Flow rate determination of a gas-liquid fluid mixture
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsIan Atkinson, Miriam Archer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems are described for determining a flow rate of a gas-liquid fluid mixture in a conduit. In the described systems and methods, the fluid mixture is conditioned so that the liquid in the mixture is separated from the gas in the mixture. Properties of the conditioned flow may then be measured to determine the flow rate. In an embodiment of the invention, the hold up of the separated liquid is measured; the velocity of the separated liquid is measured; the velocity of the separated gas is measured; and the flow rate of the gas-liquid fluid mixture is determined from the hold up and the velocities.
Claims21
A method for determining a flow rate of a gas-liquid fluid mixture comprising the steps of:
- providing a conduit through which the gas-liquid fluid mixture flows;
- conditioning the fluid mixture in the conduit to separate the liquid in the mixture from the gas;
- flowing the conditioned fluid mixture through a constriction;
- measuring the hold up of the separated liquid;
- measuring the velocity of the separated liquid;
- measuring the velocity of the separated gas;
- and
- determining the flow rate of the gas-liquid fluid mixture from the hold up and the velocities.
An apparatus for providing measurements useable in determining a flow rate of a gas-liquid fluid mixture, the apparatus comprising:
- a conduit through which the gas-liquid fluid mixture can flow, in use the fluid mixture in the conduit being conditioned to separate the liquid in the mixture from the gas;
- a constriction in the conduit configured so that in use the conditioned gas-fluid mixture is flows through the constriction;
- a device for measuring the hold up of the separated liquid;
- a device for measuring the velocity of the separated liquid;
- and
- a device for measuring the velocity of the separated gas;
- wherein the hold up and the velocities are usable to determine a flow rate of the gas-liquid fluid mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.