Apparatus and method for maintaining consistent fluid velocity and homogeneity in a pipeline

• US 20130036800A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KAM Controls, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KAM Controls, Inc.
• Inventors: Mohajer, Kam
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.59
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/08 for liquids or viscous products water-main or service pipe systems E03B7/04; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/10 for taking out the product in the line sampling in general, examining the physical or chemical properties of materials G01N
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/12 for injecting a composition into the line
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/18 for measuring the quantity of conveyed product measuring volume or volume flow, in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2035 by deviating part of a fluid stream, e.g. by drawing-off or tapping
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2064 using a by-pass loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85978 With pump

Abstract

A method and device for generating an ongoing consistent velocity within a pipeline flow in order to achieve fluid homogeneity prior to oil water measurement. A recirculation flow loop withdraws flow from a first point in a pipeline, accelerates that flow with a pump, and reinjects the outflow from the pump through turbulence inducing outlets at a second point in the pipeline upstream of the first flow withdrawal point. The increased turbulence and mixing of the fluid flowing in the pipeline enhances the homogeneity of the oil/water suspension. The more homogeneous fluid recirculating in the flow loop passes through a measurement probe of an oil/water detector, thus increasing the accuracy of the oil/water measurement of the fluid.

Claims

1. A recirculating flow loop comprising:

(a) a tubular fluid intake nozzle having a first intake nozzle end extending radially inwardly through a first side of a pipeline having a petroleum fluid flowing through the pipeline from an upstream end of the pipeline to a downstream end of the pipeline and a second intake nozzle end external to the pipeline, wherein the first intake nozzle end is sealingly closed and wherein the intake nozzle has an inlet opening penetrating a wall of the intake nozzle positioned within an interior of the pipeline with the inlet opening facing the upstream end of the pipeline;

(b) an intake piping having a first leg attached to the second intake nozzle end and a second leg joined at an angle to the first leg where the second leg runs approximately parallel the pipeline;

(c) a pump having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is attached to the second leg of the intake piping;

(d) an injection pipe attached to the outlet of the pump at a first end of the injection pipe, the injection pipe including a detector module mounted adjacent the pump outlet, wherein the detector module has a measurement probe radially extending through a centerline of the injection pipe; and

(e) a tubular injection nozzle having a first injection nozzle end attached to a second end of the injection pipe and a second injection nozzle end extending radially inwardly through the first side of the pipeline upstream of the fluid intake nozzle, wherein the second injection nozzle end is sealingly closed and wherein the injection nozzle has two diametrically opposed injection outlets penetrating a wall of the injection nozzle, wherein the two injection outlets are positioned within the interior of the pipeline and oriented transverse to a flow axis of the pipeline.

2. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is oriented concentrically with the flow axis of the pipeline.

3. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the inlet opening is equal to or less than a diameter of the fluid intake nozzle.

4. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the intake piping has a larger diameter than the injection pipe.

5. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the detector module includes a static mixer between the outlet end of the pump and the measurement probe.

6. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the measurement probe is in communication with a measurement processor.

7. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the injection nozzle extends radially inward of the first side of the pipeline by a distance about equal to a diameter of the injection nozzle.

8. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the injection outlets are located from the first side of the pipeline a distance equal to about 5% to about 15% of a diameter of the pipeline.

9. The recirculating flow loop of claim 1, wherein the injection outlets are located from the first side of the pipeline a distance equal to about 10% of a diameter of the pipeline.

10. A recirculating flow loop comprising:

(a) a pipeline having a multiphase fluid containing oil and water flowing through the pipeline from an upstream end of the pipeline to a downstream end of the pipeline along a flow axis;

(b) a tubular fluid intake nozzle having a first intake end extending radially inwardly through a first side of the pipeline and a second intake end external to the pipeline, wherein the first intake nozzle end is sealingly closed and wherein the fluid intake nozzle has a circular inlet opening with a diameter equal to or less than the diameter of the fluid intake nozzle penetrating a wall of the intake nozzle, wherein the inlet opening is positioned approximately midway along a diameter of the pipeline facing the upstream end of the pipeline concentrically with the flow axis of the pipeline;

(b) an intake piping having a first leg attached to the second intake end and a second leg joined at an angle to the first leg where the second leg runs approximately parallel the pipeline;

(c) a pump having an inlet attached to the second leg of the intake piping and an outlet, wherein a diameter of the inlet is equal to the diameter of the intake piping and greater than a diameter of the outlet;

(d) an injection pipe attached to the outlet of the pump with a diameter equal to the diameter of the pump outlet, the injection pipe having a detector module mounting a measurement probe radially extending through a centerline of the injection pipe, the detector module having an upstream end mounted on the pump outlet; and

(e) a tubular injection nozzle having a first injection nozzle end mounted on a downstream end of the injection pipe and a second injection nozzle end extending radially inwardly through the first side of the pipeline upstream of the fluid intake nozzle, wherein the second injection nozzle end is sealingly closed and wherein the injection nozzle has two diametrically opposed injection outlets penetrating a wall of the injection nozzle, wherein the two injection outlets are positioned within the interior of the pipeline a distance of about 10% of a length of the diameter of the pipeline from the first side of the pipeline and oriented transverse to the flow axis of the pipeline.

