Patent ID: 7434621

Claim:
A system for prediction and treatment of all kinds of slugs formed in a flow line transporting a multiphase fluid towards a downstream process including at least one separator or slug catcher at an inlet of said downstream process, wherein said system comprises: a slug detector for detecting any incoming slug, said slug detector being located between a point of slug initiation and the inlet of said downstream process, wherein said slug detector comprises instruments in said flow line for measuring flowing pressure, fluid mixture density and at least one of gas void fraction, water cut and local liquid hold-up; an inlet choke positioned in said flow line; a multiphase flow meter or a fluid velocity meter located upstream of said inlet choke; a computer unit, connected to said slug detector and either of said multiphase flow meter or said fluid velocity meter, said computer unit including software, which based on signals from said slug detector in combination with signals from either said multiphase flow meter or said fluid velocity meter, is capable of determining the nature of the detected slug and estimating its volume and its arrival time to said downstream process; instruments connected to said computer unit for continuously monitoring pressure and liquid levels in said separator or said slug catcher; and at least one device, connected to said separator or said slug catcher, for receiving signals from said computer unit and regulating the pressure and/or liquid level in said separator or said slug catcher so that process perturbations due to incoming slugs are reduced to a minimum through said downstream process.