Cidra Corporation

Cidra Corporate Services Inc.

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Other

Expro Meters, Inc.

C1dra Corporation

Robert J Maron

Mark R Fernald

Christian Victor O'Keefe

Guy A Daigle

Michael A Davis

Timothy J Bailey

James R Dunphy

Daniel L Gysling

John J Grunbeck

Thomas Wolfgang Engel

Alex M Van Der Spek

Alan D Kersey

Christian Victor O'keefe

Douglas H Loose

Paul Joseph Rothman

Paul F Croteau

John Viega

Richard Todd Jones

Arthur D Hay

Phillip E Pruett

Christopher T Chipman

Dylan Cirulis

Jaime Sepulveda

Juan F Medina

Joseph Mercuri

Bradley A Currier

Martin A Putnam

James M Sullivan

Jian-Qun Wu

Christopher J Wright

Matthew B Miller

Allen R Davis

David Vincent Newton

George J Talmadge

F Kevin Didden

Jerin J Russell

Charles W Helm

Peter Gumprecht

Richard Niezgorski

Christian V O'keefe

Americo J Zuzunaga

Joseph L Poplawski

John V Viega

Christian O'keefe

David V Newton

Apparatus features a signal processor or signal processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about an acoustic noise profile that is directly measured and generated by a slurry hitting a probe configured in a part of a cyclone; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about the status of the part of the cyclone, based upon the signaling received. The signal processor or signal processing module is configured to provide the corresponding signaling, including where the corresponding signaling provided contains information about whether the part of the cyclone is damaged or worn. The part of the cyclone is an apex of the cyclone, and the corresponding signaling contains information about the status of the apex of the cyclone.

Detection of cyclone wear or damage using individual cyclone overflow measurement

A mineral processing system featuring a controller having a signal processor or processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a relationship between multiple particle size measurements of different measured particles having different measured particle sizes flowing in a hydrocyclone classifier overflow stream sensed by at least one particle size measurement device arranged on a hydrocyclone classifier overflow pipe of at least one hydrocyclone in a hydrocyclone battery, and about a floatable fraction that defines a particle size range of different floatable particle sizes of different floatable particles that can be recovered by the at least one hydrocyclone in the hydrocyclone battery; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control a ground product size of ore having ground particles provided to the at least one hydrocyclone in the hydrocyclone battery, based upon the signaling received.

Objective function for automatic control of a mineral ore grinding circuit based on multiple size measurements of the final ground product size from hydrocyclone classifier overflow streams

A mineral extraction system features at least one hydrocyclone, each having input piping, underflow piping, a cyclone portion and overflow piping; a particle size measurement device arranged on some part of the at least one hydrocyclone and configured to sense particles flowing in a process medium, and providing signaling containing information about the size of the particles in the process medium; and a controller having a signal processor configured to receive the signaling, and determine control signaling to control some part of the mineral extraction system, based upon the signaling received.

Assessing the benefits of automatic grinding control using PST technology for true on-line particle size measurement

Apparatus features a signal processor or signal processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a central air-core of an overflow pipe of a hydrocyclone where fluid flow is concentrated in an outer annular region of the overflow pipe that is against an inner wall of the overflow pipe during a normal operation of the hydrocyclone; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a collapse of the central air-core of the overflow pipe of the hydrocyclone during an abnormal operation of the hydrocyclone, based upon the signaling received. The signaling contains information about a fluid flow rate of the fluid flow by detecting a change in the magnitude of a force and/or a moment on the probe.

Sensor detection of the presence of an air core in a fluid conductor, and the flow rate of the fluid in the conductor

Apparatus is provided including a signal processor or signal processing module configured at least to: respond to signaling containing information about particle sizes of solids forming part of a slurry stream being fed with a common feed flow into a battery of cyclones; and determine which combinations of cyclones in the battery produce overflow that has undesirable particle size characteristics using a statistical algorithm or technique, based upon the signaling received. The signal processor or signal processing module provides corresponding signaling containing about which combinations of cyclones in the battery produce overflow that has undesirable particle size characteristics, including control signaling to control the operation of the battery, including information about certain combinations of cyclones to avoid, or preferentially to use, to minimize the total amount of coarse material having the undesirable particle size characteristics produced by the battery.

Techniques for optimizing performance of cyclones

Apparatus features a signal processor module that responds to signals containing information about sensed sound propagating through a slurry flowing in part, including overflow pipes, of cyclones operating in parallel on a cyclone battery, and determine corresponding signaling containing information about the performance of individual cyclones based upon the signals received. The signal processor forms part of a non-invasive acoustic-based passive monitoring system having cyclones and sensors attached thereto. The signal processor module provides the corresponding signaling as output or control signaling, e.g., for controlling the cyclone battery.

Performance monitoring of individual hydrocyclones using sonar-based slurry flow measurement

The present invention provides new techniques for non-invasive and real-time measurement of the velocity profile of slurry flow in horizontal pipes, as well as the measurement and trending of pipe wear on slurry lines. In the first case, this information can be used to determine the approach and onset of solid deposition on the bottom of the pipe. Having this information in real time can enable operation at lower velocities or higher solids concentration or both while avoiding solids deposition or plugging and their associated operational costs. In the second case, the present invention uses a permanently or semi-permanently installed ring of conformable ultrasonic transducers clamped onto the outside of the pipe. These transducers are used to measure the thickness of the pipe under their respective locations.

