Annulus vortex flowmeter
First Claim
1. A well system, comprising:
- a flowmeter which measures, within an annulus external to a tubular string, a rate of flow of fluid through the annulus,the flowmeter including;
at least one vortex shedding device,at least one vortex responsive structure which vibrates in response to vortices produced by the vortex shedding device, andat least one sensor which senses vibration of the structure and in response produces a signal indicative of the rate of flow of the fluid through the annulus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An annulus vortex flowmeter for use in conjunction with a subterranean well. A flowmeter includes a housing, a vortex responsive structure which vibrates in response to vortices produced external to the housing and a sensor which senses vibration of the structure and produces a signal indicative of a flow rate. A method of measuring fluid flow rate between a tubular string and a zone intersected by a wellbore includes utilizing a flowmeter having a vortex shedding device external to a housing for interconnection in the tubular string, the flowmeter including a vortex responsive structure which vibrates in response to vortices produced by the vortex shedding device as the fluid flows through an annulus external to the housing, and a sensor which senses vibration of the structure and produces a signal indicative of the rate of flow of the fluid; and determining the flow rate based on the sensor signal.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A well system, comprising:
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a flowmeter which measures, within an annulus external to a tubular string, a rate of flow of fluid through the annulus, the flowmeter including; at least one vortex shedding device, at least one vortex responsive structure which vibrates in response to vortices produced by the vortex shedding device, and at least one sensor which senses vibration of the structure and in response produces a signal indicative of the rate of flow of the fluid through the annulus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of measuring a rate of flow of fluid between a tubular string and a zone intersected by a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
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utilizing a flowmeter which includes a generally tublar housing and a vortex shedding device positioned external to the housing, the flowmeter further including a vortex responsive structure which vibrates in response to vortices produced by the vortex shedding device as the fluid flows through an annulus external to the housing, and a sensor which senses vibration of the structure and in response produces a signal indicative of the rate of flow of the fluid; and determining the rate of flow of the fluid in the annulus based on the signal produced by the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A flowmeter for measuring a rate of fluid flow in a subterranean well, the flowmeter comprising:
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a generally tubular housing having an unobstructed central flow passage; at least one vortex responsive structure which vibrates in response to vortices produced external to the housing; and at least one sensor which senses vibration of the structure and in response produces a signal indicative of the rate of fluid flow. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification