Fluid flow velocity measurement via thermal conduction
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMustafa A. Al-Huwaider, Shouxiang Mark Ma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid velocity sensor can include a thermally conductive body comprising a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a third temperature sensor. A heating element is secured within the fluid velocity sensor to heat the thermally conductive body. The first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, and the third temperature sensor each reside within the thermally conductive body at different radial distances from the heating element. A flowrate of a fluid in contact with the fluid velocity sensor is determined based on a comparison between the internal temperatures measured by each of the first, second, and third temperature sensors.
Claims20
A fluid velocity sensor comprising:
- a thermally conductive body comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor;
- and
- a heating element secured within the fluid velocity sensor to heat the thermally conductive body;
- wherein:
- the first temperature sensor resides within the thermally conductive body at a first radial distance from the heating element;
- and
- the second temperature sensor resides within the thermally conductive body at a second radial distance from the heating element, the first radial distance different from the second radial distance.
A method for determining velocity of a fluid in a borehole or a pipe, by a fluid velocity sensor that includes a thermally conductive body, a heating element in contact with an internal surface of the conductive body, a first temperature sensor within the conductive body at a first radial distance from the heating element, and a second temperature sensor within the conductive body at a second distance from the heating element, the method comprising:
- causing the heating element to heat the conductive body to a predetermined temperature;
- receiving a first internal temperature of a first interior portion of the conductive body from the first temperature sensor;
- receiving a second internal temperature of a second interior portion of the conductive body from the second temperature sensor;
- and
- determining a velocity of a fluid in the borehole based on a comparison of the first internal temperature and the second internal temperature.
A production log tool system comprising:
- a cable encasing a data bus, the data bus comprising a first data channel, a second data channel, and a control channel;
- and
- a fluid velocity sensor residing at an end of the cable, the fluid velocity sensor comprising:
- a thermally conductive body comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor;
- and
- a heating element secured within the fluid velocity sensor to heat the thermally conductive body, the heating element electrically connected to the control channel, the control channel to communicate control information to the heating element;
- wherein:
- the first temperature sensor resides within the thermally conductive body at a first radial distance from the heating element, the first temperature sensor electrically connected to the first data channel, and
- the second temperature sensor resides within the thermally conductive body at a second radial distance from the heating element, the first radial distance different from the second radial distance, the second temperature sensor electrically connected to the second data channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.