Multiphase Flowmeter Combining Magnetic Resonance and Capacitance Tomography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flowmeters struggle to accurately determine all three phases of a multiphase medium, such as crude oil, natural gas, and salt water, without separating the individual phases, especially when the crude oil fraction is less than 5%, making it difficult to economically exploit these sources.
Innovation Solution
A flowmeter that combines a magnetic resonance tomography device with a tomographic measuring principle and an electrical capacitance tomography device, allowing for the simultaneous measurement of all three phases without phase separation by using different measuring principles to compensate for each other's disadvantages, such as magnetic resonance tomography for liquid and gas fractions and electrical capacitance tomography for hydrocarbon fractions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If test separators are used to measure crude oil fractions, then the measurement process is simple, but the measurement precision deteriorates for crude oil fractions less than 5%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical test separator system with a magnetic resonance tomography system. The MRT method uses magnetic field interactions with hydrogen nuclei in the multiphase medium to distinguish between crude oil, water, and gas phases based on their different magnetic resonance properties, enabling accurate measurement of crude oil fractions below 5% without mechanical phase separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from mechanical phase separation capability to magnetic resonance frequency detection. By measuring the magnetic resonance characteristics of hydrogen nuclei in different phases under controlled magnetic field conditions, the system achieves precise quantification of phase fractions including crude oil content below 5%, overcoming the limitations of test separators.
2Measurement precision
If magnetic resonance tomography is used to measure all three phases, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a universal magnetic resonance tomography system that can simultaneously measure all three phases (crude oil, water, and gas) using a single integrated measurement approach. The MRT method distinguishes between phases based on their different magnetic resonance properties, allowing one system to perform multiple measurement functions that would otherwise require separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses magnetic field interactions as an intermediary mechanism to indirectly detect and distinguish between different phases. Instead of directly measuring each phase separately, the system uses magnetic resonance signals as an intermediary that encode information about all phases, which is then decoded to determine crude oil, water, and gas fractions simultaneously.
3Loss of time
If electrical capacitance tomography is used for hydrocarbon fractions, then the measurement effort is reduced, but the reliability for low crude oil fractions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical capacitance tomography with magnetic resonance tomography for measuring hydrocarbon fractions. The MRT method provides superior reliability for low crude oil fractions by directly detecting the magnetic resonance signal from hydrogen nuclei in the crude oil phase, which remains detectable even at concentrations below 5%, whereas electrical capacitance methods lose reliability in this range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable and efficient determination of all three phases of a multiphase medium, reducing measurement effort and improving accuracy by leveraging the strengths of both magnetic resonance and electrical capacitance tomography, thus facilitating the economic exploitation of sources with low crude oil fractions.
Implementation Method 1
The invention relates to a flowmeter for determining the flow of a multiphase medium flowing through a measuring tube having a measuring device implementing a tomographic measuring principle. Nuclear magnetic resonance is abbreviated to NMR.
Implementation Method 2
one measuring device implements a tomographic measuring principle by electrical capacitance tomography
Data Source
AI summary
A flowmeter for determining the flow of a multi-phase medium through a measuring tube has a first and a second measuring device, one of which operates on a tomographic measuring principle and one of uses a measuring principle based on nuclear magnetic resonance. The first measuring device operates in a different manner from the second measuring device, e.g., using a measuring device operating on the measuring principle of pre-magnetization contrast measurement and having a pre-magnetization section with a constant magnetic field. The magnetic field has at least one component perpendicular to the direction of flow of the multi-phase medium and is generated by using magnetic field generating elements, which are arranged around the measuring tube. Additionally, an assembly for exciting nuclear spin by a RF excitation pulse or a RF excitation pulse sequence is part of the measuring device.