Carbon dioxide multiphase flow measurement based on dielectric permittivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480792-B2
Application number	US-202218063158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2022
Priority date	Nov 8, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining mass flow rate of a CO2 rich stream using dielectric permittivity are described. A method herein measures a dielectric permittivity of a CO2 rich stream; determines a density of the CO2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity; determines a viscosity of the CO2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity; measures a pressure drop of the CO2 rich stream flowing through a flow restriction; and determines mass flow rate of the CO2 rich stream using the measured pressure drop, the determined density, and the determined viscosity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for a flow measurement device, comprising:
restricting a flow of a CO 2 rich stream flowing in a flow pathway of the flow measurement device using a flow restriction in the flow pathway of the flow measurement device; disposing a first microwave transmitter-receiver pair respectively opposing each other across the flow pathway on an interior surface along a first diameter of the flow pathway at an outlet side of the flow restriction in the flow pathway of the flow measurement device; disposing a second microwave transmitter-receiver pair respectively opposing each other across the flow pathway on the interior surface of the flow pathway along a second diameter of the flow pathway, the second diameter intersecting the first diameter; disposing a differential pressure instrument across the flow restriction in the flow pathway of the flow measurement device; measuring, by the first microwave transmitter-receiver pair and the second microwave transmitter-receiver pair, a dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream flowing in the flow pathway of the flow measurement device; determining, by the flow measurement device, a density of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity; determining, by the flow measurement device, a viscosity of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity; measuring, by the differential pressure instrument across the flow restriction in the flow pathway, a pressure drop of the CO 2 rich stream flowing through the flow restriction; and determining, by the flow measurement device, a mass flow rate of the CO 2 rich stream using the measured pressure drop, the determined density, and the determined viscosity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring, by the flow measurement device, a dielectric permittivity at the interior surface of the flow pathway; detecting, by a microwave reflection sensor disposed at an inlet side of the flow restriction on the interior surface of the flow pathway of the flow measurement device, a presence and a salinity of a free water at the interior surface; resolving, by the flow measurement device, a volumetric fraction of the free water; and ascertaining, by the flow measurement device, a dielectric permittivity of a water-free portion of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream and the free water volumetric fraction.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
disposing a temperature sensor on the interior surface of the flow pathway of the flow measurement device; measuring, by the temperature sensor, a temperature of the CO 2 rich stream; and determining a permittivity of the free water volumetric fraction from the measured dielectric permittivity and temperature of the CO 2 rich stream.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring, by the flow measurement device, a dielectric permittivity across the flow pathway; detecting, by the flow measurement device, a dispersed water volumetric fraction; and ascertaining, by the flow measurement device, a dielectric permittivity of a water-free portion of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream and the dispersed water volumetric fraction.

5 . A flow measurement device, comprising:
a flow pathway including an interior surface; a flow restriction in the flow pathway, the flow restriction being configured to restrict a flow of a CO 2 rich stream flowing in the flow pathway; a first microwave transmitter-receiver pair respectively opposing each other across the flow pathway on an interior surface along a first diameter of the flow pathway at an outlet side of the flow restriction in the flow pathway of the flow measurement device, the first microwave transmitter-receiver pair being configured to measure a dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream flowing in the flow pathway; a second microwave transmitter-receiver pair respectively opposing each other across the flow pathway on the interior surface of the flow pathway along a second diameter of the flow pathway, the second microwave transmitter-receiver pair being configured to measure the dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream flowing in the flow pathway, the second diameter intersecting the first diameter; a differential pressure instrument disposed across the flow restriction in the flow pathway, the differential pressure instrument being configured to measure a pressure drop, across the flow restriction, of the CO 2 rich stream flowing through the flow restriction; and a digital processing system configured to:
determine a density of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity;
determine a viscosity of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity; and
determine a mass flow rate of the CO 2 rich stream using the measured pressure drop, the determined density, and the determined viscosity.

6 . The flow measurement device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a microwave reflection sensor disposed at an inlet side of the flow restriction on the interior surface of the flow pathway of the flow measurement device, the microwave reflection sensor being configured to detect a presence and a salinity of a free water at the interior surface, wherein the first microwave transmitter-receiver pair is further configured to measure a dielectric permittivity at the interior surface of the flow pathway, and wherein the digital processing system is further configured to:
resolve a volumetric fraction of the free water, and
ascertain a dielectric permittivity of a water-free portion of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream and the free water volumetric fraction.

7 . The flow measurement device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor disposed on the interior surface of the flow pathway, the temperature sensor being configured to measure a temperature of the CO 2 rich stream; and the digital processing system is further configured to determine a permittivity of the free water volumetric fraction from the measured dielectric permittivity and temperature of the CO 2 rich stream.

8 . The flow measurement device of claim 5 , wherein:
the first microwave transmitter-receiver pair is further configured to measure a dielectric permittivity across the flow pathway; and the digital processing system is further configured to:
detect a dispersed water volumetric fraction; and
ascertain a dielectric permittivity of a water-free portion of the CO 2 rich stream from the measured dielectric permittivity of the CO 2 rich stream and the dispersed water volumetric fraction.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Xie Cheng-Gang

Classifications

• G01F1/206

  Measuring pressure, force or momentum of a fluid flow which is forced to change its direction · 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

• G01F1/44

  Venturi tubes · CPC title

• G01F1/66

  by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters · CPC title

• G01F1/363 Primary

  with electrical or electro-mechanical indication (G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence) · CPC title