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US 2014/0174146 A1Published application
Calibration Tube for Multiphase Flowmeters
AssigneeSouthern Methodist University
InventorsYildirim Hurmuzlu, Edmond Richer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated calibration device that comprises a tube for trapping a multiphase sample between three ultrasound (US) transducer pairs wherein each of the three transducer pairs is positioned to measure a different fraction of the multiphase sample.
Claims15
An automated calibration device for a multiphase flowmeter, wherein the calibration device is placed vertically and comprises:
- a tube for holding a liquid multiphase sample, wherein the tube comprises two or more valves for trapping the multiphase sample;
- a temperature sensor;
- a pressure sensor;
- and
- three ultrasound transducer pairs positioned at one or more specific locations in or around the tube, wherein the three transducer pairs comprise:
- a bottom/transversal (BT) pair at the bottom of the tube that is positioned to measure a liquid phase of the multiphase sample;
- a top/transversal (TT) pair at the top of the tube that is positioned to measure a gas phase of the multiphase sample;
- and
- a longitudinal (LTLB) pair that is positioned transverse to the BT and TT pairs and that measures across the gas phase and the liquid phase of the multiphase sample.
6 more elements
A device for determination of densities of a gas fraction and an oil fraction in a multiphase sample comprising water-oil-gas comprising:
- a vertical tube for holding the multiphase sample, wherein the tube comprises two or more valves for trapping the multiphase sample;
- a temperature sensor;
- a pressure sensor;
- and
- a bottom/transversal (BT) pair at the bottom of the tube that is positioned to measure a liquid phase of the multiphase sample,
- a top/transversal (TT) pair at the top of the tube that is positioned to measure a gas phase of the multiphase sample, and
- a longitudinal (LTLB) pair that is positioned transverse to the BT and TT pairs and that measures across the gas phase and the liquid phase of the multiphase sample.
4 more elements
A method of calibrating a multiphase flowmeter comprising the steps of:
- providing the multiphase flowmeter;
- and
- providing a calibration device, wherein the calibration device is placed vertically and comprises:
- a tube for holding a liquid multiphase sample, wherein the multiphase sample comprises water, a gas, and an oil;
- a temperature sensor;
- a pressure sensor;
- and three ultrasound transducers positioned at one or more specific locations in or around the tube, wherein the transducers comprise a bottom/transversal (BT) pair, a top/transversal (TT) pair, and a longitudinal (LTLB) pair;
- wherein the calibration device functions by:
- trapping the multiphase liquid sample in the tube of the calibration device;
- allowing the trapped multiphase sample to separate into two or more component phases;
- measuring an ultrasound velocity (UV) in the water by using the BT pair of ultrasound transducers;
- measuring the UV in the gas by using the TT pair of ultrasound transducers, wherein the step of measuring the UV in the gas and in the water may be performed simultaneously;
- calculating an ultrasound propagation velocity for gas (UVg) and water (UVw);
- measuring the UV in the mixture (UVm) by using the LTLB pair of ultrasound transducers, wherein the LTLB pair of ultrasound transducers are operated in a transmission mode;
- obtaining a gas volume by using the LT in a reflection mode and combining it with the UVg;
- obtaining a water volume by using the LB in the reflection mode and combining it with the UVw;
- and
- calibrating the multiphase flowmeter by verifying and adjusting the gas volume and the water volume with the result for the UV in the mixture.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.