Combined water cut and salinity meter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794847-B2
Application number	US-201816104679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 28, 2011
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a flow meter and method for measuring water cut and salinity of a multiphase mixture. The water-cut meter includes a conduit configured to receive the multiphase mixture, and a probe array configured to measure a cross-sectional area of the conduit. The probe array includes a plurality of coaxial probes connected in parallel. Optionally, the probe array is configured to operate at a single high frequency, for example, 1 to 3 GHz, to minimize conductivity loss relative to capacitance. The flow meter further includes a processor configured to transmit a signal to the probe array and to receive a reflected signal from the probe array using a single channel. The processor is further configured to calculate the water cut and the salinity of the multiphase mixture based on a single complex permittivity of the multiphase mixture calculated from the received reflected signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow meter, comprising:
a conduit configured to receive a mixture;
a coaxial probe configured to operate at a dual frequency of excitation to minimize conductivity loss relative to capacitance, wherein the coaxial probe is configured to measure an average complex permittivity of the mixture from a first area in front of the coaxial probe at a first frequency and an average complex permittivity of the mixture from a second area in front of the coaxial probe at a second frequency, wherein the first area is smaller than the second area and the first frequency is greater than the second frequency; and
a processor configured to transmit a signal to the coaxial probe and to receive a reflected signal from the coaxial probe using a single channel,
wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of multiphase flow in the mixture based on the average complex permittivity measured at the first and second frequencies,
wherein the processor is configured to normalize the complex permittivity measured at the first and second frequencies with respect to systematic variance as a function of frequency.

2. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the presence of multiphase flow in the mixture by comparing the complex permittivity measured at the first and second frequencies.

3. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial probe is further configured to operate at frequencies ranging from 1 to 3 gigahertz.

4. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a propagation delay through the coaxial probe.

5. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the dual frequency operation of the coaxial probe comprises at least one of a low frequency modulation and a frequency demodulation to measure different areas of the mixture in front of the coaxial probe.

6. A flow meter, comprising:
a conduit configured to receive a mixture;
a coaxial probe configured to measure an average complex permittivity of the mixture by performing a frequency sweep of excitation of an area of the mixture to measure dispersion of the mixture as a function of frequency; and
a processor configured to transmit a signal to the coaxial probe and to receive a reflected signal from the coaxial probe using a single channel,
wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of multiphase flow in the mixture based on the average complex permittivity,
wherein the processor is configured to normalize the complex permittivity measured with respect to systematic variance as a function of frequency.

7. A method for detecting multiphase flow in a mixture, the method comprising:
receiving a mixture;
measuring, using a coaxial probe, an average complex permittivity of the mixture from a first area in front of the coaxial probe at a first frequency and an average complex permittivity of the mixture from a second area in front of the coaxial probe at a second frequency, wherein the first area is smaller than the second area and the first frequency is greater than the second frequency;
transmitting a signal to the coaxial probe;
receiving a reflected signal from the coaxial probe;
determining, using a processor, the presence of multiphase flow in the mixture based on the average complex permittivity measured at the first and second frequencies; and
normalizing, using the processor, the complex permittivity measured at the first and second frequencies with respect to systematic variance as a function of frequency,
wherein the signal is transmitted and the reflected signal is received using a single channel between the coaxial probe and the processor.

8. A method for detecting multiphase flow in a mixture, the method comprising: receiving a mixture;
measuring, using a coaxial probe, an average complex permittivity of the mixture by performing a frequency sweep of excitation of an area of the mixture to measure dispersion of the mixture as a function of frequency;
transmitting a signal to the coaxial probe;
receiving a reflected signal from the coaxial probe;
determining, using a processor, the presence of multiphase flow in the mixture based on the average complex permittivity; and
normalizing, using the processor, the complex permittivity measured with respect to systematic variance as a function of frequency,

wherein the signal is transmitted and the reflected signal is received using a single channel between the coaxial probe and the processor.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Black Michael John
• Noui-Mehidi Mohamed N

Classifications

• G01N33/2823 Primary

  Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures · CPC title

• G01N33/2847

  Water in oils · CPC title

• G01N33/18

  Water · CPC title

• G01N27/02 Primary

  by investigating impedance · CPC title

• G01N27/221

  by investigating the dielectric properties (using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26) · CPC title