Liquid NMR signal boost during NMR flow metering of wet gas flow using enhanced signal relaxation and/or dynamic nuclear polarisation using immobilised radicals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549836-B2
Application number	US-202117330783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2021
Priority date	May 26, 2021
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A multiphase flow metering device may have a conduit through which a multiphase fluid can flow and a structured packing insert positioned in the conduit. The structured packing insert may have a water-wet packing structure zone and/or an oil-wet packing structure zone. The multiphase flow metering device may also have a Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array positioned around the conduit, an RF coil, an electromagnet, an NMR console adapted to detect NMR signals from the multiphase fluid, and a control system configured to vary a polarization of the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array. The Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array may be positioned or positionable over one or both of the oil-wet and water-wet packing structure zones. In some embodiments, the structured packing insert may include immobilized radicals, providing for dynamic nuclear polarization of the multiphase fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiphase flow metering device comprising:
a conduit through which a multiphase fluid can flow;
a structured packing insert positioned in the conduit, the structured packing insert comprising at least one of a water-wet packing structure zone and an oil-wet packing structure zone;
a Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array positioned around the conduit;
an RF coil;
an electromagnet;
an NMR console adapted to detect NMR signals from the multiphase fluid; and
a control system configured to vary a position of the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array,
wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array is positioned or positionable over one or both of the oil-wet and water-wet packing structure zones.

2. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the multiphase fluid comprises two or more of an oil phase, a water phase, and a gas phase.

3. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the water wet packing structure comprises acid-treated borosilicate glass.

4. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the oil wet packing structure comprises siloxane.

5. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , comprising a distance between the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet and the RF coil, wherein the distance is from 0.4 to 2 meters.

6. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing array is configured to move along the conduit such that a distance between the Halbach pre-polarizing array and the RF coil is variable.

7. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing array is positioned at least partially around the water wet packing structure zone.

8. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing array is positioned at least partially around the oil wet packing structure zone.

9. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 1 , wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing array is positioned at least partially around the water wet packing structure zone and at least partially around the oil wet packing structure zone.

10. A multiphase flow metering device comprising:
a conduit through which a multiphase fluid can flow;
a Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array positioned around the conduit;
a structured packing insert positioned in the conduit, the structured packing insert comprising at least one of a water-wet packing structure zone and an oil-wet packing structure zone, the packing insert having a surface comprising immobilized radicals;
a first RF coil positioned around the structured packing insert;
a second RF coil;
an electromagnet;
an NMR console adapted to detect NMR signals from the multiphase fluid; and
a control system configured to vary a position of the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array.

11. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 10 , wherein the immobilized radicals are 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) nitroxide radicals.

12. The multiphase flow metering device of claim 10 , further comprising a second electromagnet positioned around the second RF coil.

13. A method of measuring multiphase flow comprising:
flowing a multiphase fluid through a conduit, wherein the conduit comprises a structured packing insert, the structured packing insert comprising a water-wet packing structure zone and an oil-wet packing structure zone;
contacting the structured packing insert with the multiphase fluid;
pre-polarizing the multiphase fluid via a Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array positioned around the conduit, wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array is positioned or positionable over one or both of the oil-wet and water-wet packing structure zones;
polarizing the multiphase fluid via an electromagnet positioned around the conduit and downstream from the structured packing insert;
applying a radio frequency to the multiphase fluid via an RF coil; and
detecting NMR signals from the multiphase fluid via an NMR console.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pre-polarizing step comprises varying a distance between the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet and the RF coil.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the distance is from 0.4 to 2 meters.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising varying a position of the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet with respect to the structured packing insert.

17. A method of measuring multiphase flow comprising:
flowing a multiphase fluid through a conduit, wherein the conduit comprises a structured packing insert positioned in the conduit, the structured packing insert comprising at least one of a water-wet packing structure zone and an oil-wet packing structure zone, the packing insert having a surface comprising immobilized radicals;
contacting the structured packing insert with the multiphase fluid;
pre-polarizing the multiphase fluid via a Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array positioned around the conduit, wherein the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet array is positioned or positionable over one or both of the oil-wet and water-wet packing structure zones;
concomitant with the contacting, generating dynamic nuclear polarization in the multiphase fluid via the immobilized radicals;
exciting the multiphase fluid via a radiofrequency of a first RF coil, the first RF coil positioned around the structured packing insert, and the radiofrequency corresponding to an energy of the dynamic nuclear polarization;
polarizing the multiphase fluid via an electromagnet;
applying a second radiofrequency via a second RF coil; and
detecting NMR signals from the multiphase fluid via an NMR console.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the pre-polarizing step comprises varying a distance between the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet and the first RF coil.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the distance is from 0.4 to 2 meters.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising varying a position of the Halbach pre-polarizing magnet with respect to the structured packing insert.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co
• Univ Western Australia

Inventors

• Johns Michael Leslie
• Zargar Masoumeh
• Fridjonsson Einar Orn
• Stanwix Paul
• Al-Jindan Jana M
• Noui-Mehidi Mohamed Nabil

Classifications

• G01F1/716 Primary

  using electron paramagnetic resonance [EPR] or nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] · CPC title