Method and an arrangement for the flow monitoring of multiphase mixtures

1. A method for the determination of the mass flow and of the gas/liquid ratio in a multiphase mixture during conveying, wherein the pressure of the multiphase mixture is increased or reduced between two measurement points with a pump or a turbine;

wherein a flow measuring device is provided each for measuring the respective volume flow at each of the two measuring points without using drive parameters of the pump or turbine;

wherein a measurement parameter correlated with the respective volume flow is detected by each of the two flow measuring devices; and

wherein at least one of the gas/liquid ratio, the volume flow Q 1 ′ of the liquid phase and Q 1 ″ of the gas phase, and the mass flow m 1 ″ of the liquid phase and m 1 ″ of the gas phase is determined on the basis of the detected measured parameters.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the pump is a pump for multiphase mixtures and the turbine is an expansion turbine to increase or reduce the pressure.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of a respective venturi nozzle, an orifice plate, and a volume flowmeter is used for the detection of the measured parameters correlated with the volume flow.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of a respective pressure differential in a venturi nozzle, a pressure drop over an orifice plate, a flow rate, and the volume flow itself is detected as a measuring parameter correlated with the volume flow.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of the gas/liquid ratio is determined without the use of a separator or of a separation container and the detection of the measured values takes place in piping or a passage cross-section in a region of the measurement points that does not vary by more than 50%.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the piping or passage cross-section does not vary by more than 20%.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the determined volume flow values Q 1 ′ of the liquid phase and Q 1 ″ of the gas phase or the determined mass flow values m 1 ′ of the liquid phase and m 1 ″ of the gas phase are used to one of regulate and monitor the pump or turbine.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 including using as the pump or turbine a pump or turbine existing and operable at an installation for other purposes.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the method includes measuring temperature and pressure at each of the two measurement points, and wherein the measured temperatures and pressures are used for the determination of the gas/liquid ratio, or the volume flow Q 1 ′ of the liquid phase, or the volume flow Q 1 ″ of the gas phase, or the mass flow m 1 ′ of the liquid phase, or the mass flow m 1 ″ of the gas phase.

10. An arrangement for the determination of a mass flow and of a gas/liquid ratio in a multiphase mixture during conveying comprising, one after the other in the conveying direction, a first flow measuring device, a pump or a turbine to increase or decrease the pressure, and a second flow measuring device, wherein each of the two flow measuring devices is a measuring device for measuring the volume flow without using drive parameters of the pump or turbine.

11. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10 including a computing unit connected to the measuring devices for the determination of at least one of a gas/liquid ratio, a volume flow Q 1 ′ of the liquid phase and Q 1 ″ of the gas phase, and a mass flow m 1 ′ of the liquid phase and m 1 ″ of the gas phase.

12. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the pump comprises a pump for multiphase mixtures and the turbine comprises an expansion turbine.

13. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the measuring devices for the detection of the measurement parameters correlated with the volume flow are respectively designed as at least one of a venturi nozzle, an orifice plate, and a volume flowmeter.

14. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the measuring devices for the detection of the measurement parameters correlated with the volume flow are arranged in piping or the measuring devices are made such that a passage cross-section in the region of the measuring devices does not vary by more than 50%.

15. An arrangement in accordance with claim 14 wherein the passage cross-section in the region of the measuring device does not vary by more than 20%.

16. A conveying system for multiphase mixtures including an arrangement in accordance with claim 10 .

17. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10 wherein a rising pipe existing and operable at an installation for other purposes is used to reduce or increase the pressure.

18. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10 including measuring devices to detect the temperature and pressure at each of the two measurement points.

19. A method for the determination of a mass flow and of a gas/liquid ratio in a multiphase mixture during conveying, wherein the pressure of the multiphase mixture is increased or reduced between two measurement points with a rising pipe;

wherein a flow measuring device is provided each for measuring the respective volume flow at each of the two measuring points independently of each other;

wherein a measurement parameter correlated with the respective volume flow is detected by each of the two flow measuring devices; and

wherein at least one of the gas/liquid ratio, the volume flow Q 1 ′ of the liquid phase and Q 1 ″ of the gas phase, and the mass flow m 1 ′ of the liquid phase and m 1 ″ of the gas phase is determined on the basis of the detected measured parameters.

20. An arrangement in accordance with claim 19 including measuring devices to detect the temperature and pressure at each of the two measurement points.

21. An arrangement for the determination of a mass flow and of a gas/liquid ratio in a multiphase mixture during conveying comprising, one after the other in the conveying direction, a first flow measuring device for measuring the volume flow, a rising pipe to increase or decrease the pressure, and a second flow measuring device for measuring the volume flow independently of the first measuring device.