A gas-water two-phase split flow measurement system and method of use thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a gas-liquid two-phase flow measurement system and its usage method. The measurement system includes a gas-liquid separation module, a fluid volume measurement module, a gas volume measurement module, a video monitoring module, and a control system. The liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is connected to the fluid volume measurement module. The gas volume measurement module includes a gas drying unit and a gas extraction unit, and the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is sequentially connected to the gas drying unit and the gas extraction unit. The video monitoring module is set up corresponding to the gas-liquid separation module and is used to monitor the liquid level changes in the gas-liquid separation module in real time. The control system is communicatively connected to the fluid volume measurement module, the gas volume measurement module, and the video monitoring module. This invention realizes online, automatic, and high-precision cyclic measurement of gas and liquid two-phase volumes, can effectively analyze water vapor content, and is adaptable to various working conditions, showing broad application prospects in fields such as oil and gas reservoir exploration and development experiments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of gas-water measurement technology, and in particular to a gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] In oil and gas reservoir exploration and development experiments, gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement is mainly used for evaluating the flow capacity of gas-water two-phase fluids and for fluid analysis experiments. In the evaluation of gas-water two-phase flow capacity, with the increasing automation of experimental equipment, current metering processes suffer from problems such as time lag between gas-water separation and metering, gas-water volume loss, and discontinuous gas-water production. This causes deviations in the calculation of gas-water two-phase flow capacity parameters.

[0003] Traditional gas-water two-phase fluid separation metering is mostly based on the calibration reading of the metering tube. However, there is a problem that trace amounts of moisture cannot be captured, resulting in inaccurate measurement of the water phase fluid. On this basis, a camera system is added for automatic reading to improve accuracy, but the problem of loss of water phase fluid information due to the inability to capture trace amounts of moisture is still not fundamentally solved.

[0004] ZL201921383620.2 proposed a device for gas-water separation and trace water collection in the gas-water two-phase permeability experiment of tight gas reservoirs. The process proposed in the patent for manual operation experiments fundamentally solves the problem of gas-water separation and gas-water fluid metering, but there are still problems of time difference and gas-water volume loss in gas-water separation and metering.

[0005] ZL 202110105546.3 An automatic metering device for experimental fluid in dense sandstone relative permeability test and its usage method are proposed. A process based on gas-water separation and automatic metering is proposed. The method is relatively advanced, but the process still has the problems of time difference between gas-water separation and metering and discontinuous gas-water production. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems existing in the current gas-water two-phase flow measurement technology, such as large equipment size, high cost, insufficient measurement accuracy, and poor adaptability to changing operating conditions, by providing a novel gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system and its supporting measurement method, aiming to achieve accurate, efficient and automated measurement of the volume or flow rate of each phase in a gas-water two-phase flow.

[0007] The present invention solves its problems through the following technical solution: A gas-liquid two-phase flow separation measurement system includes a gas-liquid separation module, a fluid volume measurement module, a gas volume measurement module, a video monitoring module, and a control system. The liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is connected to the fluid volume measurement module. The gas volume measurement module includes a gas drying unit and a gas extraction unit. The gas outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is sequentially connected to the gas drying unit and the gas extraction unit. The video monitoring module is set corresponding to the gas-liquid separation module and is used to monitor the liquid level changes of the gas-liquid separation module in real time. The control system is communicatively connected to the fluid volume measurement module, the gas volume measurement module, and the video monitoring module.

[0008] Optionally, the gas-liquid separation module includes a transparent gas-liquid separation tube and an ultrasonic vibrator, with the ultrasonic vibrator located below the gas-liquid separation tube and a pressure sensor located above the gas-liquid separation tube.

[0009] Optionally, the gas drying unit includes a desiccant. When the gas passes through the desiccant, the moisture in the gas is adsorbed into the desiccant. The mass of water vapor in the extracted gas is tested by measuring the change in the mass of the desiccant. The gas extraction unit includes multiple plunger pumps arranged in parallel. The plunger pumps are used to extract gas from the gas-liquid separation module.

[0010] Optionally, the fluid volume measurement module includes multiple plunger pumps connected in parallel, which are used to extract fluid from the gas-liquid separation module.

[0011] Optionally, the upstream pipeline of the plunger pump is equipped with a solenoid valve, and the plunger pump is also equipped with a solenoid valve.

