Enercorp Engineered Solutions Inc.

Gary Lucas

Ogheneochuko Obie

Obie Ogheneochuko

Apparatus for monitoring fluid flow in a pipe using electromagnetic velocity tomography An apparatus for monitoring a fluid flow in a pipe using electromagnetic velocity tomography (EVT), the apparatus comprising a pipe defining a flow conduit, a coil system comprising electrically conductive wires located externally of the flow conduit for generating composite magnetic fields within the flow conduit, a magnetic signal driving circuitry electrically connected to the coil system which is arranged to pass electrical current through the coil system thereby to transmit a magnetic field from the coil system into the flow conduit, a plurality of measurement electrodes located around the flow conduit for detecting voltages induced in an electrically conducting fluid flowing thorough the magnetic field, and a signal processing circuitry electrically connected to the plurality of measurement electrodes for receiving flow induced voltage signals from the electrodes, wherein the plurality of measurement electrodes is comprised in a flexible printed circuit board which is positioned circumferentially around the pipe, the printed circuit board comprising a first lamina, the first lamina comprising an electrically conductive layer which is patterned to form an annular serial array of mutually spaced measurement electrodes around the pipe which are separated from the flow conduit by at least a portion of a thickness of the pipe, wherein the pipe is comprised of an electrically non-conductive material whereby when, in use, an electrically conductive fluid is present in the flow conduit, each measurement electrode and a respective areal portion of the pipe thereunder, form, together with the electrically conductive fluid, a respective sensor which is capacitively coupled to a portion of the electrically conductive fluid in the fluid conduit.

Apparatus for monitoring fluid flow in a pipe using electromagnetic velocity tomography

The present invention relates to apparatus for monitoring fluid flow in a pipe using electromagnetic velocity tomography (EVT). The apparatus generates a magnetic field within a pipe and when electrically conducting fluid, such as an aqueous phase, flowing along the pipe passes through the magnetic field, flow induced voltages are generated by magnetic induction which are detected by electrodes. The signals at the electrodes can be processed to produce images of the flow velocity profile in the pipe. The flow may be a multiphase flow which comprises fluids, and may comprise a mixture of liquids, or one or more liquids in a mixture with solids and/or gases. This invention may provide a multiphase flow metering apparatus which has a number of applications, in particular within the oil and gas exploration and production industry.

An apparatus for monitoring a fluid flow in a pipe using electromagnetic velocity tomography (EVT) which can incorporate capacitively-coupled electrodes which avoid any direct physical and electrical contact between the process fluid to be monitored and the electronics for processing the flow induced voltages, yet which can provide highly accurate output data for processing using electromagnetic velocity tomography (EVT) to produce images of the fluid flow.

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Basingstoke, United Kingdom

Gary Lucas