Method and system for monitoring fluid flow
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing information relating to fluid flow rate through a conduit to a remote third party, comprising the steps of:
- positioning one or more sound transducers in proximity to and external to said conduit, each said sound transducer generating a signal representative of acoustic waves generated by the fluid flow through said conduit;
collecting said signals from said one or more sound transducers on a substantially continuous basis;
processing said signals to determine the flow rate through the conduit; and
communicating information relating to the flow rate to said remote third party.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for monitoring fluid flow, such as fluid flow through pipelines or similar conduits for delivering natural gas, crude oil, and other similar liquid or gas energy commodities, relies on the measurement of acoustic waves generated by the fluid, thus allowing for monitoring of the flow rate without direct access to the fluid. Furthermore, the method and system allows for estimation of the operational dynamics of components or facilities of the production, transportation, storage, and distribution systems for the energy commodities.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for providing information relating to fluid flow rate through a conduit to a remote third party, comprising the steps of:
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positioning one or more sound transducers in proximity to and external to said conduit, each said sound transducer generating a signal representative of acoustic waves generated by the fluid flow through said conduit; collecting said signals from said one or more sound transducers on a substantially continuous basis; processing said signals to determine the flow rate through the conduit; and communicating information relating to the flow rate to said remote third party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for monitoring fluid flow through a conduit and communicating a flow rate to a third party, comprising the steps of:
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positioning one or more sound transducers in proximity to and external to said conduit, each said sound transducer generating a signal representative of a measured amplitude of acoustic waves generated by the fluid flow through said conduit; receiving such acoustic signals and processing the signals into digitized data representative of the measured amplitude on a substantially continuous basis; performing a computational analysis on the digitized data to determine the flow rate through said conduit based on the measured amplitude; and communicating the flow rate to said third party. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for monitoring fluid flow through a conduit and communicating a flow rate to a third party, comprising the steps of:
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detecting an amplitude of acoustic waves generated by fluid flow through said conduit; generating a signal representative of the detected amplitude; transmitting the signal representative of the detected amplitude to a monitoring device on a substantially continuous basis; processing the signal into digitized data representative of the measured amplitude; performing a computational analysis on the digitized data to determine the flow rate through said conduit based on the measured amplitude; and communicating the flow rate to said third party. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for estimating operational dynamics of a facility, comprising the steps of:
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positioning at least one monitoring device in proximity to and external to each of a number of selected conduits of the facility, each such monitoring device including at least one sound transducer for generating a signal representative of acoustic waves generated by the flow of an energy commodity through each selected conduit; each monitoring device receiving such signals on a substantially continuous basis and processing the signals into digitized data representative of the acoustic waves; processing the digitized data to determine a flow rate of the energy commodity through each selected conduit; estimating the operational dynamics of the facility based on the determined flow rates; and communicating information related to the operational dynamics of the facility to a third party. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method for estimating fluid flow through a conduit, comprising the steps of:
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positioning one or more sound transducers in proximity to and external to said conduit, each said sound transducer generating a signal representative of a measured amplitude of acoustic waves generated by the fluid flow through said conduit; monitoring actual fluid flow through the conduit; comparing the measured amplitudes to the actual fluid flow to develop a mathematical relationship between the measured amplitude and the actual fluid flow; and using the developed mathematical relationship for future estimates of fluid flow through the conduit or another conduit having similar physical characteristics.
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18. A method for providing information relating to fluid flow rate through a conduit to a remote third party in substantially real-time, comprising the steps of:
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positioning one or more sound transducers in proximity to and external to said conduit, each said sound transducer generating a signal representative of acoustic waves generated by the fluid flow through said conduit; collecting said signals from said one or more sound transducers on a substantially continuous basis; processing said signals to determine the flow rate through the conduit; and communicating information relating to the flow rate to said remote third party on a substantially real-time basis. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification