Electromagnetic borehole flowmeter system
First Claim
1. A flowmeter system for determining the flow of fluid through conduit, said system comprising:
- (a) probe means for travel within said conduit and for measuring the flow of fluid therethrough, said probe means comprising;
(1) flowmeter transducer means for effecting a magnetic field perpendicular to the axis of said conduit;
(2) electrodes for determining the voltage induced by said magnetic field in the flow of fluid; and
(3) first amplifier means coupled to said electrodes and impedance matched therewith for converting the output from said electrodes to a low impedance signal;
(b) connector means for coupling said probe means and later mentioned external circuit means over distances ranging up to about 5000 feet; and
(c) external circuit means coupled with said probe means through said connector means for applying signals to said flowmeter transducer means and for being responsive to signals from said electrodes, said external circuit means comprising;
(1) timing signal generator means coupled to a first power supply and having first timing means for providing a later mentioned signal sampling delay and second timing means for providing a later mentioned signal blocking pulse;
(2) variable voltage generating means coupled to a second power supply for output of a drive signal to said flowmeter transducer means, said output synchronized with signal sampling from said electrodes and delayed therefrom for about 16×
10-9 to about 3×
10-3 seconds, said delay provided by said first timing means, and said second power supply electrically isolated from said first power supply;
(3) input offset circuit means coupled to said electrodes for zeroing the signal under conditions of zero flow of fluid through said probe means;
(4) analog switching means coupled to the output of said input offset circuit means and provided with a blocking pulse for passing to later mentioned sampling means a signal substantially free of switching transients, said blocking pulse provided by said second timing means; and
(5) sampling means coupled to the output of said analog switching means and synchronized with said drive signal to said flowmeter transducer means for coupling the signal from said analog switching means for a full master clock period occurring immediately prior to generation of a timing signal to said first timing means, said sampling means determinative of both the negative and positive peak amplitudes coupled therethrough for converting peak-to-peak AC amplitudes to a DC signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved flowmeter system is described, together with circuitry, hardware, and techniques for its utilization for determining the rate of flow of fluids in conduits at a situs substantially remote from the information gathering and analysis situs. Arrangements are provided for utilization of the system in conduits, including deep water wells, having diameters as small as 2 inches, and wherein very low flowrates of liquid therein can be quite accurately measured to depths in the range of hundreds to thousands of feet. The device is configured sans moving parts, which overcomes prior art arrangements heretofore prone to wear and drift from calibration, and utilizes a new unique arrangement of transducer drive signals and sampling signals operatively associated with a plurality of timing networks whereby the precision and accuracy of the resulting system is not only enhanced by sampling well after the switching transients therein have decayed, but is even further substantially improved by compensating for the random drift, albeit relatively small, of the transducer output signals caused thereby through the deselection of the otherwise metered signal just prior to and post a polarity change in the AC-square wave excitation to said transducer, such that the resulting clamped switching transients are effectively prevented from causing noise feedback to the portion of the metering signal received and utilized as determinative of flowrate events at said remotely located situs.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A flowmeter system for determining the flow of fluid through conduit, said system comprising:
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(a) probe means for travel within said conduit and for measuring the flow of fluid therethrough, said probe means comprising; (1) flowmeter transducer means for effecting a magnetic field perpendicular to the axis of said conduit; (2) electrodes for determining the voltage induced by said magnetic field in the flow of fluid; and (3) first amplifier means coupled to said electrodes and impedance matched therewith for converting the output from said electrodes to a low impedance signal; (b) connector means for coupling said probe means and later mentioned external circuit means over distances ranging up to about 5000 feet; and (c) external circuit means coupled with said probe means through said connector means for applying signals to said flowmeter transducer means and for being responsive to signals from said electrodes, said external circuit means comprising; (1) timing signal generator means coupled to a first power supply and having first timing means for providing a later mentioned signal sampling delay and second timing means for providing a later mentioned signal blocking pulse; (2) variable voltage generating means coupled to a second power supply for output of a drive signal to said flowmeter transducer means, said output synchronized with signal sampling from said electrodes and delayed therefrom for about 16×
10-9 to about 3×
10-3 seconds, said delay provided by said first timing means, and said second power supply electrically isolated from said first power supply;(3) input offset circuit means coupled to said electrodes for zeroing the signal under conditions of zero flow of fluid through said probe means; (4) analog switching means coupled to the output of said input offset circuit means and provided with a blocking pulse for passing to later mentioned sampling means a signal substantially free of switching transients, said blocking pulse provided by said second timing means; and (5) sampling means coupled to the output of said analog switching means and synchronized with said drive signal to said flowmeter transducer means for coupling the signal from said analog switching means for a full master clock period occurring immediately prior to generation of a timing signal to said first timing means, said sampling means determinative of both the negative and positive peak amplitudes coupled therethrough for converting peak-to-peak AC amplitudes to a DC signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A flowmeter system for measuring a rate of fluid flowing through a conduit, said system comprising:
