Microwave doppler flowmeter for hydrocarbon wells
US11656187B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 18, 2020 |
| Grant date | May 23, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 3, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01F15/14
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A flowmeter measures a fluid velocity and/or direction of a moving multiphase fluid within a hydrocarbon well. The flowmeter includes a microwave front end module comprising transmit and receive antennas and a microwave circuit. The transmit antenna transmits electromagnetic signals towards the fluid at a high frequency ranging from 10 to 100 GHz. The flowmeter includes an analog electronics module converting an analog doppler signal successively into an amplified analog doppler signal and a digital doppler signal. The flowmeter includes a digital processing module comprising a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm for processing the digital doppler signal into a Doppler frequency spectrum. The Doppler spectrum contains information indicative of the fluid velocity and/or direction. A protective shell protects the modules from multiphase fluid. The protective shell comprises a first part positioned over the antennas and being transparent to electromagnetic signals, and a second part being opaque to electromagnetic signals.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.