Method and Apparatus for the Measurement of the Mass Fraction of Water in Oil-Water Mixtures

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring the mass fractions of water and oil in a flowing mixture of oil and water through a pipe includes a sensor portion that measures sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a first time and at a second time. The apparatus includes a temperature changer in thermal communication with the flowing fluid which changes the temperature of the flowing oil water mixture by a measurable amount between the first time and the second time. A method for measuring water mass fraction in a flowing mixture of oil and water through a pipe includes the steps of measuring sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a first time with a sensor portion. There is the step of changing the temperature of the flowing oil water mixture by a measurable amount with a temperature changer in thermal communication with the flowing fluid. There is the step of measuring sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a second time with the sensor portion.

1 . An apparatus for measuring the mass fractions of water and oil in a flowing mixture of oil and water through a pipe comprising:
 a sensor portion that measures sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a first time and at a second time; and   a temperature changer in thermal communication with the flowing fluid which changes the temperature of the flowing oil water mixture by a measurable amount between the first time and the second time.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein the sensor portion includes a first sensor portion that measures the sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture upstream of the temperature changer, and a second sensor portion that measures the sound velocity and temperature of the flowing mixture downstream of the temperature changer. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as described in  claim 2  wherein the temperature changer is either a heat exchanger that adds thermal energy to, or a cooler that removes thermal energy from the flowing mixture. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as described in  claim 3  including a controller and processor that determines the mass fraction of the water and oil through an algorithm stored on a computer readable medium which is executed by the controller and processor that relates the mass fraction to the change in the sound velocity in the mixture for a known change in temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as described in  claims 4  or  3  wherein the oil water mixture is emulsified so that droplets of a dispersed phase, which is either oil or water, are distributed throughout a continuous phase, which is either water or, oil said dispersal achieved by the flowing mixture moving at a velocity sufficient to achieve emulsification with essentially no slip. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as described in  claims 3 ,  4  or  5  including a pump in fluid communication with the mixture to ensure the velocity of the sample mixture is made to meet or exceed the emulsification velocity requirement and wherein a portion of the flowing oil water mixture is continuously sampled and passed through the first and second sensor portions and the temperature changer so as to allow determination of the change in mixture sound velocity for a measured change in temperature. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as described in  claims 3 ,  4  or  5  including a pump in fluid communication with the mixture to ensure the velocity of the sample mixture is made to meet or exceed the emulsification velocity requirement and wherein several portions of the flowing oil water mixture are sampled, either continuously or successively, said samples, either singly or in combination pass through the first and second sensor portions and the temperature changer so as to allow the determination of the change in mixture sound velocity for a measured change in temperature for each sample location. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as described in  claim 7  including a sampling arrangement for sampling the fluid in communication with the first sensor portion. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as described in  claim 8  wherein the sampling arrangement includes a plurality of taps disposed at different radii in the pipe which sample the mixture. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as described in  claim 9  wherein the sampling arrangement includes valves for each tap that are maintained open for a period long enough to ensure a representative sound velocity and temperature measurement for the associated tap location. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as described in  claim 10  wherein the first sensor portion includes a sound velocity transducer and a reflecting plug, the sound velocity C of the mixture determined from the transit time t of a pulse of ultrasound from the transducer that travels to the reflecting plug of the sensor and back to the transducer. 
     
     
         12 . A method for measuring water mass fraction in a flowing mixture of oil and water through a pipe comprising the steps of:
 measuring sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a first time with a sensor portion;   changing the temperature of the flowing oil water mixture by a measurable amount with a temperature changer in thermal communication with the flowing fluid; and   measuring sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a second time with the sensor portion.   
     
     
         13 . The method as described in  claim 12  wherein the measuring step at a first time includes the step of measuring the sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture with a first sensor portion of the sensor portion upstream of the temperature changer, and the measuring step at a second time includes the step of measuring the sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture with a second sensor portion of the sensor portion downstream of the temperature changer. 
     
     
         14 . The method as described in  claim 13  wherein the temperature changer is either a heat exchanger that adds thermal energy to, or a cooler that removes thermal energy from the flowing mixture. 
     
     
         15 . The method as described in  claim 14  including the step of determining the mass fraction of the water through an algorithm stored on a computer readable medium which is executed by a controller and processor that relates the mass fraction to the change in the sound velocity in the mixture for a known change in temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The method as described in  claims 14  or  15  including the step of emulsifying the oil water mixture so that droplets of a dispersed phase, which is either oil or water, are distributed throughout a continuous phase, which is either water or, oil, said dispersal achieved by the flowing mixture moving at a velocity sufficient to achieve emulsification with essentially no slip. 
     
     
         17 . The method as described in  claims 14 ,  15  or  16  including the step of pumping the mixture with a pump in fluid communication with the mixture to ensure the velocity of the sample mixture is made to meet or exceed the emulsification velocity requirement and wherein a portion of the flowing oil water mixture is continuously sampled and passed through the first and second sensor portions and the temperature changer so as to allow determination of the change in mixture sound velocity for a measured change in temperature. 
     
     
         18 . The method as described in  claims 14 ,  15  or  16  including the step of pumping the mixture with a pump in fluid communication with the mixture to ensure the velocity of the sample mixture is made to meet or exceed the emulsification velocity requirement and wherein several portions of the flowing oil water mixture are sampled, either continuously or successively, said samples, either singly or in combination pass through the first and second sensor portions and the temperature changer so as to allow the determination of the change in mixture sound velocity for a measured change in temperature for each sample location. 
     
     
         19 . The method as described in  claim 18  including the step of sampling the fluid with a sampling arrangement in communication with the first sensor portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method as described in  claim 19  wherein the sampling step includes the step of sampling the mixture with a plurality of taps disposed at different radii in the pipe of the sampling arrangement. 
     
     
         21 . The method as described in  claim 20  including maintaining open valves of each tap of the sampling arrangement for a period long enough to ensure a representative sound velocity and temperature measurement for the associated tap location. 
     
     
         22 . The method as described in  claim 21  including the step of determining the sound velocity C of the mixture from the transit time t of a pulse of ultrasound from a transducer that travels to a reflecting plug of the first sensor portion and back to the transducer.