Patent ID: 9671793
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: G01F,G05D,Y10T

Claim:
1. A multi-phase flow meter for measuring individual flow rates of oil, water and gas fractions within a fluid flow from an oil well, the meter comprising: a flow conduit having a single inlet end and a single outlet end and configured to carry a flow of a multi-phase fluid between the said inlet and outlet ends, a single variable inlet restriction at the inlet end of the flow conduit configured to control the flow of the multi-phase fluid through the inlet end into the flow conduit, and a single variable outlet restriction at the outlet end of the flow conduit configured to control the flow of the multi-phase fluid from the outlet end of the flow conduit, a pressure sensor and a flow meter, located in the flow conduit between the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction, and a controller adapted to receive data from the pressure sensor and the flow meter, and to adjust the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction in accordance with at least one program; wherein in accordance with the at least one program the controller is arranged to adjust one of the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction such that the fluid pressure between them adopts a first pressure, then to further adjust the restriction such that the fluid pressure between the restrictions adopts a second and different pressure, and to record the first pressure, the second pressure, and the fluid flow rates at the first pressure and at the second pressure; whilst adjusting the other of the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction so that the total flow restriction imposed by the inlet and outlet restrictions is maintained at a substantially constant level, so that the multi-phase flow rate is maintained constant from the well and through the meter.