Vortex Flowmeter GLR Detection for Multiphase Well Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flowmeter systems struggle to efficiently monitor and manage multiphase well production, particularly in oil wells, as they require multiple separation vessels and traditional single-phase meters, leading to high costs and inefficiencies in data collection and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A vortex flowmeter system is integrated with wellhead flowlines and separators, using frequency and amplitude of vortices to determine gas-to-liquid ratios and flow rates, reducing the need for dedicated separation vessels and relying on conventional meters for calibration, with optional feedback loops for correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional single-phase flow meters and multiple separation vessels are used to monitor multiphase well production, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex flowmeter is designed to measure all three phases (gas, oil, water) simultaneously using a single device, eliminating the need for multiple separate flow meters and separation vessels. The universal vortex flowmeter performs the function of traditional single-phase meters while handling multiphase flow, directly reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple separation vessels and single-phase flow meters into a single integrated vortex flowmeter system. By merging the separation and measurement functions into one device, the system reduces the number of components needed while maintaining the ability to monitor gas, oil, and water production separately through computational algorithms.
2Measurement precision
If dedicated separation vessels are provided for each well to separate three-phase mixture, then measurement precision is improved, but cost and equipment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the separation function from physical separation vessels and implements it through computational algorithms processed by a controller. The vortex flowmeter measures total flow and phase distribution, then the controller calculates individual phase rates using stored well data and computational algorithms, eliminating the need for expensive physical separation equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical separation vessels with an electronic/computational system. Instead of using physical gravity-based or centrifugal separation, the system uses sensors to detect flow characteristics and computational algorithms to calculate phase rates, substituting mechanical separation infrastructure with electronic measurement and processing.
3Reliability
If conventional single-phase flow meters are used with separation vessels, then reliability of production data is improved, but loss of time for data collection and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex flowmeter provides continuous multiphase flow measurement without requiring periodic maintenance of separation vessels or manual data collection from multiple instruments. The system continuously monitors all three phases simultaneously and transmits data electronically, eliminating downtime for maintenance and reducing operational complexity while maintaining data reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A multiphase vortex flowmeter system determines the gas-to-liquid ratio (GLR) and flow rates from a well producing multiphase gas, oil and water by detecting the frequency and amplitude of vortices shed in a vortex flowmeter. In particular, the phase of the flow can be identified by detecting the change in the frequency of the vortices with respect to time, and the amplitude of the vortices. Based on the phase, the flow rates of liquid and gas can be calculated. For multiphase flow, the GLR can be determined based on changes in the magnitude of the velocity oscillations measured by the vortex flowmeter, if the changes exceed a predetermined threshold. If not, the GLR can be determined based on the average frequency and average amplitude of the vortices.