Patent ID: 6658944
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: G01F,G01N

Abstract:
Method for determining flow rates of gas and liquid phases of a flow of a multiphase mixture along a pipeline, comprising the steps of:a. measuring a real velocity w of at least one phase of the mixture in a section of the pipeline; b. measuring an acoustic conductivity of the mixture in the pipeline section; c. determining a volume concentration &phgr; of a gas phase of the mixture in the pipeline section on the basis of the measured acoustic conductivity of the mixture in the pipeline section; d. determining volume flow rates of the gas phase Qg, and of first and second components Q1, Q2 of the liquid phase Ql of the mixture by using values of said real velocity w and said volume concentration; further comprising, with said pipeline section being a first pipeline section:e. providing a second pipeline section in series with the first pipeline section, the first and second pipeline sections having different cross sections, such that a change in flow velocity of the mixture occurs at the junction of the two sections; f. measuring the real velocity in the second pipeline section; g. measuring the acoustic conductivity in the second pipeline section; h. determining the volume concentration Ã¸ of the gas phase in the second pipeline section on the basis of the measured acoustic conductivity of the mixture in the second pipeline section; i. determining a volume concentration W of different liquid phase components of the mixture on the basis of the measured acoustic conductivity of the mixture in at least one pipeline section; j. determining the volume flow rates Qg, Ql, Q1, Q2 by using values of the real velocity w and the volume concentrations obtained for the first and second pipeline sections in combination.