Apparatus and Method for Determining Solids Level in a Sand Separator
AssigneeBatfer Investment S.A.
InventorJason Pitcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for determining when a sand separator should be purged to remove solids from the sand separator. The system can include an acoustic sensor which detects the frequency of audible sound coming from the inner chamber of the vessel and generate a signature signal representative of the frequency of audible sound. There is a processor connected to the acoustic sensor and configured to compare the signature signal with a set frequency range of audible sound which in turn generates a signal indicating when he signature frequency and the set frequency are in overlapping relationship.
Claims9
A system for monitoring solids in a sand separator, said sand separator comprising a vessel having an inner chamber, an inlet, a gas outlet, and a drain outlet, comprising:
- an acoustic sensor operatively connected to said vessel, said acoustic sensor being operative to detect the frequency of audible sound coming from said inner chamber and generate a signature signal representative of said frequency of audible sound;
- a processor operatively connected to said acoustic sensor and configured to compare said signature signal with a set frequency range of audible sound and generate a signal indicating when said signature frequency and said set frequency range are in overlapping relationship.
A method of determining unknown solids content in a sand separator, said sand separator comprising a vessel having an internal chamber, an inlet, a gas outlet, and a drain, comprising;
- providing a sand separator comprising a vessel having an interior chamber with a known amount of solids in said chamber;
- connecting an acoustic sensor in sound transmitting relationship to said vessel to detect audible sound frequencies in said chamber;
- generating a signature signal with said acoustic sensor representative of said solids level in said chamber with said known amount of solids;
- transmitting said signature signal to a processor;
- generating a first signal representative of audible sound frequencies in said chamber below the frequency of said signature signal;
- transmitting said first signal to said processor;
- generating a second signal representative of audible sound frequencies in said chamber above the frequency of said signature signal;
- transmitting said second signal to said processor;
- said processor being configured to generate an audible sound frequency profile for said vessel ranging from said first signal frequency to said second signal frequency;
- providing said vessel with an unknown amount of solids in said chamber;
- generating a third signal representative of audible sound frequencies in said chamber with said unknown amount of solids;
- comparing the frequencies of said third signal with said profile;
- and
- indicating when said frequencies of said third signal are within the range of said profile.
A method of determining the amount of solids content in a sand separator, said sand separator comprising a vessel having an internal chamber, an inlet, a gas outlet, and a drain, comprising;
- providing a sand separator comprising a vessel having an interior chamber with a known amount of solids in said chamber;
- connecting an acoustic sensor in sound transmitting relationship to said vessel to detect audible sound frequencies in said chamber;
- generating a signature signal with said acoustic sensor representative of said solids level in said chamber with said known amount of solids;
- transmitting said signature signal to a processor;
- said processor being configured to generate an audible sound frequency profile for said vessel using said signature signal and a desired range of frequencies above and below the frequency of said signature signal;
- providing said vessel with an unknown amount of solids in said chamber;
- generating a signal representative of audible sound frequencies in said chamber with said unknown amount of solids;
- comparing the frequency of said signal with said sound frequency profile;
- and
- indicating when said frequency of said signal is within the range of said profile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.