Detection and measurement of two-phase flow
AssigneeThe University of Sussex
InventorsPeter Unsworth, Edward Higham, Mongkol Pusayatanont
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Abstract
A method of monitoring fluid flow in a closed conduit by the use of a flowmeter associated with the conduit, the fluid flowing through the meter, includes the steps of generating a signal indicative of at least one characteristic of fluid flow and measuring the signal components including any fluctuations thereof, and analysing at least one of the components of the sensed signal to determine the presence or absence of a second phase and/or to determine the magnitude of at least one of the phases.
Claims23
A method of monitoring fluid flow in a closed conduit including the disposition of a flowmeter in association with the conduit, the flowmeter being selected from the groups including a Venturi flowmeter, a wedge/differential pressure flowmeter, a nozzle/differential pressure flowmeter, a variable area/differential pressure flowmeter, an ultrasonic flowmeter, a turbine flowmeter, a Coriolis flowmeter, and an electromagnetic flowmeter, the fluid in use flowing within the conduit through the flowmeter, characterised by the steps of generating a signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the fluid flow, measuring the amplitude and/or frequency components of the unconditioned sensed signal(s), including any fluctuations in said sensed signal(s), and analysing at least one of the components of the sensed signal(s) to determine the presence or absence of a second phase and/or to determine the magnitude of at least one phase of the fluid flow.
A method of metering steam flow in a closed conduit including the disposition of a flowmeter in the conduit carrying the steam to be metered, the flowmeter being selected from the groups including a Venturi flowmeter, a wedge/differential pressure flowmeter, a nozzle/differential pressure flowmeter, a variable area/differential pressure flowmeter, an ultrasonic flowmeter, a turbine flowmeter, a Coriolis flowmeter, and an electromagnetic flowmeter, characterised by generating a signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the steam flow, measuring components of the signal including but not limited to the amplitude and frequency components and the power of the signal, retaining the fluctuations associated with the signal, and analysing the said components of the signal to determine the volumetric flow rate of at least one phase of the fluid flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.