Ultrasound color flow imaging for oil field applications

• US 10,451,761 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Dotson, Adam R., Jamison, Dale E., McDaniel, Cato Russell, Ye, Xiangnan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowtin, Jewel V
• Application Number:
  US15/546,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20180024264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/08 Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/02 having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms F04B43/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/663 by measuring Doppler frequency shift
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/46 Data acquisition

Abstract

A system and method for rheology measurements. The system may comprise a conduit; an ultrasound transmitter positioned to direct ultrasound pulses into the conduit; an ultrasound receiver positioned to receive sound waves from the conduit; a pump fluidically coupled to the conduit; and a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the conduit. The method may comprise drawing a sample of a treatment fluid into the rheology measurement system; pressuring the sample of the treatment fluid; adjusting temperature of the treatment fluid; directing ultrasound pulses into the treatment fluid while the treatment fluid is flowing through the rheology measurement system; measuring sound waves reflected by the treatment fluid; and determining a velocity profile of the treatment fluid based at least on the measured sound waves.

Claims

1. A system for rheology measurements comprising:

a conduit;

an ultrasound transmitter positioned to direct ultrasound pulses into the conduit;

an ultrasound receiver positioned to receive sound waves from the conduit;

a pump fluidically coupled to the conduit;

a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the conduit; and

a flow straightening device disposed in the conduit.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are a single element.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are disposed on opposite sides of the conduit.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are disposed on the same side of the conduit.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the pump is a pulse dampened diaphragm pump.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a peltier device.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the flow straightening device comprises a plurality of vanes disposed in the conduit.

8. A system for rheology measurements comprising:

a conduit;

an ultrasound transmitter positioned to direct sound waves into the conduit;

an ultrasound receiver on an opposite side of the conduit from the ultrasound transmitter and positioned to receive sound waves from the conduit;

a pump fluidically coupled to the conduit;

a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the conduit; and

vanes disposed in the conduit.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the heat exchanger is a resistance band heater.

10. A method of operating a rheology measurement system comprising:

drawing a sample of a treatment fluid into the rheology measurement system;

pressuring the sample of the treatment fluid;

adjusting temperature of the treatment fluid;

directing ultrasound pulses into the treatment fluid while the treatment fluid is flowing through the rheology measurement system;

measuring sound waves reflected by the treatment fluid; and

determining a velocity profile of the treatment fluid based at least on the measured sound waves.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a solids-containing fluid.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of adjusting the temperature comprises heating the treatment fluid.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of adjusting the temperature comprises cooling the treatment fluid.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising straightening flow of the treatment fluid in the rheology measurement system.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the straightening flow comprising passing the treatment fluid through a plurality of vanes positioned in a conduit in the rheology measurement system.

16. A method according to claim 10, further comprising generating a color flow display of fluid flow in the rheology measurement system.

17. A method according to claim 10, further comprising generating a Doppler sonogram of fluid flow in the rheology measurement system.

18. A method according to claim 10, further comprising determining viscosity of the treatment fluid based at least on the determined velocity profile.

19. A method according to claim 10, further comprising adjusting concentration of one or more components of the treatment fluid based at least on the velocity profile and/or rheology of the treatment fluid.