Sub-sea chemical injection metering valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840885-B2
Application number	US-201514726523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2008
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus that includes a chemical injection management system. The chemical injection management system may include an interface configured to couple the chemical injection management system to a mineral extraction system. In addition, the chemical injection management system may include an ultrasonic flow meter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a chemical injection unit, comprising:
a housing;
a chemical inlet;
a chemical outlet;
a fluid path extending through the housing from the chemical inlet to the chemical outlet;
a non-invasive meter disposed along the fluid path, wherein the non-invasive meter comprises first and second transducers that are offset from one another by an offset distance, the first transducer is configured to transmit a first energy through the fluid path to the second transducer, and the second transducer is configured to transmit a second energy through the fluid path to the first transducer; and
a controller coupled to the non-invasive meter, wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to measure one or more parameters based on a comparison of a first transmission of the first energy from the first transducer to the second transducer and a second transmission of the second energy from the second transducer to the first transducer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a flow direction of fluid flow, a change in flow direction of fluid flow, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a flow rate of fluid flow, a velocity of fluid flow, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a density of fluid flow, a viscosity of fluid flow, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-invasive meter is bi-directionally configured to measure one or more parameters in a first flow direction through the fluid path and a second flow direction through the fluid path, and the first and second flow directions are opposite to one another.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second energies comprise thermal energy.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second energies comprise optical energy.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second energies comprise magnetic energy.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second energies comprise acoustic energy.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-invasive meter comprises an ultrasonic meter, the first energy comprises a first ultrasonic energy, and the second energy comprises a second ultrasonic energy.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-invasive meter comprises noise shielding disposed about the first and second transducers.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-invasive meter comprises a noise reduction feature configured to turn off one or more noise generating components during a measurement by the first and second transducers.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the comparison comprises a difference in transmission times of the first transmission versus the second transmission.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to measure the one or more parameters to identify a contaminant, a blockage, or a combination thereof, in a fluid flow.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transducers are disposed coaxial with an axis of the fluid path.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first transducer is disposed adjacent a first bend in the fluid path and the second transducer is disposed adjacent a second bend in the fluid path.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and transducers are acutely angled relative to an axis of the fluid path.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transducers are disposed circumferentially about the fluid path.

19. The system of claim 1 , comprising a valve disposed along the fluid path.

20. The system of claim 1 , comprising a tree interface coupled to the housing, wherein the tree interface comprises the chemical inlet, the chemical outlet, and a mechanical connector configured to couple the chemical injection unit to a tree of a mineral extraction system.

21. The system of claim 20 , comprising the tree of the mineral extraction system coupled to the chemical injection unit.

22. A system, comprising:
a unit, comprising:
a housing;
an interface coupled to the housing, wherein the interface comprises a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a mechanical connector configured to couple the unit to a mating interface;
a fluid path extending through the housing from the fluid inlet of the interface to the fluid outlet of the interface;
a valve disposed along the fluid path; and
a non-invasive meter disposed along the fluid path within the housing, wherein the non-invasive meter comprises first and second transducers that are offset from one another by an offset distance, and wherein the non-invasive meter comprises noise shielding disposed about the first and second transducers, or a noise reduction feature configured to turn off one or more noise generating components during a measurement by the first and second transducers, or both.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a density of fluid flow, a viscosity of fluid flow, or a combination thereof, wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a flow direction of fluid flow, a change in flow direction of fluid flow, or a combination thereof, and wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a flow rate of fluid flow, a velocity of fluid flow, or a combination thereof.

24. A system, comprising:
a unit, comprising:
a housing;
a fluid inlet;
a fluid outlet;
a fluid path extending through the housing from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
a non-invasive meter disposed along the fluid path within the housing, wherein the non-invasive meter comprises first and second transducers that are offset from one another by an offset distance, the first transducer is configured to transmit a first energy through the fluid path to the second transducer, and the second transducer is configured to transmit a second energy through the fluid path to the first transducer; and
a controller coupled to the non-invasive meter, wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to measure one or more parameters based on a comparison of a first transmission of the first energy from the first transducer to the second transducer and a second transmission of the second energy from the second transducer to the first transducer.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a density of fluid flow, a viscosity of fluid flow, or a combination thereof, wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a flow direction of fluid flow, a change in flow direction of fluid flow, or a combination thereof, and wherein the non-invasive meter is configured to determine a flow rate of fluid flow, a velocity of fluid flow, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Mchugh Edmund Peter
• White James Eden
• Augenstein Donald R
• Mihalcin Matthew

Classifications

• G01F15/005

  Valves (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• G01F15/06

  Indicating or recording devices · CPC title

• E21B41/02 Primary

  in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells · CPC title

• E21B33/076 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater installations · CPC title

• C02F1/008

  Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F · CPC title