11. The recirculating flow loop of claim 10, wherein the detector module includes a static mixer between the outlet end of the pump and the measurement probe.

12. The recirculating flow loop of claim 10, wherein the measurement probe is in communication with a measurement processor.

13. The recirculating flow loop of claim 10, wherein the injection nozzle extends radially inward of the first side of the pipeline by a distance about equal to a diameter of the injection nozzle.

14. A method for measuring a water concentration of fluid flowing through a pipeline, the method comprising the steps:

(a) installing a recirculating flow loop on the pipeline having an axis of fluid flow through the pipeline from an upstream end of the pipeline to a downstream end of the pipeline, the flow loop positioned external to the pipeline with a fluid intake nozzle penetrating the pipeline at a first point and an injection nozzle penetrating the pipeline at a second point upstream of the first point, wherein the flow loop further comprises an intake piping, a pump, and an injection pipe having a measurement probe radially extending into a center of the injection pipe;

(b) removing a sample of a petroleum fluid flowing downstream through the pipeline through the intake nozzle;

(c) sending the fluid sample through the intake piping at a first velocity to the pump;

(c) pumping the fluid sample from the intake piping into the injection pipe at a second velocity, wherein the second velocity is greater than the first velocity;

(d) passing the fluid sample through the measurement probe;

(e) measuring the water concentration of the fluid sample passing through the measurement probe; and

(f) injecting the fluid sample that has passed through the measurement probe into the fluid flowing through the pipeline, wherein the injected fluid sample enters the fluid flow at the second velocity upstream of the intake nozzle transverse to the flow axis of the fluid.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising pumping the fluid sample at the second velocity through a static mixture prior to passing the fluid sample through the measurement probe.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein from about 20% to about 30% of the fluid flowing through the pipeline is removed through the inlet opening to pass through the flow loop.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid sample is injected into the fluid flow through a pair of opposed injection outlets oriented towards two sides of the pipeline.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the injection outlets are elliptical and are positioned within the lumen of the pipeline about a distance of about 10% of a diameter of the pipeline from a side of the pipeline penetrated by the injection nozzle.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the injected fluid sample creates two counter rotating vortices in the fluid flowing through the pipeline thereby mixing the fluid flowing past the injection nozzle.

20. A method for measuring the water concentration in a multi-phase fluid flowing through a pipeline, the method comprising the steps:

(a) installing a recirculating flow loop on the pipeline, the flow loop comprising

(i) a tubular fluid intake nozzle having a first intake nozzle end extending radially inwardly through a first side of the pipeline having a petroleum fluid flowing through the pipeline from an upstream end of the pipeline to a downstream end of the pipeline and a second intake nozzle end external to the pipeline, wherein the first intake nozzle end is sealingly closed and wherein the intake nozzle has an inlet opening penetrating a wall of the intake nozzle positioned within an interior of the pipeline with the inlet opening facing the upstream end of the pipeline;

(ii) an intake piping having a first leg attached to the second intake nozzle end and a second leg joined at an angle to the first leg where the second leg runs approximately parallel the pipeline;

(iii) a pump having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is attached to the second leg of the intake piping;

(iv) an injection pipe attached to the outlet of the pump at a first end of the injection pipe, the injection pipe including a detector module mounted adjacent the pump outlet, wherein the detector module has a measurement probe radially extending through a centerline of the injection pipe; and

(v) a tubular injection nozzle having a first injection nozzle end attached to a second end of the injection pipe and a second injection nozzle end extending radially inwardly through the first side of the pipeline upstream of the fluid intake nozzle, wherein the second injection nozzle end is sealingly closed and wherein the injection nozzle has two diametrically opposed injection outlets penetrating a wall of the injection nozzle, wherein the two injection outlets are positioned within the interior of the pipeline and oriented transverse to a flow axis of the pipeline;

(b) removing a sample of the petroleum fluid through the inlet opening of the intake nozzle;

(c) sending the fluid sample through the intake piping at a first velocity to the inlet of the pump;

(c) pumping the fluid sample into the injection pipe at a second velocity, wherein the second velocity is greater than the first velocity;

(d) passing the fluid sample through the measurement probe;

(e) measuring the water concentration of the fluid sample passing through the measurement probe;

(f) injecting the fluid sample that has passed through the measurement probe into the fluid flowing through the pipeline, wherein the injected fluid sample enters the fluid flow transverse to the flow axis of the fluid as the injected fluid sample exits two injection outlets to create two counter rotating vortices in the fluid flowing past the injection nozzle.