X-ray monitoring

• US 7,724,868 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morton, Edward James
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, COURTNEY D
• Application Number:
  US12/211,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 378/9, 378/10, 378 51- 59, 378/62
• US Class Current: 378/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/66 by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus for monitoring in real time the movement of a plurality of substances in a mixture, such as oil water and air flowing through a pipe comprises an X-ray scanner arranged to make a plurality of scans of the mixture over a monitoring period to produce a plurality of scan data sets, and control means arranged to analyze the data sets to identify volumes of each of the substances and to measure their movement. By identifying volumes of each of the substances in each of a number of layers and for each of a number of scans, real time analysis and imaging of the substance can be achieved.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring in real time the movement of a plurality of substances in a mixture, having at least one fluid layer, along an axis of flow within a first tube, the apparatus comprising:

an annular X-ray tube positioned radially outward from said first tube wherein said annular X-ray tube has a plurality of X-ray sources;

an annular sensor array radially positioned between said annular X-ray tube and said first tube wherein said annular sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors arranged in a plurality of rings, and

wherein said X-ray sources sequentially emit radiation and wherein each portion of said sensor array receives radiation from X-ray sources positioned furthest from said sensor array.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus produces a scan data set relating to said at least one fluid layer of the mixture.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a control means, wherein the control means determines a plurality of volume elements in said layer and uses a measure of X-ray attenuation in each of said volume elements to form the scan data set.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a control means, wherein the control means uses the scan data sets to determine an amount of at least one of the substances in said at least one fluid layer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the control means uses the scan data sets from each of the scans to determine a time averaged value of the amount of said at least one substance.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a control means, wherein the control means produces scan data sets relating to more than one layer of the mixture, wherein the layers are in different positions from each other.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the control means is arranged to use the scan data sets relating to said plurality of layers to measure movement of at least one of the substances.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the control means is arranged to track a movement of regions of said substance through the plurality of layers to determine a flow velocity of said substance.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control means, wherein the control means is used to measure a movement of a region of a first substance, to determine a measure of the buoyancy of said region relative to at least one other substance, and to measure a movement of said at least one other substance using the movement of said region.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control means, wherein the control means calculates a parameter of movement of the plurality of substances to produce a measured value of the parameter from the scan data sets.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control means used to determine a flow rate of at least one of the substances.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising display means for displaying an image of the mixture generated by the control means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control means, wherein the control means is used to analyze a scan data set in two stages, wherein a first stage provides a relatively lower spatial resolution and higher contrast resolution.