Apparatus for determining fluid flow

• US 5,705,753 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caldon, Inc. (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Caldon, Inc. (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Hauser, Ernest M., Miller, Robert C., Hastings, Calvin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Biegel, Ronald L.
• Application Number:
  US08/471,005
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.27, 73/861.28, 73/861.29, 73/861.31, 73/597
• US Class Current: 73/861.28
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/667 Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/668 Compensating or correcting for variations in velocity of sound
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/24 of the velocity of propagation of sound
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02881 Temperature

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for determining the flow rate of a fluid in a pipe. The apparatus includes a device for providing acoustic energy on a diagonal path through the fluid. The diagonal providing device is in contact with the pipe. The apparatus also includes a device for providing acoustic energy on a diametrical path through the fluid. The diametrical providing device is in contact with the pipe. The apparatus is also comprised of a device for determining the flow of fluid in the pipe based on the acoustic energy of the diagonal providing device and the acoustic energy of the diametrical providing device. In one embodiment, the diagonal providing device is fixedly disposed on the pipe. In another embodiment, the diametrical providing device provides acoustic energy emitted in both directions on the diametrical path. The diagonal providing device preferably includes a first transducer and a second transducer located at diametrically opposed positions about the pipe. The first transducer and second transducer are preferably adapted to alternatively function as transmitter and receiver so as to cause ultrasonic signals to travel through the fluid along the diametric path. The diametrical providing device preferably includes a third transducer and a fourth transducer located at diagonally opposed upstream and downstream positions relative to one another. The third transducer and the forth transducer are preferably adapted to alternatively function as a transmitter and receiver so as to cause ultrasonic signals to travel through the fluid alternatively in upstream and downstream directions along the diagonal path between the third transducer and the fourth transducer. The diametric path is adjacent to the diagonal path so that the transducers are sampling the same portion of fluid.

Claims

1. An apparatus for characterizing fluid properties in a pipe comprising:

first means for measuring sound velocity in the fluid with acoustic energy and producing a first signal corresponding to the sound velocity, said first measuring means disposed on the outside of the pipe and acoustic energy follows a path through the pipe wall through the fluid;

second means for measuring at least one state variable of the fluid and providing a second signal corresponding to the state variable measured, said second means in communication with the fluid; and

signal processing means in communication with the first and second measuring means for determining the velocity of sound in the fluid and identifying fluid properties.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the second measuring means includes means for measuring temperature or means for measuring pressure of the fluid.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said signal processing means also determines specific volume of the fluid.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein the signal processing means determines specific volume and viscosity of the fluid.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said signal processing means identifies when a boundary between fluid of a first material and fluid of a second material passes through the pipe at the diametrical path.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein the signal processing means determines Reynolds number for the fluid from the specific volume of the fluid and the viscosity and calculates a profile factor.