Density profiler for measuring density profile of a medium and method and apparatus using same
AssigneeJohnson Matthey PLC
InventorsPeter Jackson, Robert Simon Knapp
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Abstract
A density profiler for measuring a density profile of a medium including at least two liquids and gaseous phases includes an axially distributed source array providing at least 10 collimated ionising radiation beams; an axially distributed radiation detector array, each detector associated in use with one of the beams and producing an output signal in response to incident radiation; and an analysor for the detector output signals to determine the density of the medium traversed by the beams of radiation.
Claims32
A density profiler for measuring a density profile of a medium including at least two liquid phases and a gaseous phase which profiler includes:
- a) an axially distributed array of sources capable of providing at least 10 collimated beams of ionising radiation;
- b) an axially distributed array of radiation detectors, each detector being associated in use with a respective one of the said beams of ionising radiation and positioned such that the beam length between a source and a respective detector is from 3 to 15 cm, and each detector producing an output signal in response to the incidence of the ionising radiation;
- and
- c) means for analysing the detector output signals to determine the density of the medium traversed by the beams of radiation in passing from the source array to the detector array.
Combined source and detector arrays for a density profiler for measuring a density profile of a medium including at least two liquid phases and a gaseous phase which arrays include:
- i) an axially distributed array of sources capable of providing at least 10 collimated beams of ionising radiation;
- ii) an axially distributed array of radiation detectors, each detector being associated in use with a respective one of the said beams of ionising radiation and positioned such that the beam length between a source and a respective detector is from 3 to 15 cm, and each detector producing an output signal in response to the incidence of the ionising radiation.
An oil separator for an input stream having oil, aqueous and gas phases incorporating a density profiler having:
- a) an axially distributed array of sources capable of providing at least 10 collimated beams of ionising radiation;
- b) an axially distributed array of radiation detectors, each detector being associated in use with a respective one of the said beams of ionising radiation and positioned such that the beam length between a source and a respective detector is from 3 to 15 cm, and each detector producing an output signal in response to the incidence of the ionising radiation;
- and
- c) means for analysing the detector output signals to determine the density of the medium traversed by the beams of radiation in passing from the source array to the detector arrays
- wherein the density profiler is positioned to measure the density of the oil, aqueous and gas phases.
A method of measuring the density profile of a medium including oil, aqueous and gas phases using a density profiler having:
- a) an axially distributed array of sources capable of providing at least 10 collimated beams of ionising radiation;
- b) an axially distributed array of radiation detectors, each detector being associated in use with a respective one of the said beams of ionising radiation and positioned such that the beam length between a source and a respective detector is from 3 to 15 cm, and each detector producing an output signal in response to the incidence of the ionising radiation;
- and
- c) means for analysing the detector output signals to determine the density of the medium traversed by the beams of radiation in passing from the source array to the detector arrays, in which the source array and detector array of the density profiler are positioned in a region of the medium in which the different phases are at least partially separated.
A combined radiation source holder and collimator comprising
- a) a source holder in the form of a rod having a plurality of holes adapted to receive radiation sources and
- b) a collimator tube, arranged telescopically with the rod and made of radiation absorbent material, said tube having transmission holes therein, said rod and tube being moveable relative to one another so that in a first position each source is in registry with at least one transmission hole aligned to provide a path along which radiation from the source traverses the co thickness of the tube to produce a collimated beam of radiation which is projected laterally relative to the rod and tube, and in a second position each source is masked by a portion of the tube so that no collimated beam of radiation is generated.
In combination, a vessel for containing a medium including at least two liquid phases and a gaseous phase and a density profiler comprising:
- a) a first dip tube located within said vessel and containing an axially distributed array of sources capable of providing at least 10 collimated beams of ionizing radiation;
- b) at least one further dip tube located within the vessel and containing an axially distributed array of radiation detectors, each detector being associated in use with a respective one of the said beams of ionizing radiation and positioned such that the beam length between a source and a respective detector is from 3 to 15 cm, and each detector producing an output signal in response to the incidence of the ionizing radiation;
- and
- c) means for analyzing the detector output signals to determine the density of the medium traversed by the beams of radiation in passing from the source array to the detector array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.