Apparatus and method for controlling, measuring, and sampling a fluid flow
AssigneeNational Oilwell Varco, L.P.
InventorThomas Robert Larson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a body having a central axis, a fluid inlet coupled to the body, the fluid inlet being adapted to receive a flow of a fluid, and a fluid outlet coupled to the body. The fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are substantially coaxially aligned so as to define a flow axis through the apparatus, and the flow axis is laterally offset from and perpendicular to the central axis of the body. A rotating blade assembly is disposed within said body and includes a plurality of blades, wherein the rotating blade assembly is adapted to be controllably rotated about the central axis so as to control a fluid level of the flow of fluid entering the fluid inlet.
Claims37
An apparatus, comprising:
- a body having a central axis;
- a fluid inlet coupled to said body, said fluid inlet being adapted to receive a flow of a fluid;
- a fluid outlet coupled to said body, said fluid outlet being adapted to receive at least a portion of said flow of said fluid from said fluid inlet, wherein said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet are substantially coaxially aligned so as to define a flow axis through said apparatus, said flow axis being laterally offset from and substantially perpendicular to said central axis of said body;
- and
- a rotating blade assembly disposed within said body and comprising a plurality of blades, wherein said rotating blade assembly is adapted to be continuously and controllably rotated about said central axis and to control a fluid level of said flow of said fluid entering said fluid inlet during said continuous and controlled rotation by variably adjusting an angular velocity of said rotating blade assembly.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a body having a central axis;
- a fluid inlet coupled to said body, said fluid inlet being adapted to receive a flow of a fluid;
- a fluid outlet coupled to said body, wherein said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet are substantially coaxially aligned so as to define a flow axis through said apparatus, said flow axis being laterally offset from and perpendicular to said central axis of said body;
- a sample outlet disposed on said body, wherein a central axis of said sample outlet is substantially coaxially aligned with said central axis of said body;
- a rotating blade assembly disposed within said body, wherein said rotating blade assembly comprises a plurality of blades and is adapted to receive a sample portion of said flow of said fluid entering said fluid inlet and to discharge said received sample portion out of said apparatus through said sample outlet.
A method of operating a flow apparatus, the method comprising:
- introducing a flow of a flow mixture to a fluid inlet of said flow apparatus, wherein said fluid inlet is coupled to a body of said flow apparatus and comprises a flow axis that is laterally offset from and substantially perpendicular to a central axis of said body;
- and
- controlling a fluid level of said flow of said flow mixture introduced to said fluid inlet, wherein controlling said fluid level comprises at least one of increasing said fluid level and decreasing said fluid level by continuously and controllably rotating a rotating blade assembly comprising a plurality of blades and disposed within said body about said central axis while flowing said flow of said flow mixture through said flow apparatus from said fluid inlet to a fluid outlet of said flow apparatus, and wherein continuously and controllably rotating said rotating blade assembly comprises variably adjusting an angular velocity of said rotating blade assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.