Measuring properties of a multiphase mixture flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9645130-B2
Application number	US-201313968145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2013
Priority date	Apr 29, 2010
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

Properties of a multiphase mixture flow are measured in a blind-tee. The measured properties include the permittivity and/or the conductivity of the multiphase mixture flowing through a conduit. The permittivity and/or conductivity are measured at liquid-rich region(s) in a blind-tee section of the conduit and are used to determine properties of a liquid phase of the multiphase fluid flow, including one of the water conductivity, water in liquid ratio and water volume fraction. One or more electromagnetic sensors may be used in the blind-tee to measure the permittivity and/or conductivity. The sensors may be in contact with the multiphase flow or be disposed behind a dielectric window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for determining water volume fraction, water-in-liquid ratio and/or water conductivity of a multiphase mixture, comprising:
a blind-tee comprising an inlet, a horizontal conduit, an end section, an outlet and a vertical conduit, wherein:
the horizontal conduit comprises a first end and a second end and a top section and a bottom section;
the inlet is disposed at the first end of the horizontal conduit;
the inlet and the horizontal conduit are configured in use to provide a substantially horizontal flow path for the multiphase mixture flowing into the blind-tee through the inlet and along the horizontal conduit;
the top section comprises the portion of the horizontal conduit above an imaginary horizontal plane running through the middle of the conduit;
the bottom section comprises the portion of the horizontal conduit below the imaginary horizontal plane running through the middle of the conduit;
the vertical conduit joins the horizontal conduit at an opening intermediately between the first end and the second end of the horizontal conduit and the vertical conduit is configured such that it is orthogonal to the imaginary horizontal plane such that in use the multiphase mixture flows through the opening in the horizontal conduit, vertically through the vertical conduit and out of the outlet; and
the end section is disposed at the second end of the horizontal conduit; and

at least one electromagnetic sensor coupled with the bottom section and/or the end section of the horizontal conduit where a liquid rich region forms below the imaginary horizontal plane running through the middle of the conduit and configured to measure rapidly at least one value of an amplitude-attenuation, a phase-shift, a conductivity and a permittivity of the multiphase mixture,
wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor transmits and/or receives signals at one or more frequencies in the radio frequency and/or microwave frequency spectrum; and

a processor in communication with the at least one electromagnetic sensor and configured to process at least one of a water volume fraction, a water-in-liquid ratio and a water conductivity of the multiphase mixture from the at least one value of measured amplitude-attenuation, measured phase-shift, measured conductivity and measured permittivity of the multiphase mixture.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor is coupled with the second end of the horizontal conduit below the imaginary horizontal plane running through the middle of the horizontal conduit.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor is disposed between the opening at which the vertical conduit joins the horizontal conduit and the second end of the horizontal conduit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor is disposed appurtenant to the opening at which the vertical conduit joins the horizontal conduit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vertical conduit extends vertically downwards from the horizontal conduit.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor is disposed appurtenant to and upstream of the opening at which the vertical conduit joins the horizontal conduit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor is disposed substantially flush with an interior wall of the horizontal conduit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor comprises at least one electromagnetic transducer operating in the microwave frequency range.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor comprises at least one of an open-ended coaxial probe antenna and a magnetic dipole antenna.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor comprises a plug comprising a first electromagnetic transmitter, a second electromagnetic transmitter, a first electromagnetic receiver and a second electromagnetic receiver.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first electromagnetic transmitter and the first electromagnetic receiver are separated by a first distance, the first electromagnetic transmitter and the second electromagnetic receiver are separated by a second distance, the first electromagnetic receiver and the second electromagnetic transmitter are separated by a distance substantially equal to the second distance and the second electromagnetic transmitter and the second electromagnetic receiver are separated by a distance substantially equal to the first distance, and wherein the first and second distances are substantially different.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor comprises at least one magnetic dipole antenna covered by a dielectric window.

13. A method for determining water volume fraction, water-in-liquid ratio and/or water conductivity of a multiphase mixture, comprising:
flowing the multiphase mixture through a blind-tee comprising an inlet, a horizontal conduit comprising an upper section above a midpoint of the horizontal conduit and a lower section below the midpoint, an end section, a vertical conduit, an opening between the horizontal and the vertical conduits and an outlet, wherein the multiphase mixture is flowed: through the inlet, horizontally through the horizontal conduit, through the opening into the vertical conduit and vertically out of the vertical conduit through the outlet, whereby there is a liquid rich region in the lower section of the horizontal conduit;
using an electromagnetic system to emit an electromagnetic signal into the multiphase mixture in the horizontal conduit and at least one of measure or receive an output electromagnetic signal, wherein the output electromagnetic signal comprises the emitted electromagnetic signal transmitted through at least a portion of the liquid rich region of the multiphase mixture in the lower section of the horizontal conduit;
wherein the emitted electromagnetic signal and the output electromagnetic signal are at one or more frequencies in the radio frequency and/or microwave frequency spectrum; and
processing properties of the multiphase mixture from the output electromagnetic signal to determine water volume fraction, water-in-liquid ratio and/or water conductivity of a multiphase mixture.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic system is configured to emit the electromagnetic signal into the multiphase mixture at a location which is at least one of a first location in the lower section of the horizontal conduit at the end section, a second location in the lower section of the horizontal conduit between the opening and the end section, a third location in the lower section of the horizontal conduit proximal to the opening, and a fourth location in the lower section of the horizontal conduit below the opening.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the emitted electromagnetic signal is emitted through a dielectric window.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic system comprises a transceiver.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic system comprises at least one electromagnetic transmitter and at least one electromagnetic receiver.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic system comprises a plug comprising a plurality of electromagnetic transmitters and a plurality of electromagnetic receivers.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic transmitters and the plurality of electromagneti

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Xie Cheng-Gang
• Hizem Mehdi
• Rustad Rolf

Classifications

• G01N33/2823 Primary

  Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures · CPC title

• G01N22/00 Primary

  Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more (G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R27/08

  Measuring resistance by measuring both voltage and current · CPC title

• G01R27/14

  Measuring resistance by measuring current or voltage obtained from a reference source (G01R27/16, G01R27/20, G01R27/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R27/02

  Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant (by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00) · CPC title