Gas well flow instrumentation
AssigneeMark Industries
InventorCharles R. Mims
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Gas well flow instrumentation includes a computation unit and an interrogation unit. The computation unit measures parameters of gas flow at the well head and accumulates gas flow information over a plurality of different independent time intervals. The interrogation unit selectively accesses the stored information and makes a permanent record of the information. The interrogation unit also is used to calibrate the computation unit and to perform a number of other different functions. The interrogation unit includes an integral printer which documents the flow information for subsequent proof of acutal gas flow.
Claims15
An apparatus for measuring gas flow comprising:
- measuring means connected to a gas conduit at a fixed position thereof for producing periodic signals indicative of flow parameters of gas flowing through said conduit including means disposed within said conduit for restricting the cross sectional diameter thereof, having transducer means positioned on opposite sides of said restriction for producing periodic signals proportional to differential pressure across said restricting means;
- computing means, connected to receive said periodic signals provided by said measuring means, for producing from said periodic signals indicia of the amount of gas flowing through said conduit over a first time interval greater than the periods of said periods signals and for producing indicia of the amount of gas flowing through said conduit over a plurality of different time intervals;
- means for storing indicia of the amount of flow associated with each of said plurality of different time periods including means storing the values of numerical constants and measured gas flow characteristics used to produce said indicia of gas flow for each of said time periods to verify the accuracy of said produced indicia of gas flow;
- and
- portable interrogating means, selectively connected to said storing means, and including means for initializing and calibrating said computing means to thereby assure accuracy of measurement and being selectively operable for extracting said stored indicia of the amount of flow associated with a selected one of said plurality of time intervals, and having means for selectively determining the length of each of said plurality of time intervals, said interrogating means including means for making a permanent digital record of said extracted indicia of the amount of flow.
A method of providing a permanent digital record of the amount of gas flowing through a conduit over a first period of time comprising:
- sensing flow parameters of gas flowing through said conduit at a fixed location, including the rate of follow by disposed in said conduit a means for restricting the cross sectional diameter thereof, and positioning transducer means on opposite sides of said means for restricting for sensing differential gas pressure across said means for restricting;
- producing from each sensing flow parameter a periodic digital signal indicative of the parameter;
- producing digital indicia of the amount of gas flowing through the conduit over a first time interval greater than the periods of the produced signals;
- storing the produced digital indicia of the amount of gas flow in a computer memory, including storing the values of numerical constants and measured gas flow characteristics used in producing said indicia of gas flow to thereby provide verification of the accuracy of said produced indicia of gas flow;
- extracting the stored digital indicia of the amount of gas flow;
- and
- making a permanent digital record of the extracted indicia of the amount of gas flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.