Detecting particulate contaminants in a fluid
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsMartin Peter William Jones, Richard Damon Goodman Roberts, Mark Volanthen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibration detector (1) comprising at least one fiber optic sensor (2) mechanically coupled to a flexible support member (3). The vibration detector (1) is mounted on the outside of the pipeline and a signal from the fiber optic sensor is measured. This signal is indicative of whether the vibration detector is experiencing vibrations due to collisions of contaminant particles with each other and/or with the walls of the pipeline. A method for detecting particulate contaminants in a fluid flowing in a pipeline is also provided.
Claims16
A method for detecting particulate contaminants in a fluid flowing in a pipeline, the method comprising:
- providing at least one vibration detector comprising at least one fiber optic sensor;
- mounting the vibration detector on the outside of the pipeline;
- and, while the fluid travels along the pipeline, monitoring signals from the vibration detector, whereby to identify vibrations inducing variations in the transmissive and reflective properties of the at least one fiber optic sensor that are characteristic of collisions of particulate contaminants in the fluid.
A vibration detector adapted to detect particulate contaminants in a fluid flowing in a pipeline, the detector comprising:
- at least one fiber optic sensor;
- mounting means adapted to mount the vibration detector onto the outside of a pipeline and a data processor adapted to identify vibrations inducing variations in the transmissive and reflective properties of the at least one fiber optic sensor while the fluid travels along the pipeline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.