Gas/liquid flow rate determination
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorGary Oddie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system is provided for measuring a flow rate of a gas/liquid flow. The method and system for measuring the flow rate include flowing a swirling gas/liquid flow separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer through a conduit containing a constriction having a reduced conduit cross-section, measuring the differential gas core static pressure between a position upstream of the constriction and a position at the constriction, measuring a further quantity which provides the flow rate of the gas, the flow rate of the liquid, or a correlation between the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the liquid, and determining the flow rates of the gas and the liquid from the differential gas core static pressure and said measured further quantity.
Claims20
A method for measuring flow rates in a gas/liquid flow, the method including the steps of:
- providing a conduit which conveys a swirling gas/liquid flow separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer, wherein the conduit contains a constriction having a reduced conduit cross-section;
- measuring the differential gas core static pressure between a position upstream of the constriction and a position at the constriction;
- measuring a further quantity which provides the flow rate of the gas, the flow rate of the liquid, or a correlation between the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the liquid;
- and
- determining the flow rates of the gas and the liquid from the differential gas core static pressure and said measured further quantity.
An apparatus for providing measurements useable in determining flow rates in a gas/liquid flow, the apparatus including:
- a conduit for conveying a swirling gas/liquid flow that is separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer, the conduit containing a constriction having a reduced conduit cross-section;
- a pressure meter for measuring the differential gas core static pressure between a position upstream of the constriction and a position at the constriction;
- and
- a device for measuring a further quantity which quantity provides at least one of a flow rate of the gas, a flow rate of the liquid and a correlation between the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the liquid.
Use, in relation to a conduit containing a constriction having a reduced conduit cross-section and through which is conveyed a swirling gas/liquid flow separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer, of:
- a measured differential gas core static pressure between a position upstream of the constriction and a position at the constriction;
- and
- a measured further quantity which provides the flow rate of the gas, the flow rate of the liquid, or a correlation between the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the liquid;
- for determining the flow rates of the gas and the liquid.
A computer system configured to determine the gas and liquid flow rates in relation to a swirling gas/liquid flow separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer and conveyed through a conduit containing a constriction having a reduced conduit cross-section, the determination being based on:
- a measured differential gas core static pressure between a position upstream of the constriction and a position at the constriction;
- and
- a measured further quantity which provides the flow rate of the gas, the flow rate of the liquid, or a correlation between the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the liquid.
A computer program for determining the gas and liquid flow rates in relation to a swirling gas/liquid flow separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer and conveyed through a conduit containing a constriction having a reduced conduit cross-section, the determination being based on:
- a measured differential gas core static pressure between a position upstream of the constriction and a position at the constriction, and
- a measured further quantity which provides the flow rate of the gas, the flow rate of the liquid, or a correlation between the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.