Volume-differential water assay system using hydrophilic gel
AssigneePhase Dynamics, Inc.
InventorBentley N. Scott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for measuring the moisture and sediment content of a petroleum sample. In one embodiment, a sample to be tested is collected in a field bottle. The sample from the field bottle is then transferred from the field bottle, and into and through a measurement column containing a high-uptake gelling agent, such as a superabsorbent polymer. The sample's moisture is determined by measuring the expanded volume of the high-uptake gelling agent. The measurement column also contains a sediment measurement section having a sediment filter and a sight glass with graduations to measure the sediment content of the sample.
Claims24
A system for measuring the fraction of water in a fluid stream comprising nonaqueous components, comprising:
- an apparatus which passes a known quantity of the fluid stream through a measurement column, said column comprising:
- (i) an inlet opening at one end of said column;
- (ii) an outlet opening at the other end of said column;
- (iii) a graduated scale;
- (iv) a premeasured excess amount of a loose particulated high-uptake gelling agent within the measurement column, such that the gelling agent expands in correlation to the water content of the fluid stream;
- and
- (v) a filter at said outlet opening of said other end of column;
- wherein the percentage of water in the fluid stream is determined by the volume of the expanded gelling agent.
A field-testing system for analysis of moisture and sediment content in non-aqueous samples, comprising:
- a field bottle for collecting a sample to be analyzed;
- a measurement column containing a loose particulated high-uptake gelling agent which expands in correlation to the water content of the sample;
- and
- an apparatus which
- transfers the sample from the field bottle, through an inlet opening at one end of the measurement column, and then through a pre-filter section, and then into the measurement column,
- contacts the sample with the gelling agent within the measurement column, and
- collects the sample that passes through the measurement column, and then through an outlet opening at the other end of the measurement column and into a receiver bottle;
- wherein the water content of the sample is determined by reading a graduated scale on said column thereby measuring the volume of the expanded gelling agent;
- and
- wherein the sediment content of the sample is estimated by reading its volume from a graduated sight glass of said pre-filter section.
A system for measuring the fraction of water in a fluid stream comprising nonaqueous components, comprising:
- an apparatus which places a known quantity of the fluid stream into a measurement column and in contact with a premeasured amount of a high-uptake gelling agent within the measurement column, such that the gelling agent expands in correlation to the water content of the fluid stream;
- wherein the percentage of water in the fluid stream is determined by the volume of the expanded gelling agent
- further comprising a plunger assembly which filters out the absorbent gel from a fluid sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.