In-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845672-B2
Application number	US-201514772308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2015
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

An in-situ and on-line acoustic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at a seafloor includes a seepage tent and a flow measuring channel. The flow measuring channel includes a lower bubble breaking channel, an ultrasonic transducer measuring channel and an upper bubble breaking channel. The lower bubble breaking channel communicates with the seepage tent provided with bubble breaking grids. Lower and upper bubble breaking devices, arranged in a bubble rising direction, are respectively mounted in the lower and upper bubble breaking channels. One side of the ultrasonic transducer measuring channel is fixedly connected with an acoustic wave demultiplexer, and the other side is fixedly connected with flat receiving transducers receiving transmitting acoustic waves generated by an acoustic wave branching unit. Acoustic wave probes, also used for receiving the transmitting acoustic waves generated by the acoustic wave demultiplexer, are arranged in the ultrasonic transducer measuring channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at hydrocarbon seeps at a seafloor, comprising a seep tent and a flow measuring channel,
the flow measuring channel comprising a lower bubble breaking channel, an ultrasonic transducer measuring channel, and an upper bubble breaking channel which are arranged from bottom to top successively and are in communication with each other,
the lower bubble breaking channel is communicated with the seep tent provided with bubble breaking grids,
a lower bubble breaking device and an upper bubble breaking device which are arranged in a bubble rising direction are respectively mounted in the lower bubble breaking channel and the upper bubble breaking channel,
one side of the ultrasonic transducer measuring channel is fixedly connected with an acoustic wave demultiplexer, and another side of the ultrasonic transducer measuring channel is fixedly connected with flat receiving transducers used for receiving transmitting acoustic waves generated by the acoustic wave demultiplexer, and
acoustic wave probes also used for receiving the transmitting acoustic waves generated by the acoustic wave demultiplexer are arranged in the ultrasonic transducer measuring channel.

2. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 1 , wherein the flow measuring channel is formed by rings,
the rings comprise a first ring for forming the lower bubble breaking channel, a second ring for forming the ultrasonic transducer measuring channel, a third ring for forming the upper bubble breaking channel and a fourth ring fixedly connected with the seep tent,
the first ring, the second ring, the third ring and the fourth ring are fixed to one another by a connecting shaft, and
the acoustic wave demultiplexer, the flat receiving transducers and the acoustic wave probes are all fixed on the second ring.

3. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 2 , wherein the second ring comprises a second ring I and a second ring II, and a bubble isolating plate is arranged between the second ring I and the second ring II.

4. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 2 , wherein a sleeve used for protecting the connecting shaft is sleeved outside the connecting shaft.

5. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 4 , wherein the upper end of the connecting shaft is fixedly connected with a reinforcing cross rod.

6. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 3 , wherein the acoustic wave demultiplexer comprises an acoustic wave demultiplexer body, a fixed seat acoustic transmission section, a flat acoustic wave transmitting transducer, a fixed seat and a sealing joint,
the acoustic wave demultiplexer body comprises an end and two acoustic wave branching mechanisms integrally formed with one side of the end,
the structures of the at least two acoustic wave branching mechanisms are identical,
a first acoustic wave reflecting plate is arranged on each acoustic wave branching mechanism,
a second acoustic wave reflecting plate is arranged between the two acoustic wave branching mechanisms,
two ends of the fixed seat acoustic transmission section are fixedly connected with the other side of the end and one side of the fixed seat respectively,
the flat acoustic wave transmitting transducer is arranged on the end face of the fixed seat acoustic transmission section and located within a sealed cavity formed in the fixed seat,
the sealing joint is fixedly connected to the other side of the fixed seat, and
a driving cable connected with the flat acoustic wave transmitting transducer is connected with an external signal source through the sealing joint.

7. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 6 , wherein the two acoustic wave branching mechanisms are respectively fixed on the second ring I and the second ring II,
the number of the flat receiving transducers is two,
the two flat receiving transducers are respectively sealed in a first flat receiving transducer fixing seat fixed to the second ring I and a second flat receiving transducer fixing seat fixed to the second ring II, and
the two flat receiving transducers correspond to the two acoustic wave branching mechanisms.

8. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 3 , wherein the number of the acoustic wave probes is four, and the four acoustic wave probes are arranged in pairs and respectively fixed on the second ring I and the second ring II through acoustic wave probe fixing seats.

9. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 1 , wherein the lower bubble breaking device comprises a support assembly, a power transmission and bubble breaking assembly and a cellular core plate,
the support assembly comprises a lower support, a supporting plate, a cellular core plate mounting plate and an upper support which are arranged from bottom to top successively,
the power transmission and bubble breaking assembly comprises a supporting ring, an impeller shaft, an impeller and a bubble cutter,
the cellular core plate is mounted in the cellular core plate mounting plate,
the supporting plate is fixed on the outer side of the supporting ring,
the impeller shaft runs through the supporting ring,
the impeller fixedly connected with the lower end of the impeller shaft is located within a lower center perforation formed in the lower support,
the bubble cutter fixedly connected with the upper end of the impeller shaft is located within an upper center perforation formed in the upper support,
both the impeller and the bubble cutter are coaxial with the impeller shaft,
an upper stop block and a lower stop block fixed on the impeller shaft are respectively arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the supporting ring, and
both the upper stop block and the lower stop block are coaxial with the impeller shaft.

10. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 1 , wherein the upper bubble breaking device comprises at least two bubble baffles and bubble partitions,
the at least two bubble baffles are arranged from bottom to top successively in the bubble rising direction,
each bubble baffle is provided with circular holes used for segmenting rising bubbles,
the circular holes of each bubble baffle have an equal radius,
the circular holes in the height direction of the uniform breaking device are progressively increased in number and progressively reduced in radius, and
each bubble partition used for preventing the segmented rising bubbles from being combined again is arranged between two adjacent bubble baffles.

11. The in-situ ultrasonic measuring system for natural gas flux at the hydrocarbon seeps at the seafloor of claim 3 , wherein a sleeve used for protecting the connecting shaft is sleeved outside the connecting shaft.

Assignees

• South China Sea Inst Oceanology Cas
• Univ Guangdong Technology

Inventors

• Di Pengfei
• Long Jianjun
• Long Daxin
• Chen Linying
• Feng Dong
• Chen Duofu

Classifications

• E21B47/107 Primary

  using acoustic means · CPC title

• G01F1/66 Primary

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

• G01F1/662

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G01V9/007

  by detecting gases or particles representative of underground layers at or near the surface (analysing earth materials G01N33/24; analysing gases per se G01N) · CPC title

• E21B47/101 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic