METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE FLOW OF MIXTURES OF FLUIDS IN A PIPE

• US 20190316943A1
• Filed: 06/24/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnerCorp Engineered Solutions LLC (EnerCorp Sand Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Iphase Limited
• Inventors: McCann, Dominic Patrick, Forbes, Kevin John, Hunt, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,753,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/113 using electrical indications; using light radiations
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/58 by electromagnetic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/584 constructions of electrodes, accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/586 constructions of coils, magnetic circuits, accessories therefor G01F1/582 takes precedence; magnet; inductances; transformers; selection of materials for their magnetic properties per se H01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/588 combined constructions of electrodes, coils or magnetic circuits, accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/60 Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/712 using auto-correlation or cross-correlation detection means
• 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 15/02 Compensating or correcting for variations in pressure, density or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/02 by investigating impedance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/226 Construction of measuring vessels; Electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2823 raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures hydrocarbon content of earth materials G01N33/241; prospecting G01V; drilling per se E21B
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/18 by measuring the time taken to traverse a fixed distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/104 using several coupled or uncoupled coils G01V3/101 takes precedence

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a multiphase flow in a pipe, the apparatus comprising: a first monitoring module coupled to the pipe and adapted to provide first output data representing a respective concentration of one phase of a plurality of phases, or a mixture of at least two of the phases, in the multiphase flow by processing at least one first variable representing electrical permittivity of one phase or a mixture of at least two of the phases of the multiphase flow; a second monitoring module coupled to the pipe and adapted to provide second output data representing a respective concentration of one phase, or a mixture of at least two of the phases, of the plurality of phases in the multiphase flow by processing at least one second variable representing electrical conductivity of one phase or a mixture of at least two of the phases of the multiphase flow; and a third monitoring module coupled to the pipe and adapted to provide third output data representing a respective velocity of at least one phase of the plurality of phases in the multiphase flow by processing at least one third variable representing velocity of at least one of the phases. There is a further provided a monitoring method for monitoring a multiphase flow in a pipe. There is a further provided an oil well system including a plurality of oil wells, and one or more monitoring apparatus for monitoring a multiphase flow in a pipe. There is a further provided a method of operating an oil well system using a multiphase fluid flow model which is calibrated or modified based on measured parameters of the multiphase flow.

Claims

1. A method of defining a multiphase flow comprising three phases, the method comprising:

simultaneously measuring electromagnetically, directly or indirectly, at a plurality of positions across a cross-section of the flow, (a) the individual concentration of each of the three phases;

(b) the individual density of each of the three phases; and

(c) the individual velocity of each of the three phases;

wherein the measured concentration, density and velocity values of the three phases constitute nine parameters representing the multiphase flow, and processing the measured concentration, density and velocity values of the three phases into a form representing the respective concentration, density and velocity of the phases across plural cells of a cellular grid extending across at least a portion of a cross-sectional area of the flow.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the three phases comprise a gas phase, and oil phase and an aqueous phase.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the gas is natural gas and the oil is mineral oil, and the three phases are output from an oil well.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising comparing an image, or mathematical representation of an image, related to the measured concentration, density and velocity values of the three phases to a stored or modelled image, or mathematical representation of a stored or modelled image of the concentration, density and velocity values of the three phases.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising classifying the multiphase flow into one of a plurality of flow modes.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising controlling the multiphase flow in response to the measured concentration, density and velocity values of the three phases.