Method and device to measure multiphase flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12050118-B2
Application number	US-202017424561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2020
Priority date	Jan 28, 2019
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method for measuring parameters of a liquid, where the method includes measuring pressure drops across a flow meter, measuring pressure upstream of the flow meter, and identifying at least one liquid parameter based, at least in part, on a correlation of a change in a multiphase flow parameter to pulse output. In an additional embodiment, a measuring apparatus for measuring parameters of a liquid, where the measuring apparatus includes an electronic control operable to measure pressure drops across the measuring apparatus, measure pressure upstream of the measuring apparatus, and correlate a change in a multiphase parameter to measured pulse output of the measuring apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for measuring parameters of a liquid using a multi-phase flow meter, the method comprising:
measuring pressure drops across the multi-phase flow meter, the multi-phase flow meter comprising:
a flow conduit;
a rotor positioned in the flow conduit, the rotor comprising a plurality of blades;
a first pressure sensor disposed upstream of the rotor;
a first temperature sensor disposed upstream of the rotor;
a second pressure sensor disposed downstream of the rotor;
a second temperature sensor disposed downstream of the rotor;
a pulse sensor disposed in the flow conduit proximate the plurality of blades;
a nozzle disposed positioned in the flow conduit upstream of the rotor; and
a control unit is electrically coupled to the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the pulse sensor, and the control unit is configured to determine a gas volume fraction from an output of the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the pulse sensor;

measuring pressure upstream of the multi-phase flow meter; and
identifying at least one fluid parameter based, at least in part, on a correlation of a change in a multiphase flow parameter to pulse output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid parameter is flow rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid parameter is gas volume fraction.

4. A measuring apparatus for measuring parameters of a liquid, the measuring apparatus comprising:
an electronic control unit operable to measure pressure drops across the measuring apparatus, measure pressure upstream of the measuring apparatus, correlate a change in a multiphase parameter to measured pulse output of the measuring apparatus, and to determine a gas volume fraction from an output of a first pressure sensor disposed upstream of the measuring apparatus, a second pressure sensor disposed downstream of the measuring apparatus, and a pulse sensor disposed in a flow conduit proximate to the measuring apparatus.

5. The measuring apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the measuring apparatus is a flow meter.

6. The measuring apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the flow meter comprises a flow conditioner.

7. The measuring apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the flow meter comprises a nozzle at an inlet of the flow meter.

8. The measuring apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the measuring apparatus is a pump.

9. The measuring apparatus of claim 4 , comprising a turbine operable to generate power for the electronic control via fluid flow through the measuring apparatus.

10. The measuring apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the measuring apparatus is an inline turbine.

11. A multi-phase flow meter comprising:
a flow conduit;
a rotor positioned in the flow conduit, the rotor comprising a plurality of blades;
a first pressure sensor disposed upstream of the rotor;
a first temperature sensor disposed upstream of the rotor;
a second pressure sensor disposed downstream of the rotor;
a second temperature sensor disposed downstream of the rotor;
a pulse sensor disposed in the flow conduit proximate the plurality of blades;
a nozzle disposed positioned in the flow conduit upstream of the rotor, and
wherein a control unit is electrically coupled to the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the pulse sensor, and the control unit is configured to determine a gas volume fraction from an output of the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the pulse sensor.

12. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 11 , wherein the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor measure a pressure drop across the rotor.

13. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 11 , wherein the pulse sensor measures a fluid pulse induced by the plurality of blades.

14. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 11 , comprising a generator coupled to the rotor.

15. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 14 , wherein the generator produces electrical power that is supplied to an electric load.

16. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 11 , wherein phase flow rates are calculated from the gas volume fraction.

17. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 11 , wherein the rotor is a pump.

18. The multi-phase flow meter of claim 11 , comprising a stator positioned upstream of the rotor.

Assignees

• Texas A & M Univ Sys

Inventors

• Patil Abhay R
• Morrison Gerald
• Vandervort Joshua A

Classifications

• G01F1/34

  by measuring pressure or differential pressure · CPC title

• G01F1/86

  Indirect mass flowmeters, e.g. measuring volume flow and density, temperature or pressure · CPC title

• G01F1/90

  with positive-displacement meter or turbine meter to determine the volume flow · CPC title

• G01F1/88

  with differential-pressure measurement to determine the volume flow · CPC title

• G01F1/115

  with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device · CPC title