Method of measuring flow velocities using tracer techniques
US5543617A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1994 |
| Grant date | Aug 6, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01F1/708
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A method of measuring flow velocities in flowing fluids includes injecting into the flow a non-radioactive tracer having a neutron capture cross section higher than that of the flowing fluids, for example a gadolinium compound, and measuring the neutron capture cross section in the fluid downstream of the injection point to detect the passage of the tracer and hence determine the time of flight. By making the tracer miscible with only one phase (typically the continuous phase) of a multi-phase fluid, it is possible to measure the flow velocity of that phase. The neutron capture cross section can be measured by irradiating with neutrons from a pulsed neutron generator and measuring capture .gamma. rays with a scintillation detector.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.