Systems and methods for deriving field prover base volume from master prover base volume

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11262228-B2
Application number	US-201916571627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2019
Priority date	Sep 16, 2019
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a base field prover volume of a field prover include connecting together a transfer meter assembly, a master prover, and the field prover in series. A flow of fluid at a first flow rate is provided and a calibration sequence is performed at the flow rate. The calibration sequence includes counting pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly over a duration of each pass of the master prover and a pass of the field prover. An intermediate calibrated field prover volume is determined from a ratio of the field prover pulse count to the average master prover pulse count, multiplied by a base master prover volume. The calibration sequence can be repeated to provide at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the first flow rate. The calibration sequence can be repeated at different flow rates to arrive at the base field prover volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining a base field prover volume of a field prover, the method including:
connecting together a transfer meter assembly, a master prover, and the field prover in fluid communication in series, where the transfer meter assembly includes two or more transfer meters;
providing a flow of fluid at a first flow rate through the transfer meter assembly, the master prover, and the field prover;
performing a calibration sequence at the first flow rate, the calibration sequence including:
counting pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly with a first pulse counter over a duration of each pass of two or more passes of the master prover;
determining an average master prover pulse count of the pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly over the duration of each pass of two or more passes of the master prover;
counting pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly with a second pulse counter over a duration of a pass of the field prover to determine a field prover pulse count; and
calculating an intermediate calibrated field prover volume from a ratio of the field prover pulse count to the average master prover pulse count, multiplied by a base master prover volume;

repeating the performing of the calibration sequence at the first flow rate at least three times and providing the intermediate calibrated field prover volume at the first flow rate for each of the calibration sequences to provide at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the first flow rate;
calculating a first calibrated field prover volume from an average of each of the at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the first flow rate;
performing the calibration sequence at a second flow rate, where a percentage difference between the second flow rate and the first flow rate is at least 25%;
repeating the performing of the calibration sequence at the second flow rate at least three times and providing the intermediate calibrated field prover volume at the second flow rate for each of the calibration sequences to provide at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the second flow rate;
calculating a second calibrated field prover volume from the average of each of the at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the second flow rate;
performing the calibration sequence at a third flow rate, where a percentage difference between the third flow rate and the second flow rate is at least 25%;
repeating the performing of the calibration sequence at the third flow rate at least three times and providing the intermediate calibrated field prover volume at the third flow rate for each of the calibration sequences to provide at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the third flow rate;
calculating a third calibrated field prover volume from the average of each of the at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the third flow rate;
determining a provisional field prover base volume from the average of the first calibrated field prover volume, the second calibrated field prover volume, and the third calibrated field prover volume; and
determining a field prover base volume from the provisional field prover base volume.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the calibration sequence further includes measuring a master prover temperature of the fluid at the master prover, measuring a master prover pressure of the fluid at the master prover, measuring a field prover temperature of the fluid at the field prover, and measuring a field prover pressure of the fluid at the field prover.

3. The method of claim 2 , where calculating the intermediate calibrated field prover volume includes adjusting the intermediate calculated field prover volume with the master prover temperature, the master prover pressure, the field prover temperature and the field prover pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , where:
counting pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly includes counting pulses generated by each of the transfer meters of the transfer meter assembly with the first pulse counter over the duration of each pass of two or more passes of the master prover;
determining the average master prover pulse count of the pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly includes determining a separate average master prover pulse count by each of the transfer meters of the transfer meter assembly over the duration of each pass of two or more passes of the master prover;
counting pulses generated by the transfer meter assembly with the second pulse counter includes counting pulses generated by each of the transfer meters of the transfer meter assembly with the second pulse counter over the duration of the pass of the field prover to determine a separate field prover pulse count from each of the transfer meters of the transfer meter assembly;
calculating the intermediate calibrated field prover volume includes calculating a separate intermediate calibrated field prover volume from each transfer meter of the transfer meter assembly from a ratio of the field prover pulse count to average master prover pulse count from such transfer meter, multiplied by the base master prover volume, so that a number of calculated intermediate calibrated field prover volumes is equal to a number of transfer meters of the transfer meter assembly;
calculating the first calibrated field prover volume includes calculating a separate first calibrated field prover volume from the average of each of the at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the first flow rate from each transfer meter of the transfer meter assembly;
calculating the second calibrated field prover volume includes calculating a separate second calibrated field prover volume from the average of each of the at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the second flow rate from each transfer meter of the transfer meter assembly;
calculating the third calibrated field prover volume includes calculating a separate third calibrated field prover volume from the average of each of the at least three intermediate calibrated field prover volumes at the third flow rate from each transfer meter of the transfer meter assembly;
determining the provisional field prover base volume includes determining a separate provisional field prover base volume from the average of the first calibrated field prover volume, the second calibrated field prover volume, and the third calibrated field prover volume from each transfer meter of the transfer meter assembly; and
determining the field prover base volume from the provisional field prover base volume includes determining the field prover base volume from the average of the provisional field prover base volume from each transfer meter of the transfer meter assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including before calculating the intermediate calibrated field prover volume, calculating a percentage difference in pulse counts from the transfer meter assembly by the first pulse counter to arrive at a repeatability transfer meter value and determining if the repeatability transfer meter value is within a required transfer meter repeatability tolerance.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including if the repeatability transfer meter value is outside of the required transfer meter repeatability tolerance for a flow rate, then repeating the performing of the calibration sequence at such flow rate.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including calculating a percentage difference in the intermediate calibrated field prover volume for consecutive calibration sequences to arrive at a repeatability intermediate value and determining if the repeatability intermediate value is within a req

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Bhatasana Chandulal N

Classifications

• G01F17/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies (measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B) · CPC title

• F02M65/001

  Measuring fuel delivery of a fuel injector · CPC title

• G01F25/10 Primary

  of flowmeters · CPC title

• G01F25/13

  using a reference counter · CPC title

• G01F25/17

  using calibrated reservoirs · CPC title