SBIR Phase I: Three-Phase Flowmeter For Oil Industry

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will evaluate the feasibility of developing a multiphase flowmetering and characterization system for oil industry. New developments in reservoir management and production techniques have resulted in the requirement for multiphase flowmeters to replace conventional test separators. The proposed system will include three advanced multiphase flow instruments: (1) a multi-electrode electromagnetic flowmeter (MEEFM), (2) a X-ray attenuation technology, and (3) an electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The first instrument will provide liquid phase velocity information, while the latter two will provide phase distribution information. The innovation of this development is to further improve these technologies and judiciously combine them to realize non-intrusive online multiphase flow measurements. The Phase I study will demonstrate the feasibility of this development. During the future Phase II development, a solid engineering design of a prototype flowmeter will be carried out. The success of the proposed study will provide a reliable instrument for industrial process monitoring as well as a useful tool for multiphase flow research.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to meet requirements of online, continuous and non-intrusive multiphase flow measurements in the oil industry, as well as many other industries. The proposed flowmetering and characterization system enables accurate monitoring of multiphase pipe flows in industry, and aids researchers to study multiphase flow phenomena. The innovative development will significantly improve the performance and reduce the cost of existing multiphase flowmetering systems. Following the trend of replacing test separators and removing test lines and manifolds in the oil industry, the proposed multiphase flowmetering system will have a substantial economic impact on the infrastructure and operation of oil fields. The proposed flowmeter can also be utilized in the petroleum, chemical, food, and biochemical process industries.