X-ray water fraction meter
US5689540A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 11, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N23/22
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An x-ray generator provides a continuous bremsstrahlung photon spectrum for determining the water to liquid ratio in a mixture of oil/water/gas flowing through a pipe located a distance from the generator. A plurality of detectors measure photons passing along a beam path from the generator through the fluid. A detector is also provided to monitor the energy distribution of the generator. A time interval for measuring the output of each detector is established such that small changes in the gas to liquid ratio occur during this interval. An energy bin width is selected to provide a linear approximation of the water to liquid ratio. After binning the counts for each detector, a multi-phase flow characteristic such as the water to liquid fraction, liquid density, or liquid fraction along the beam path is determined.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.