Apparatus and method for fluid phase fraction determination using x-rays

Abstract

An apparatus for determining fluid phase fraction of a multiphase fluid mixture () comprises: —a x-ray generator () arranged to emit a x-ray radiation spectrum comprising a low energy region and a high energy region, the high energy region including a Bremsstrahlung spectrum; —a pipe section () through which the multiphase fluid mixture () flows comprising a measurement section (), said measurement section () being coupled to said x-ray generator (); —a detector () coupled to said measurement section () and arranged to detect x-ray radiation that has passed through said multiphase fluid mixture (), the detector () being coupled to a multichannel analyzer () producing a measurement output comprising a low energy (LE) and high energy (HE) measurement counts; wherein the measurement output further comprises a low energy (LV) and high energy (HV) control counts, in a low energy and high energy control windows located on an edge of the Bremsstrahlung spectrum, respectively; and wherein the apparatus further comprises an electrical parameter control arrangement () coupled to the x-ray generator () and the detector (), the electrical parameter control arrangement () being arranged to calculate a first ratio of the high energy control count relative to the low energy control count (R=HV/LV) and a second ratio of the high energy measurement count relative to the low energy measurement count (R=HE/LE), and to adjust the electrical operation of the x-ray generator () based on an electrical parameter control function (F(V)) of said ratios that minimize a dependence of the electrical operation of the x-ray generator on the fluid phase fraction of the multiphase fluid mixture () flowing in the measurement section ().