Method for calibrating a device for measuring phase fractions of polyphase fluid under flow conditions, measuring method, and related device

• US 9,062,995 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geoservices Equipements (SLB), Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Pierre-Yves, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Ruihua
• Application Number:
  US13/133,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 702/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/44 Venturi tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/58 by electromagnetic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/64 by measuring electrical currents passing through the fluid flow; measuring electrical potential generated by the fluid flow, e.g. by electrochemical, contact or friction effects G01F1/58 takes precedence
• 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 1/661 using light
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/08 Air or gas separators in combination with liquid meters; Liquid separators in combination with gas-meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters

Abstract

This method comprises taking a first pressurized gaseous phase sample in a flow channel and transferring the first sample in the measuring channel. It comprises activating a second sensor to collect a first piece of information representative of the first pressurized sample. The method comprising taking a second pressurized liquid phase sample, transferring the second sample in the measuring channel and activating the second sensor a second piece of information representative of the second pressurized sample. The method comprises the computation of at least one calibration coefficient connecting the property to the or each piece of information received from the sensor, based on the first piece of information and the second piece of information.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating, under flow conditions, a device for measuring at least one property of a pressurized polyphase fluid circulating in a pipe, the property being computed using at least one piece of information received from a first sensor placed opposite the fluid circulating in the pipe, the polyphase fluid comprising at least one liquid phase and a gaseous phase, the method comprising:

circulating the pressurized polyphase fluid through a flow channel connected to the pipe;

connecting a measuring channel to the flow channel via a valve manifold, the measuring channel being provided with a second sensor delivering at least one piece of information similar to that delivered by the first sensor;

taking a first sample of pressurized gaseous phase from the flow channel and transferring the first sample of pressurized gaseous phase to the measuring channel through the valve manifold;

activating the second sensor to collect a first piece of information representative of the first sample of pressurized gaseous phase present in the measuring channel;

taking at least one second sample of pressurized liquid phase from the flow channel and transferring the second pressurized sample to the measuring channel through the valve manifold;

activating the second sensor to collect at least one second piece of information representative of the at least one second sample of pressurized liquid phase present in the measuring channel opposite the second sensor;

computing at least one calibration coefficient connecting the property to the at least one piece of information received from the first sensor, based on the first piece of information and the at least one second piece of information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyphase fluid comprises an aqueous liquid phase and an oily liquid phase, and wherein activating the second sensor comprises the successive passage of the oily liquid phase and the aqueous liquid phase opposite the second sensor to successively collect a second piece of information representative of the oily liquid phase and a second piece of information representative of the aqueous liquid phase.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

taking a second unique liquid phase sample comprising the oily liquid phase and the aqueous liquid phase, and the sedimentation in a vertical part of the measuring channel of the oily liquid phase above the aqueous liquid phase.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

when the second sensor is activated, implementing a stability test on the value of the signal received from the second sensor to determine whether the signal received from the second signal is stable, and collecting each second piece of representative information when the signal received from the second sensor is stable.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring channel is permanently connected to the flow channel, the connecting being carried out before making the polyphase fluid circulate in the flow channel.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring channel is removably mounted to the flow channel, the connection of the measuring channel being done after making the polyphase fluid circulate in the flow channel.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measured property is chosen among the individual section of the gaseous phase and of the liquid phase in the pipe, and the individual density of each phase, the first sensor being chosen among a receiver for receiving gamma photons emitted by a gamma ray source, a receiver for receiving an electromagnetic signal emitted by an electromagnetic radiation source with a frequency below 60 GHz, an impedance measurement sensor, a microwave measurement sensor, and an optical measurement sensor.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling one or more valves of the valve manifold to make it possible, without stopping the continuous flow of the polyphase fluid in the flow channel, to take the pressurized liquid phase sample, and to make it possible, without stopping the continuous flow of polyphase fluid in the flow channel, to take a pressurized gaseous phase sample.

9. A process for measuring at least one property of a polyphase fluid continuously circulating in a pipe, the property being computed using at least one piece of information received from a first sensor placed opposite the fluid circulating in the pipe, the polyphase fluid comprising at least one liquid phase and a gaseous phase, the process comprising:

calibrating the measurement by carrying out a calibration method, the calibration method comprising;

circulating a pressurized polyphase fluid continuously through a flow channel connected to the pipe;

connecting a measuring channel to the flow channel via a valve manifold, the measuring channel being provided with a second sensor delivering at least one piece of information similar to that delivered by the first sensor;

taking a first sample of pressurized gaseous phase from the flow channel and transferring the first sample of pressurized gaseous phase to the measuring channel through the valve manifold;

activating the second sensor to collect a first piece of information representative of the first sample of pressurized gaseous phase present in the measuring channel;

taking at least one second sample of pressurized liquid phase from the flow channel and transferring the second pressurized sample to the measuring channel through the valve manifold;

activating the second sensor to collect at least one second piece of information representative of the at least one second sample of pressurized liquid phase present in the measuring channel opposite the second sensor;

computing at least one calibration coefficient connecting the property to the at least one piece of information received from the first sensor, based on the first piece of information and the at least one second piece of information; and

continuously measuring the property comprising;

activating the first sensor to collect a piece of information representative of the polyphase fluid circulating in the pipe; and

computing the measured parameter based on at least one piece of representative information received from the first sensor and at least one calibration coefficient determined during the calibration step.

10. A device for measuring at least one property of a pressurized polyphase fluid continuously circulating in a pipe, the polyphase fluid comprising at least one liquid phase and at least one gaseous phase, the device comprising:

a measuring assembly, the measuring assembly comprising;

a section of the pipe having a first sensor capable of interacting with the fluid circulating in the section of the pipe to create at least one piece of information; and

a means for computing the at least one property from the information received from the first sensor; and

a calibration assembly, the calibration assembly comprising;

a flow channel connected to the pipe to allow the continuous circulation of at least part of the polyphase fluid circulating in the pipe during a calibration step;

a measuring channel separate from the flow channel, the measuring channel having a second sensor delivering at least one piece of information similar to that delivered by the first sensor; and

a valve manifold connecting the measuring channel to the flow channel, the valve manifold comprising;

at least one pressurized transport channel for flowing a first sample of pressurized gaseous phase from the flow channel to the measuring channel, the at least one pressurized transport channel connecting the measuring channel to a gaseous phase collection point in the flow channel; and

at least one transport channel for transporting a second sample of pressurized liquid phase from the flow channel to the measuring channel, the at least one transport channel connecting the measuring channel to a liquid phase collection point on the flow channel.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the flow channel is formed by means of the section of the pipe having the first sensor, and the measuring channel is formed by means of a bypass of the pipe, the second sensor being separate from the first sensor.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the measuring channel is removably mounted on the flow channel via the valve manifold.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the second sensor is made up of the first sensor the measuring channel being formed by means of the section of the pipe provided with the first sensor, and the flow channel being formed by a bypass of the pipe bled upstream and downstream of the measuring channel.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein the pipe defines a first venturi opposite the first sensor, the measuring channel defining a second venturi opposite the second sensor.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein the valves of the valve manifold are capable of being controlled to make it possible, without stopping the continuous flow of polyphase fluid in the flow channel, to take a pressurized gaseous phase sample and transport it towards the measuring channel and to make it possible, without stopping the continuous flow of polyphase fluid in the flow channel, to take a pressurized liquid phase sample and transport it towards the measuring channel.