Patent ID: 6502465
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
A method of determining gas and liquid flow rates in a multi-phase flow utilizing a set of gas phase ultrasonic transducers and a set of liquid phase ultrasonic transducers positioned to direct ultrasonic signals through said multi-phase flow, said method comprising the steps of,establishing a set of gas phase control parameters and a gas phase algorithm for determining a flow rate of a gaseous portion of said multi-phase flow, wherein said gas phase control parameters define a gas phase ultrasonic signal characterized by a gas phase center frequency and a gas phase bandwidth and said gas phase algorithm comprises at least one of a gas phase transit time algorithm and a gas phase cross correlation algorithm and wherein said gas phase algorithm is established said gas phase cross correlation algorithm over said gas phase transit time algorithm as a function of an amount of liquid in said multi-phase flow; establishing a set of liquid phase control parameters and a liquid phase algorithm for determining a flow rate of a liquid portion of said multi-phase flow, wherein said set of liquid phase control parameters are established separately from said set of gas phase control parameters and said liquid phase control parameters define a liquid phase ultrasonic signal characterized by a liquid phase center frequency and a liquid phase bandwidth and said liquid phase algorithm comprises a liquid phase cross correlation algorithm; controlling said gas phase ultrasonic transducers according to said gas phase control parameters so as to transmit said gas phase ultrasonic signal; analyzing said gas phase ultrasonic signal according to said gas phase algorithm; controlling said liquid phase ultrasonic transducers according to said liquid phase control parameters so as to transmit a liquid phase ultrasonic signal, wherein said liquid phase ultrasonic transducers am controlled separately from said gas phase ultrasonic transducers; analyzing said liquid phase ultrasonic signal according to said liquid phase algorithm; and determining said gas and liquid flow rates based upon said analyses of said gas phase ultrasonic signal and said liquid phase ultrasonic signal.