Differential pressure based automated sand detection and handling system for oil and gas well operations
AssigneeFMC Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRyan Malone, Sander Baaren, Eric Rasmussen, Richard Minter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a separator vessel that is adapted to separate solids particles from a flow of a multi-phase fluid, a differential pressure sensing system that is adapted to measure a differential pressure of a column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel and a control system that is adapted to determine at least one of a level, volume or weight of the separated solids particles within the separator vessel based upon at least the measured differential pressure of the column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel.
Claims36
A system, comprising:
- a separator vessel that is adapted to separate solids particles from a flow of a multi-phase fluid;
- a differential pressure sensing system, the differential sensing pressure system being adapted to measure a differential pressure of a column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel;
- and
- a control system that is adapted to determine at least one of a level, volume or weight of the separated solids particles within the separator vessel based upon at least the measured differential pressure of the column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel.
A method, comprising:
- separating solids particles from a flow of a multi-phase fluid in a separator vessel;
- measuring a differential pressure of a column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel;
- and
- determining at least one of a level, volume or weight of the separated solids particles within the separator vessel based upon at least the measured differential pressure of the column of the multi-phase fluid in the separator vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.