SENSOR SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING AN INTERFACE LEVEL IN A MULTI-PHASE FLUID COMPOSITION

• US 20150233887A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BL Technologies Inc. (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: POTYRAILO, Radislav Alexandrovich, SURMAN, Cheryl Margaret, DIERINGER, Jon Albert
• Granted Patent: US 10,684,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/023 where the material is placed in the field of a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/026 Dielectric impedance spectroscopy electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for measuring corrosion G01N17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2823 raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures hydrocarbon content of earth materials G01N33/241; prospecting G01V; drilling per se E21B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2847 Water in oil basic sediment and water G01N33/2823; oil in water G01N33/1833

Abstract

A sensor includes a resonant transducer, the resonant transducer being configured to determine the composition of an emulsion or other dispersion. The resonant transducer has a sampling cell, a bottom winding disposed around the sampling cell, and a top winding disposed around the bottom winding. The composition of the dispersion is determined by measuring the complex impedance spectrum values of the mixture of the dispersion and applying multivariate data analysis to the values.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a resonant transducer, wherein the resonant transducer comprises;

a sampling cell;

a bottom winding disposed around the sampling cell; and

a top winding disposed around the bottom winding.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the top winding is at least half as long as the bottom winding.

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the sampling cell is an open tube.

4. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the top winding has a greater pitch than the bottom winding.

5. The sensor of claim 1 comprising a galvanic isolator between the top winding and the bottom winding.

6. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the top winding produces an electrical signal and senses an electrical signal created in the bottom winding.

7. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the top winding is connected to a data collection system and to a power supply.

8. A sensor comprising,

a sampling cell adapted to hold a stationary or flowing liquid;

a bottom winding disposed around the sampling cell; and

a top winding disposed around the bottom winding.

9. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the top winding is at least half as long as the bottom winding.

10. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the sampling cell is a tube.

11. The sensor of claim 10 wherein the tube is made of a galvanic isolating material.

12. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the top winding has a greater pitch than the bottom winding.

13. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the top winding has one tenth or few coils than the bottom winding.

14. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the bottom winding is floating.

15. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the top winding is connected to a power supply, a signal analyzer or both.

16. The sensor of claim 8 wherein the top winding and the bottom winding have baseline separation.

17. The sensor of claim 8 comprising a galvanic isolator between the top winding and the bottom winding.

18. The sensor of claim 8 comprising a spacer around the the top winding.

19. The sensor of claim 18 comprising a radio frequency absorber around the spacer.

20. The sensor of claim 19 comprising a metal shield around the radio frequency absorber and a cover around the metal shield.