[0012] A method of using the aforementioned gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system includes the following steps: A gas-liquid mixture is introduced into the gas-liquid separator through the gas-liquid inlet; The video monitoring module detects a rise in the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator and activates the fluid volume measurement module to extract liquid from the gas-liquid separator until the liquid level remains constant. The volume of liquid in the gas-liquid mixture is measured by measuring the extracted fluid volume. While keeping the liquid level still, when the pressure sensor pressure increases, the gas volume measurement module is activated to extract gas from the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube, maintaining the pressure at the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube stable; the volume of gas in the gas-liquid mixture is measured by measuring the volume of the extracted gas. When the gas in the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube passes through the gas drying unit, the moisture in the gas is adsorbed into the desiccant. By measuring the change in the mass of the desiccant, the mass of water vapor in the extracted gas can be determined. The ultrasonic cleaner is always in operation to prevent air bubbles from adhering to the wall of the gas-liquid separation tube. Repeat the above steps to continuously measure the gas and liquid content in the gas-liquid mixture. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a diagram verifying the technical effect in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Among them, 1. First solenoid valve; 2. Second solenoid valve; 3. Third solenoid valve; 4. Fourth solenoid valve; 5. Fifth solenoid valve; 6. Sixth solenoid valve; 7. Seventh solenoid valve; 8. Eighth solenoid valve; 9. Ninth solenoid valve; 10. Tenth solenoid valve; 11. First plunger pump; 12. Second plunger pump; 13. Third plunger pump; 14. Fourth plunger pump; 15. Video monitor; 16. Ultrasonic vibrator; 17. Gas-liquid inlet; 18. Gas-liquid separator; 19. Pressure sensor; 20. Desiccant. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] This embodiment provides a gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system, solving key technological problems in supporting automated measurement of metering devices. It ensures continuous gas-water separation, sufficient collection, synchronous metering, and continuous output, providing accurate data for gas-water two-phase flow experiments. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the system includes a gas-liquid separation module, a fluid volume measurement module, a gas volume measurement module, a video monitoring module, and a control system. The liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is connected to the fluid volume measurement module. The gas volume measurement module includes a gas drying unit and a gas extraction unit. The gas outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is connected to the gas drying unit and the gas extraction unit in sequence. The video monitoring module is set up corresponding to the gas-liquid separation module and is used to monitor the liquid level changes of the gas-liquid separation module in real time. The control system is communicatively connected to the fluid volume measurement module, the gas volume measurement module, and the video monitoring module, respectively. The control system coordinates the automated operation of each module.

[0018] Specifically, the gas-liquid separation module includes a transparent gas-liquid separation tube 18 and an ultrasonic vibrator. The ultrasonic vibrator is located below the gas-liquid separation tube 18, and a pressure sensor 19 is located above the gas-liquid separation tube 18. In this embodiment, the gas-liquid separation tube 18 is made of glass.

[0019] Specifically, the gas drying unit includes a desiccant 20. When the gas passes through the desiccant 20, the moisture in the gas is adsorbed into the desiccant 20. By measuring the mass change of the desiccant 20, the mass of water vapor in the extracted gas is tested. The gas extraction unit includes multiple plunger pumps arranged in parallel. The plunger pumps are used to extract gas from the gas-liquid separation module.

[0020] Specifically, the fluid volume measurement module includes multiple plunger pumps connected in parallel, which are used to extract fluid from the gas-liquid separation module.

[0021] Specifically, the upstream pipeline of the plunger pump is equipped with a solenoid valve, and the plunger pump itself is also equipped with a solenoid valve. The video monitoring module includes a video monitor 15, which is an existing product.

[0022] The core of the measurement method in this embodiment lies in the following: A pressure sensor at the top monitors the gas entry; a gas volume measurement module extracts and measures the gas volume while maintaining a constant system pressure. Simultaneously, after the gas-liquid mixture is separated with the aid of ultrasonic vibration, a video monitoring module monitors the liquid level, and a fluid volume measurement module extracts and measures the fluid volume while maintaining a stable liquid level. This invention, through the above structure and method, achieves online, automatic, and high-precision cyclic measurement of the gas and liquid phase volumes in a gas-water two-phase flow. It boasts advantages such as high equipment integration, convenient operation, accurate and reliable measurement results, effective analysis of water vapor content, and adaptability to various working conditions, making it widely applicable in fields such as oil and gas reservoir exploration and development experiments.

[0023] This embodiment provides a method for using the aforementioned gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system, including the following steps: A gas-liquid mixture is introduced into the gas-liquid separator 18 through the gas-liquid inlet 17; The video monitoring module detects a rise in the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 18, activates the fluid volume measurement module, and extracts liquid from the gas-liquid separator 18 until the liquid level remains constant; the volume of liquid in the gas-liquid mixture is measured by measuring the extracted fluid volume. While keeping the liquid level still, when the pressure of the gas pressure sensor 19 increases, the gas volume measurement module is activated to extract gas from the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube 18, keeping the pressure at the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube 18 stable; the volume of gas in the gas-liquid mixture is measured by measuring the volume of the extracted gas. When the gas in the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube 18 passes through the gas drying unit, the moisture in the gas is adsorbed into the desiccant 20. By measuring the mass change of the desiccant 20, the mass of water vapor in the extracted gas is tested. The ultrasonic cleaner is always in operation to prevent air bubbles from adhering to the wall of the gas-liquid separation tube 18. Repeat the above steps to continuously measure the gas and liquid content in the gas-liquid mixture.