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(a) probe means for insertion in and travel within said conduit, and provided with flow channel means for flow of fluid axially therethrough, said probe means comprising; (1) electromagnetic flowmeter transducer means having magnetic field generating means for establishing alternately building and collapsing flux linkage perpendicular to the axis of said conduit and electrode means for determining the voltage induced by the change in said flux linkage, said electrode means having two electrodes in a line mutually perpendicular to both the direction of said flux linkage and the axial direction of said conduit, said electrodes separated one from the other by at least the smallest diameter of said flow channel means; and (2) first amplifier means operatively associated with said electrode means and having low input bias current and high input impedance characteristics, said low input bias current characteristics being sufficient to prevent loading of a voltage induced signal from said electrodes and said high input impedance being sufficient to substantially match the impedance of said electrodes across said flow channel means, said first amplifier means arranged in AC coupling with said electrodes for elimination of DC offset voltage therefrom, and provided with low frequency and high frequency bypass means and second amplifier means coupled with said first amplifier means and provided with buffering for converting the output therefrom to a low impedance signal, the output of said second amplifier means coupled to later mentioned cable connector means; (b) multicable connector means for providing coupling between said probe means and later mentioned external circuit means, said multicable connector means adapted for insertion into at least a substantial length of said conduit with one end thereof releasably connected to said probe means therein and the other end thereof adapted for operable association with later mentioned external circuit means and the length of said multicable connector means which is adapted for insertion into said conduit ranging up to about 5000 feet; and (c) external circuit means coupled with said probe means through said multicable connector means for applying signals to said probe means and for processing signals received therefrom, said external circuit means comprising; (1) drive means for said magnetic field generating means, said drive means coupled with first power supply means for effecting constant current of a predetermined level to said magnetic field generating means; (2) comparator means coupled with second power supply means for amplifying and converting a rectified AC signal to a square wave having substantially equal positive and negative amplitudes and at least the ground path of said second power supply means electrically insulated from the return ground path of said first power supply means; (3) oscillator means coupled with said comparator means for outputting a square wave; (4) counter means for effecting a plurality of outputs, said counter means coupled to said oscillator means with the output of said counter means synchronized with the output of said oscillator means, said counter means having 2X outputs, wherein X ranges from 2 to 10, wherein each output of said counter means is high for one clock period and low for (2X-1) clock periods and wherein one full clock period of said counter means is equal to T1 ; (5) gate means coupled with two outputs of said counter means, said two outputs separated, one from the other by a period of XT1, said gate means for triggering both later mentioned first monostable multivibrator means and later mentioned second monostable multivibrator means when either of said two outputs changes to activated mode; (6) first monostable multivibrator means coupled to said gate means for output of a pulse of period T2, wherein T2 is sufficient to trigger later mentioned flip-flop means and ranges between about 16×
10-9 to about 3×
10-3 seconds, and within each period of (2XT1) the initiation of T2 coinciding with the end of periods T1 and XT1 ;(7) second monostable multivibrator means coupled to said gate means for output of a pulse of a period T3, wherein T3 is both greater than T2 and sufficient to provide for substantial decay of switching transients generated during square wave AC excitation of said magnetic field generating means and less than about 1/3(XT1) and within each period of (2XT1) the initiation of T3 coinciding with the end of periods T1 and XT1 ; (8) flip-flop means coupled to said first monostable multivibrator means, to the carryout of said counter means, and to second power supply means for switching, within each period of (2XT1), the polarity of the control signal to said magnetic field generating means at the end of period (T1 +T2) and at the end of period (T1 +T2 +XT1); (9) analog pi switching means coupled to said second amplifier means and to said second monostable multivibrator means for outputting to later mentioned synchronous sampling means that portion of the signal from said second amplifier means which is free of switching transients and represented by (XT1 -T3); and (10) synchronous sampling means operatively associated with said analog pi switching means and said two outputs of said counter means for sampling within each period of (2XT1) for a period of T1 just prior to switching of said polarity of the control signal to said magnetic field generating means, and wherein the inception of each period of T1 within each such period of (2XT1) occurs at time zero and after a period of (XT1), and said synchronous sampling means provided with separate storage means for both the positive and the negative peak amplitude determined during each sampling period of T1 with the outputs therefrom operatively associated with third amplifier means of high impedance for alternately determining the positive peak value and the negative peak value of the AC signal input thereto and for converting the resulting determined peak-to-peak AC amplitudes to a DC signal directly proportional to the rate of fluid flowing through said flow channel means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification