a measured volume Vc;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D1 and D4 as a measured volume Vd;
determining an upper range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty;
identifying an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero;
and
initiating recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly, wherein:
an uncertainty Ua comprises a maximum expected difference between Va and BPVA;
an uncertainty Ub comprises a maximum expected difference between Vb and BPVB;
an uncertainty Uc comprises a maximum expected difference between Vc and BPVC;
an uncertainty Ud comprises a maximum expected difference between Vd and BPVD;
and
the max uncertainty comprises Ua+Ub+Uc+Ud.

21 more elements

A method for identifying an anomaly in flow meter proving equipment, the method comprising:

arranging detectors D1, D2, D3 and D4 on a prover such that:
a calibrated volume of the prover between D1 and D3 is base prover volume A (BPVA),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D2 and D4 is base prover volume B (BPVB),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D2 and D3 is base prover volume C (BPVC),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D1 and D4 is base prover volume D (BPVD), and
BPVA+BPVB−BPVC−BPVD=0;
receiving signals from the detectors D1, D2, D3 and D4 on the prover;
using the received signals to:
measure a flow volume between the detectors D1 and D3 as a measured volume Va;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D2 and D4 as a measured volume Vb;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D2 and D3 as a measured volume Vc;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D1 and D4 as a measured volume Vd;
determining an upper range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty as an upper range value;
identifying an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero;
and
initiating recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly, wherein:
an uncertainty Ua comprises a maximum expected difference between Va and BPVA;
an uncertainty Ub comprises a maximum expected difference between Vb and BPVB;
an uncertainty Uc comprises a maximum expected difference between Vc and BPVC:
an uncertainty Ud comprises a maximum expected difference between Vd and BPVD;
and
the max uncertainty comprises Ua+Ub+Uc+Ud.

19 more elements

A non-volatile computer readable medium storing instruction that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of:

receiving signals from detectors D1, D2, D3 and D4 on a prover;
using the received signals to:
measure a flow volume between the detectors D1 and D3 as a measured volume Va;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D2 and D4 as a measured volume Vb;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D2 and D3 as a measured volume Vc;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D1 and D4 as a measured volume Vd;
determining an upper range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty;
identifying an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero;
and
initiating recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly, wherein:
an uncertainty Ua comprises a maximum expected difference between Va and a calibrated volume of the prover between detectors D1 and D3;
an uncertainty Ub comprises a maximum expected difference between Vb and a calibrated volume of the prover between D2 and D4;
an uncertainty Uc comprises a maximum expected difference between Vc and a calibrated volume of the prover between D2 and D3;
an uncertainty Ud comprises a maximum expected difference between Vd and a calibrated volume of the prover between D1 and D4;
and
the max uncertainty comprises Ua+Ub+Uc+Ud.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.