Gas/liquid flow measurement using coriolis-based flow meters
AssigneeChevron Research Company
InventorsKe-Tien Liu, Tanh V. Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of determining mass flow rate and phase distribution of gas/liquid two-phase flows is disclosed. The method uses a Coriolis-based mass flow meter. Flow streams of known mass flow rate and phase distribution are directed through the meter and correlation factors are obtained using an apparent mass flow rate output and an apparent density output from the Coriolis meter. The true mass flow rate and phase distribution of unknown flow streams can then be determined.
Claims7
A method of determining total mass flow rate and phase distribution of individual components in a flowing gas/liquid stream comprising the steps of:
- flowing at least a first gas/liquid stream through a Coriolis-based flow meter, the first gas/liquid stream having a first known total mass flow rate and component phase distribution;
- obtaining a first apparent total mass flow rate output and a first apparent density output from the Coriolis-based mass flow meter;
- correlating the first known total mass flow rate and phase distribution with the first apparent mass flow rate output and the first apparent density output obtained from the Coriolis-based mass flow meter to determine a set of correlation equations;
- flowing a second gas/liquid stream through the Coriolis-based mass flow meter;
- obtaining a second apparent mass flow rate output and a second apparent density output from the Coriolis-based mass flow meter;
- calculating a total mass flow rate and a component phase distribution of the second gas/liquid stream based on the correlation equations and the second apparent mass flow rate output and the second apparent density output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.