Apparatus and method for sampling solids in pipeline fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10845273-B2
Application number	US-201815986393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for sampling solid particles in fluid flowing through a pipeline. In one or more embodiments, a pipeline pig having at least one bypass channel and at least one filter located within the bypass channel is configured to collect solid particles within the fluid of predetermined minimum size. Additional filters of varying mesh size may be included. In other embodiments, at least one valve may be used to adjust the fluid flow through the bypass channel, and a flow metering device may be configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the bypass channel. In other embodiments, a bypass control device may be configured to control the valve to regulate fluid flow rate and fluid access into the bypass channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for sampling solid particles in a fluid flowing through a pipeline comprising:
a pipeline pig having at least one bypass channel permitting fluid flow therethrough;
a first filter located within the bypass channel and configured to collect solid particles of predetermined minimum size; and
at least one valve configured to adjust the fluid flow through the bypass channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve is located near an outlet of the bypass channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass control device configured to control the at least one valve to regulate fluid flow through the bypass channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first filter has an average mesh size of at least 30 μm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional filters located within the bypass channel and upstream of the first filter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the one or more additional filters have larger mesh size than the first filter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first filter is made of at least one of a metal, a polymer, a composite, an organic fiber, or an inorganic fiber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flow metering device configured to measure a flow rate of fluid flowing through the bypass channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the flow metering device comprises a differential pressure measurement device, an orifice flow meter, a venturi flow meter, or a turbine flow meter.

10. A method of sampling solid particles in a fluid flowing through a pipeline comprising:
inserting into the pipeline a pipeline pig comprising at least one bypass channel and a first filter located within the bypass channel;
passing a portion of the fluid from the pipeline through the bypass channel of the pipeline pig;
adjusting the fluid flow through the bypass channel using at least one valve that is located in the bypass channel of the pipeline pig; and
using the first filter to accumulate a sample of the solid particles of a predetermined minimum size within the bypass channel of the pipeline pig.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
extracting the pipeline pig from the pipeline; and
collecting the solid particles accumulated within the bypass channel.

12. The method of claim 10 , further including adjusting the fluid flow through the bypass channel using the valve to achieve a speed reduction of the pipeline pig between 5 and 15% of the speed of the flow of the fluid in the pipeline.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
controlling the valve using a bypass control device to regulate fluid flow through the bypass channel.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
using one or more additional filters located within the bypass channel and upstream of the first filter to accumulate solid particles of a minimum size that is larger than the minimum size of the solid particles accumulated using the first filter.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
calculating a concentration of solids in the pipeline fluid based on at least one of mass, weight, or volume of collected solids and a total fluid flow passed through the bypass channel.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
calculating the total fluid flow passed through the bypass channel based on a flow rate of fluid flowing through the bypass channel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the flow rate of fluid flowing through the bypass channel is measured directly using at least one of differential pressure measurement, orifice flow meter, venture flow meter, or turbine flow meter.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
regulating access of fluid into the bypass channel using a bypass control device.

Assignees

• Lagus Todd Peter
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Lagus Todd Peter

Classifications

• G01N2001/4088

  filtration · CPC title

• G01N2001/1025

  Liquid suspensions; Slurries; Mud; Sludge · CPC title

• G01N2001/205

  using a valve · CPC title

• G01F1/74

  Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid · CPC title

• G01N1/2035 Primary

  by deviating part of a fluid stream, e.g. by drawing-off or tapping · CPC title