# US 2018/0024264 A1 · Ultrasound color flow imaging for oil field applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024264 A1 - Document ID: US20180024264A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/546,578 - Filed: 2015-02-27 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-27 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Adam R. Dotson; Dale E. Jamison; Cato Russell McDaniel; Xiangnan Ye - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024264A1 ## CPC - G01V 1/46: Data acquisition - F04B 43/02: having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms (F04B43/14 takes precedence) - G01F 1/662: {Constructional details} - G01F 1/663: by measuring Doppler frequency shift - E21B 21/08: Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) - E21B 43/2607: {Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations} - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A system and method for rheology measurements. The system may comprise a conduit; an ultrasound transmitter positioned to direct ultrasound pulses into the conduit; an ultrasound receiver positioned to receive sound waves from the conduit; a pump fluidically coupled to the conduit; and a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the conduit. The method may comprise drawing a sample of a treatment fluid into the rheology measurement system; pressuring the sample of the treatment fluid; adjusting temperature of the treatment fluid; directing ultrasound pulses into the treatment fluid while the treatment fluid is flowing through the rheology measurement system; measuring sound waves reflected by the treatment fluid; and determining a velocity profile of the treatment fluid based at least on the measured sound waves. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for rheology measurements comprising: a conduit; an ultrasound transmitter positioned to direct ultrasound pulses into the conduit; an ultrasound receiver positioned to receive sound waves from the conduit; a pump fluidically coupled to the conduit; and a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the conduit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are a single element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are disposed on opposite sides of the conduit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are disposed on the same side of the conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the pump is a pulse dampened diaphragm pump. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a peltier device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a flow straightening device disposed in the conduit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A system according to claim 7, wherein the flow straightening device comprises a plurality of vanes disposed in the conduit. ### Claim 9 A system for rheology measurements comprising: a conduit; an ultrasound transmitter positioned to direct sound waves into the conduit; an ultrasound receiver on an opposite side of the conduit from the ultrasound transmitter and positioned to receive sound waves from the conduit; a pump fluidically coupled to the conduit; a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the conduit; and vanes disposed in the conduit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A system according to claim 9, wherein the heat exchanger is a resistance band heater. ### Claim 11 A method of operating a rheology measurement system comprising: drawing a sample of a treatment fluid into the rheology measurement system; pressuring the sample of the treatment fluid; adjusting temperature of the treatment fluid; directing ultrasound pulses into the treatment fluid while the treatment fluid is flowing through the rheology measurement system; measuring sound waves reflected by the treatment fluid; and determining a velocity profile of the treatment fluid based at least on the measured sound waves. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a solids-containing fluid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of adjusting the temperature comprises heating the treatment fluid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of adjusting the temperature comprises cooling the treatment fluid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising straightening flow of the treatment fluid in the rheology measurement system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15, wherein the straightening flow comprising passing the treatment fluid through a plurality of vanes positioned in a conduit in the rheology measurement system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising generating a color flow display of fluid flow in the rheology measurement system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising generating a Doppler sonogram of fluid flow in the rheology measurement system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising determining viscosity of the treatment fluid based at least on the determined velocity profile. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising adjusting concentration of one or more components of the treatment fluid based at least on the velocity profile and/or rheology of the treatment fluid.