[0024] Specifically: 1. Initial state: All ten solenoid valves (1-10) are closed. The plungers of all four plunger pumps (11-14) are pushed to their forward positions, preparing for the extraction of gas and liquid. Video monitor 15 begins operation, continuously monitoring changes in the liquid level.

[0025] 2. Mixture input status: Starting from the initial state, the gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation tube through the gas-liquid inlet 17. Under the action of the ultrasonic vibrator 16, the gas and liquid separate, with the gas entering the upper space and the liquid remaining in the lower liquid.

[0026] 3. Liquid volume measurement status: When video monitor 15 detects a rise in the liquid level, the tenth solenoid valve 10 opens, allowing the fluid volume measurement module to extract liquid from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tube. The sixth solenoid valve 6 (or the eighth solenoid valve 8) opens, allowing the third plunger pump 13 (or the fourth plunger pump 14) to extract and measure the liquid volume. When the third plunger pump 13 (or the fourth plunger pump 14) reaches its maximum liquid extraction volume, the sixth solenoid valve 6 (or the eighth solenoid valve 8) closes, and the seventh solenoid valve 7 (or the ninth solenoid valve 9) opens to drain the liquid from the third plunger pump 13 (or the fourth plunger pump 14), and then the seventh solenoid valve 7 (or the ninth solenoid valve 9) closes again. By cyclically using the third plunger pump 13 and the fourth plunger pump 14 to extract liquid, the liquid level in the gas-liquid separation tube 18 remains constant, and the volume of extracted liquid is measured.

[0027] 4. Gas volume measurement status When the pressure value of the pressure sensor 19 increases, the first solenoid valve 1 is opened, allowing the gas volume measurement module to extract gas from the gas-liquid separation tube 18. Its working process is similar to that of liquid volume measurement. The volume of gas extracted is measured by cyclically using the first plunger pump 11 and the second plunger pump 12.

[0028] When the gas passes through desiccant 20, the desiccant adsorbs the moisture in the gas, achieving the purpose of separating the gas from the water vapor. The mass of the desiccant is weighed to obtain the mass of the water vapor.

[0029] The system designed in this invention mainly consists of the following core modules: First, a volume measurement module, which is precisely integrated and capable of measuring the volume of liquid and gas separately. A pressure sensor is installed on its upper part to monitor the system pressure. Specifically, a gas drying unit is connected in series at the front end of the gas volume measurement unit. This unit accurately measures the amount of dry gas entering subsequent measurement units (such as a specially designed glass tube) by precisely weighing the mass change of the internal desiccant before and after measurement. Second, a gas-liquid separation module, mainly comprising a specially designed transparent glass tube and an ultrasonic vibrator installed at its lower part. The ultrasonic vibrator applies high-frequency vibration to ensure that the gas in the gas-liquid mixture entering the tube can quickly and completely float to the surface and accumulate in the reserved space at the top of the glass tube, thereby achieving efficient gas-liquid physical separation. Third, a video monitoring module, which uses image acquisition and processing technology to monitor and identify the liquid level in the glass tube in real time and dynamically. When the liquid level in the tube exceeds the preset initial reference liquid level, the corresponding control logic is triggered. Fourthly, there is the integrated control system, which is the "brain" of the entire device. It integrates various sensors (such as pressure sensors, liquid level sensors, etc.), high-precision electronic balances (used to weigh the desiccant mass), and necessary circuit boards and hardware interfaces. It is coordinated by built-in dedicated control software and is responsible for the automated execution, data acquisition, real-time processing and result output of the entire measurement process.