Flow and pipe management using velocity profile measurement and/or pipe wall thickness and wear monitoring

Apparatus for determining a thickness of a wall of a pipe, featuring a signal processing module configured to respond to signaling containing information about traveling stress waves transmitted to and reflected back from a wall of a pipe by a sensor band that includes a series, ring or array having multiple transducers circumferentially arranged and mounted around, and attached to or clamped onto, an outside wall of the pipe; determine a profile of a thickness of the wall of the pipe corresponding to circumferential locations of the multiple transducers based on the signaling received from the sensor band, and the provides corresponding signaling containing information about the profile of the thickness of the wall of the pipe; and another module configured to receive the corresponding signaling and provide a visual indication of either data or a graph of the thickness of the wall of the pipe.

Graphical user interface re wear monitoring

Apparatus for determining a thickness of a wall of a pipe, featuring a signal processing module configured to respond to signaling containing information about traveling stress waves transmitted to and reflected back from a wall of a pipe by a sensor band that includes a series, ring or array having multiple transducers circumferentially arranged and mounted around, and attached to or clamped onto, an outside wall of the pipe; and determine a profile of a thickness of the wall of the pipe corresponding to circumferential locations of the multiple transducers based on the signaling received from the sensor band; and one or more orientation or rotation sensors, each responding to its orientation in relation to its displacement on the pipe and to provide an orientation signal containing information about the same.

Wear monitoring with rotational sensor and sensor thickness

A processor module features a module that respond to input signalling containing information about a volumetric flow of a fluid having minerals and varying amounts of entrained gas flowing in a pipe and being processed in a processing stage of a mineral extraction processing system for extracting a mineral from ore, and provides output signalling containing information about operations of the processing stage of the mineral extraction processing system that is not substantially affected by the varying amounts of entrained gas in the fluid flowing in the pipe. The output signalling controls the operations of the processing stage. The input signalling is based upon a speed of sound measurement, including a SONAR-based entrained gas measurement to determine the amount of entrained air in conjunction with a density measurement of the fluid flowing in the pipe.

Applications of sonar-based VF/GVF metering to industrial processing

The present invention provides a processor or signal processing module that features one or more modules configured to receive an input signal containing information about the unsteady pressures or acoustic emissions caused by a medium flowing through a pump, and also configured to provide of an output signal containing information about the performance of the pump. The information about the performance of the pump may include information about pump performance monitoring by a slip flow measurement, about predicting impeller wear, about pump impeller cavitation monitoring, about pump monitoring through acoustic emissions, about pump leak detection, about pump efficiency monitoring and about positive displacement pump monitoring.

Applications of pump performance monitoring

A flow measurement apparatus is provided that combines the functionality of an apparatus that uses strain-based sensors and ultrasonic sensors to measure the speed of sound propagating through a fluid flowing within a pipe, and measure pressures disturbances (e.g. vortical disturbances or eddies) moving with a fluid to determine respective parameters of the flow propagating through a pipe. The apparatus includes a sensing device that includes an array of pressure sensors used to measure the acoustic and convective pressure variations in the flow to determine desired parameters and an ultrasonic meter portion to measure the velocity and volumetric flow of the fluid. In response to an input signal or internal logic, the processor can manually or dynamically switch between the pressure sensors and ultrasonic sensors to measure the parameters of the flow. The flow measurement apparatus thereby provides a robust meter capable of measuring fluid flows having a wide range of different characteristics and flows exposed to different environmental conditions.

Flow measurement apparatus having strain-based sensors and ultrasonic sensors

A method, apparatus and system are provided to measure the process flow of a fluid or medium traveling in a pipe. The system and apparatus feature a standoff and piezoelectric-based sensor arrangement having a plurality of standoffs arranged on a pipe and a plurality of sensor bands, each arranged on a respective plurality of standoffs, each having at least one sensor made of piezoelectric material arranged thereon to detect unsteady pressure disturbances in the process flow in the pipe which in turn can be converted to the velocity of and/or speed of sound propagating within the pipe, and a cooling tube arranged in relation to the plurality of standoffs for actively cooling the sensor band; and further comprise a processing module for converting one or more sensor signals into a measurement containing information about the flow of the fluid or medium traveling in the pipe, as well as a pump and heat exchanger for processing the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling tube. The processing includes maintaining the cooling fluid at a desired operating temperature.

Method and apparatus for measuring a parameter of a high temperature fluid flowing within a pipe using an array of piezoelectric based flow sensors

A sensor head characterizes unsteady pressures in a fluid flowing within a pipe, as may be caused by one or both of acoustic waves propagating through the fluid within the pipe and/or pressure disturbances that convect with the fluid flowing in the pipe. The sensor head comprises a rigid support structure and at least one transducer attached to the rigid support structure. The rigid support structure holds the transducer in contact with an outer surface of the pipe. The at least one transducer senses relative movement between the outer surface of the pipe and the support structure and provides a signal indicative of unsteady pressures within the fluid at a corresponding axial position of the pipe in response to the relative movement. The support structure may be attached to each transducer in an array of transducers, and may include a handle secured thereto for manipulating the sensor head into contact with the pipe. Output signals from the transducers are provided to a processing unit, which processes the output signals to provide a signal indicative of at least one parameter of the flow process.

Contact-based transducers for characterizing unsteady pressures in pipes

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Middletown, CT, United States of America

Robert J Maron