Water-cut sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241059-B2
Application number	US-201715686747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2017
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Provided in some embodiments is a method of manufacturing a pipe conformable water-cut sensors system. Provided in some embodiments is method for manufacturing a water-cut sensor system that includes providing a helical T-resonator, a helical ground conductor, and a separator at an exterior of a cylindrical pipe. The helical T-resonator including a feed line, and a helical open shunt stub conductively coupled to the feed line. The helical ground conductor including a helical ground plane opposite the helical open shunt stub and a ground ring conductively coupled to the helical ground plane. The feed line overlapping at least a portion of the ground ring, and the separator disposed between the feed line and the portion of the ground ring overlapped by the feed line to electrically isolate the helical T-resonator from the helical ground conductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a water-cut sensor system, the method comprising:
forming, on an external surface of a cylindrical pipe, a helical T-resonator of a water-cut sensor, comprising:
disposing, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a feed line comprising a conductive material extending in a circumferential direction about the external surface of the cylindrical pipe; and
disposing, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a helical open shunt stub comprising a conductive material extending from the feed line in a spiral pattern along the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the helical open shunt stub being conductively coupled to the feed line;

forming, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a helical ground conductor of a water-cut sensor, comprising:
disposing, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a ground ring comprising a conductive material extending in a circumferential direction about the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the feed line overlapping the ground ring; and
disposing, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a helical ground plane comprising a conductive material extending from the ground ring in a spiral pattern along the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the helical ground plane being located opposite the helical open shunt stub, and the helical ground plane being conductively coupled to the ground ring; and

disposing a separator between the feed line and the ground ring, the separator being configured to electrically isolate the feed line from the ground ring to electrically isolate the helical T-resonator from the helical ground conductor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the helical open shunt stub has a length that is greater than a diameter of the cylindrical pipe.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the helical open shunt stub has a length that is between three and five times the diameter of the cylindrical pipe.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spiral pattern of the helical open shunt stub comprises a complete turn about the circumference of the cylindrical pipe such that the helical open shunt stub comprises a complete turn about the circumference of the cylindrical pipe.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spiral pattern of the helical ground plane comprises a complete turn about the circumference of the cylindrical pipe such that the helical open ground plane comprises a complete turn about the circumference of the cylindrical pipe.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed line has a length that is the same or greater than a width of the helical open shunt stub.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ground ring has a width that is the same or greater than a width of the feed line.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator has a width that is the same or greater than a width of the feed line, and a length that is the same or greater than a length of the feed line.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the helical ground plane has a width corresponding to an average of a first width associated with a minimum resonant frequency for oil and a second width associated with a minimum resonant frequency for water.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the helical T-resonator comprises a dual helical T-resonator, and forming the helical T-resonator further comprises:
disposing, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a second helical open shunt stub comprising a conductive material extending from the feed line in a direction opposite the helical open shunt stub and in a spiral pattern along the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the second helical open shunt stub being conductively coupled to the feed line, and

wherein the helical ground conductor comprises a dual helical ground conductor, and forming the helical T-resonator further comprises:
disposing, on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, a second helical ground plane comprising a conductive material extending from the ground ring in a direction opposite the helical ground plane and in a spiral pattern along the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the second helical ground plane being conductively coupled to the ground ring, and the second helical ground plane being located opposite the second helical open shunt stub.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the helical T-resonator comprises:
an input terminal located at a first end of the feed line, wherein the input terminal is configured to receive source signals from an external circuit; and
an output terminal located at a second end of the feed line, wherein the output terminal is configured to provide for sensing, by an external circuit, of response signals corresponding to the source signals.

12. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein a resonant frequency of the water-cut sensor is determined based on the source signals and the response signals, and
wherein a water-cut of fluid in the cylindrical pipe is determined based on the resonant frequency of the water-cut sensor.

13. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein disposing the helical open shunt stub on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe comprises:
disposing a first mask on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the first mask comprising a first opening at a first portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe for forming the helical open shunt stub; and
disposing a conductive material into the first opening to form the helical open shunt stub on the first portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe;

wherein disposing the helical ground plane on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe comprises:
disposing a second mask on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the second mask comprising a second opening at a second portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe for forming the helical ground plane; and
disposing a conductive material into the second opening to form the helical ground plane on the second portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe;

wherein disposing the ground ring on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe comprises:
disposing a third mask on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the third mask comprising a third opening at a third portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe for forming the ground ring; and
disposing a conductive material into the third opening to form the ground ring on the third portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe; and

wherein disposing the feed line on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe comprises:
disposing a fourth mask on the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, the fourth mask comprising a fourth opening at an external surface of the dielectric separator for forming the feed line of the helical T-resonator; and
disposing the fourth conductive material into the fourth opening to form the feed line on the external surface of the dielectric separator.

14. A method for manufacturing a water-cut sensor system, the method comprising:
disposing a first conductive material on a first portion of an external surface of a cylindrical pipe to form a helical open shunt stub of a helical T-resonator of a water-cut sensor, the helical open shunt stub extending in a spiral pattern along the external surface of the cylindrical pipe;
disposing a second conductive material on a second portion of the external surface of the cylindrical pipe to form a helical ground plane of a helical ground conductor of the water-cut sensor, the helical ground plane extending in a spiral pattern along the external surface of the cylindrical pipe, and the helic

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co
• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech
• King Abdullah Univ Of Science & Technology

Inventors

• Karimi Muhammad Akram
• Shamim Atif
• Arsalan Muhammad

Classifications

• G01N22/04 Primary

  Investigating moisture content · CPC title

• G01N33/2847

  Water in oils · CPC title

• G01N33/2823

  Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures · CPC title