[0030] The measurement method proposed in this invention features rigorous and highly automated core steps: First, when the pressure sensor at the top of the system detects an increase in internal pressure due to gas introduction, the gas volume measurement module is activated. It precisely extracts gas from the upper space and dynamically adjusts the extraction rate to ensure the gas pressure in the upper space remains at a preset initial gas pressure value. Simultaneously, by accurately measuring the volume of gas extracted during this process, the total amount of gas entering the glass tube is accurately measured. At the same time or shortly thereafter, as the gas-liquid mixture flows into the glass tube, the ultrasonic vibrator at the bottom begins operation. Its high-frequency vibration forces the gas components in the mixture to float completely to the top and accumulate in the upper space of the glass tube. During this process, the video monitoring module continuously monitors the liquid level in the tube in real time. Once the liquid level exceeds the preset initial reference level, indicating that the liquid has filled to a specific level, the fluid volume measurement module is triggered to precisely extract liquid from the lower part of the glass tube and control the extraction amount to ensure the liquid level in the tube remains stably at the initially set reference height. Throughout the measurement cycle, the central control system continuously collects and processes multiple key parameter data, including the pressure of the gas and liquid phases, liquid level, and water vapor mass (obtained indirectly through changes in desiccant mass), thereby achieving fully automated and intelligent measurement and analysis.

[0031] Compared with existing technologies, the gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system and method provided by this invention have several significant advantages. First, through its ingenious automated measurement device design, this invention enables high-precision, cyclical dynamic measurement of the volume of each phase in a gas-water two-phase flow. The entire system boasts high integration, a relatively compact structure, and is easy to carry and deploy on-site, while also being simpler to operate. This effectively meets diverse application needs, including refined laboratory research and rapid industrial testing. Second, the system achieves fully automated control of the entire process, requiring minimal manual intervention from sample introduction, separation, measurement to data recording and processing. This significantly reduces potential human error and greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of experimental or testing results. Furthermore, this invention innovatively employs a detachable desiccant measurement module, enabling high-precision quantitative analysis of water vapor content in mixed gases. This design not only improves the accuracy of dry gas volume measurement but also enhances the long-term operational stability of the system and the reliability of the data. Furthermore, the technical solution of this invention has broad applicability, covering a wide range of fields and adapting to the needs of various industrial scenarios. It has shown great application prospects in many important sectors of the national economy, such as petrochemicals, water supply and drainage engineering, energy and power, and environmental monitoring. Finally, the system was designed from the outset with full consideration of sustainable technological development and the evolution of market demands, thus possessing good scalability. In the future, it can be easily upgraded in terms of functionality or further expanded in application scenarios according to the specific needs of users in different industries and the advancement of related technologies, such as integrating online component analysis and adapting to more extreme working conditions.

[0032] It should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "a," "two," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system, characterized in that, The system includes a gas-liquid separation module, a fluid volume measurement module, a gas volume measurement module, a video monitoring module, and a control system. The liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is connected to the fluid volume measurement module. The gas volume measurement module includes a gas drying unit and a gas extraction unit. The gas outlet of the gas-liquid separation module is connected to the gas drying unit and the gas extraction unit in sequence. The video monitoring module is set up corresponding to the gas-liquid separation module and is used to monitor the liquid level changes of the gas-liquid separation module in real time. The control system is communicatively connected to the fluid volume measurement module, the gas volume measurement module, and the video monitoring module.

2. The gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separation module includes a transparent gas-liquid separation tube and an ultrasonic vibrator. The ultrasonic vibrator is located below the gas-liquid separation tube, and a pressure sensor is located above the gas-liquid separation tube.

3. The gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas drying unit includes a desiccant. When the gas passes through the desiccant, the moisture in the gas is adsorbed into the desiccant. By measuring the change in the mass of the desiccant, the mass of water vapor in the extracted gas is determined. The gas extraction unit includes multiple plunger pumps arranged in parallel. The plunger pumps are used to extract gas from the gas-liquid separation module.

4. The gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fluid volume measurement module includes multiple plunger pumps connected in parallel, which are used to extract fluid from the gas-liquid separation module.

5. The gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The upstream pipeline of the plunger pump is equipped with a solenoid valve, and the plunger pump itself is also equipped with a solenoid valve.

6. A method of using the gas-water two-phase flow separation measurement system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A gas-liquid mixture is introduced into the gas-liquid separator through the gas-liquid inlet; The video monitoring module detects a rise in the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator and activates the fluid volume measurement module to extract liquid from the gas-liquid separator until the liquid level remains constant. The volume of liquid in the gas-liquid mixture is measured by measuring the extracted fluid volume. While keeping the liquid level still, when the pressure sensor pressure increases, the gas volume measurement module is activated to extract gas from the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube, maintaining the pressure at the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube stable; the volume of gas in the gas-liquid mixture is measured by measuring the volume of the extracted gas. When the gas in the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tube passes through the gas drying unit, the moisture in the gas is adsorbed into the desiccant. By measuring the change in the mass of the desiccant, the mass of water vapor in the extracted gas can be determined. The ultrasonic cleaner is always in operation to prevent air bubbles from adhering to the wall of the gas-liquid separation tube. Repeat the above steps to continuously measure the gas and liquid content in the gas-liquid mixture.

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