Patent ID: 8521436

Claim:
A flow meter system comprising: a first flow meter having an oscillating element inserted in a multi-phase fluid, said first flow meter taking a first measurement based on a set of parameters of said multi-phase fluid, said first measurement corresponding to a first group of interrelated unknown variables, said first flow meter taking a second measurement based on said set of parameters, said second measurement corresponding to a second group of interrelated unknown variables, said first flow meter taking a third measurement based on said set of parameters, said third measurement corresponding to a third group of interrelated unknown variables, wherein said interrelated unknown variables are selected from said set of parameters, and wherein the first, second, and third groups of interrelated unknown variables are different from each other; a second flow meter positioned downstream from said first flow meter, said second flow meter taking a fourth measurement based on said set of parameters, said fourth measurement corresponding to a fourth group of interrelated unknown variables, said fourth group of interrelated unknown variables being different from other groups of interrelated unknown variables; a third flow meter positioned downstream from said first flow meter and said second flow meter, said third flow meter taking a fifth measurement based on said set of parameters, said fifth measurement corresponding to a fifth group of interrelated unknown variables, said fifth group of interrelated unknown variables being different from other groups of interrelated unknown variables; a fourth flow meter positioned downstream from said first flow meter, said second flow meter, and said third flow meter, said fourth meter taking a sixth measurement based on said set of parameters, said sixth measurement corresponding to a sixth group of interrelated unknown variables, said sixth group of interrelated unknown variables being different from other groups of interrelated unknown variables; and a processor to solve equations of a mathematical model so as to estimate an amount of a target unknown variable selected from said set of parameters, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth measurements of the first, second, and third flow meters determine said equations of said mathematical model, wherein said equations each correspond to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups of interrelated unknown variables, and wherein an iterative process is used to solve said equations.