WET GAS MEASUREMENT

• US 20080257067A1
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Henry, Manus P., Tombs, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.356
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/74 Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8436 signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8459 vibrating means being located inside the measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8486 with multiple measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/849 having straight measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/024 involving digital counting

Abstract

A first apparent property of a multi-phase process fluid is determined based on the motion of the vibratable flowtube. One or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid are determined based on the first apparent property. A measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid is determined based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness. A second apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid is determined using the differential pressure flowmeter. One or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid is determined based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

passing a multi-phase process fluid through a vibratable flowtube and a differential pressure flowmeter;

inducing motion in the vibratable flowtube;

determining a first apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid based on the motion of the vibratable flowtube;

determining one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property;

determining a measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness;

determining a second apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid using the differential pressure flowmeter; and

determining one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property includes determining a first Froude number corresponding to a non-gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid and a second Froude number corresponding to a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid; and

determining the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness includes determining the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between the first and second Froude numbers and the measure of wetness.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-phase process fluid is a wet gas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first apparent property is an apparent mass flow rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure of wetness is a Lockhart-Martinelli parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the differential pressure flowmeter is an orifice plate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second apparent property is a mass flow rate of the multi-phase process fluid as a dry gas.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more corrected intermediate values based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the corrected intermediate values

determining one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase fluid based on the corrected intermediate values; and

comparing the phase-specific properties of the phase of the multi-phase fluid determined based on the corrected intermediate value to the phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid determined based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property includes determining a mass flow rate of a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping is a neural network.

11. A flowmeter comprising:

a vibratable flowtube, the flowtube being configured to receive a multi-phase fluid;

a driver connected to the flowtube and configured to impart motion to the flowtube such that the flowtube vibrates;

a sensor connected to the flowtube and configured to sense the motion of the flowtube and generate a sensor signal; and

a controller to receive the sensor signal and configured to;

determine a first apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid based on the motion of the vibratable flowtube;

determine one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property;

determine a measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness;

receive a second apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid, the second apparent property being determined using a differential pressure flowmeter; and

determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

12. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein:

to determine one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property, the controller is configured to determine a first Froude number corresponding to a non-gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid and a second Froude number corresponding to a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid; and

to determine the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness, the controller is configured to determine the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between the first and second Froude numbers and the measure of wetness.

13. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein the multi-phase process fluid is a wet gas.

14. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein the first apparent property is an apparent mass flow rate.

15. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein the measure of wetness is a Lockhart-Martinelli parameter.

16. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein the differential pressure flowmeter is an orifice plate.

17. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein the second apparent property is a mass flow rate of the multi-phase process fluid as a dry gas.

18. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine one or more corrected intermediate values based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the corrected intermediate values

determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase fluid based on the corrected intermediate values; and

compare the phase-specific properties of the phase of the multi-phase fluid determined based on the corrected intermediate value to the phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid determined based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

19. The flowmeter of claim 11, wherein, to determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property, the controller is configured to determine a mass flow rate of a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid.

20. A flowmeter transmitter for use with a vibratable flowtube coupled to a differential pressure flowmeter such that a multi-phase process fluid passes through the vibratable flowtube and the differential pressure flowmeter, the flowmeter transmitter comprising:

at least one processing device; and

a storage device, the storage device storing instructions for causing the at least one processing device to;

induce motion in the vibratable flowtube, the vibratable flowtube being configured to receive a multi-phase process fluid;

determine a first apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid based on the motion of the vibratable flowtube;

determine one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property;

determine a measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness;

receive a second apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid, the second apparent property being determined using a differential pressure flowmeter; and

determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

21. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein:

to determine one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property, the instructions include instructions for causing the processing device to determine a first Froude number corresponding to a non-gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid and a second Froude number corresponding to a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid; and

to determine the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness, the instructions include instructions for causing the processing device to determine the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between the first and second Froude numbers and the measure of wetness.

22. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the multi-phase process fluid is a wet gas.

23. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the first apparent property is an apparent mass flow rate.

24. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the measure of wetness is a Lockhart-Martinelli parameter.

25. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the to determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property, the instructions include instructions for causing the processing device to determine a mass flow rate of a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid.

26. A system comprising:

a vibratable flowtube configured to receive a multi-phase process fluid;

a differential pressure flowmeter coupled to the vibratable flowtube; and

one or more processing devices configured to;

induce motion in the vibratable flowtube;

determine a first apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid based on the motion of the vibratable flowtube;

determine one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property;

determine a measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness;

receive a second apparent property of the multi-phase process fluid determined using the differential pressure flowmeter; and

determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein:

to determine one or more apparent intermediate values associated with the multi-phase process fluid based on the first apparent property, the one or more processing devices are configured to determine a first Froude number corresponding to a non-gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid and a second Froude number corresponding to a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid; and

to determine the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the measure of wetness, the one or more processing devices are configured to determine the measure of wetness of the multi-phase process fluid based on a mapping between the first and second Froude numbers and the measure of wetness.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to:

determine one or more corrected intermediate values based on a mapping between one or more of the apparent intermediate values and the corrected intermediate values

determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase fluid based on the corrected intermediate values; and

compare the phase-specific properties of the phase of the multi-phase fluid determined based on the corrected intermediate value to the phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid determined based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the first apparent property comprises an apparent mass flow rate, and the second apparent property comprises a mass flow rate of the multi-phase process fluid as a dry gas.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein to determine one or more phase-specific properties of the multi-phase process fluid based on the measure of wetness and the second apparent property, the one or more processing devices are configured to determine a mass flow rate of a gas phase of the multi-phase process fluid.