IP Library Granted Patent US 11,536,676
Granted Patent B2
US 11,536,676 · App. 16/948,851 · Granted Dec 27, 2022

Characterization of fluid inside pipe using multi frequency electrical signal

Inventors: Vamshi Krishna Chillara (Los Alamos, NM); Maruti Kumar Mudunuru (Los Alamos, NM); Hari Selvi Viswanathan (Los Alamos, NM); Satish Karra (Los Alamos, NM); Bulbul Ahmmed (Los Alamos, NM); Jeffrey Foering App (Houston, TX); Gary Michael Hoversten (Los Alamos, NM)
Assignees: Triad National Security, LLC; Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
G01N27/028G01N33/2823
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,536,676
App. No.
16/948,851
Granted
Dec 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-frequency signal may be used to induce voltage difference across a portion of a pipe. The voltage difference may be induced to take multi-frequency measurement of impedance characteristics of fluid inside the pipe. The multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe may be used to determine a characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe. This may be achieved by active integration of experimental data with high-resolution multi-frequency electrical impedance tomography (MFEIT) modeling.

Claims (34)

1. A system for determining fluid characteristics, the system comprising:

a set of electrodes configured to measure an impedance characteristic of fluid inside a pipe, the set of electrodes including a first electrode positioned at a first location along the pipe and a second electrode positioned at a second location along the pipe;

a signal generator configured to generate a multi-frequency signal, the multi-frequency signal inducing voltage difference between the first location along the pipe and the second location along the pipe, the voltage difference induced for multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe; and

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:

obtain the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe from the set of electrodes; and

determine fluid composition of the fluid inside the pipe based on the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe, the fluid composition of the fluid including hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid;

wherein:

responsive to the voltage difference being initially induced for the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristics of the fluid using voltage input and the hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid being lower than a first threshold value, the inducement of the voltage difference is switched from using the voltage input to using current input; and

responsive to the voltage difference being initially induced for the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristics of the fluid using the current input and the hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid being higher than a second threshold value, the inducement of the voltage difference is switched from using the current input to using the voltage input.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-frequency signal includes a voltage chirp signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-frequency signal includes a current chirp signal.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe measured by the set of electrodes includes the voltage difference between the first location along the pipe and the second location along the pipe.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe measured by the set of electrodes includes current between the first location along the pipe and the second location along the pipe.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein fluid flow regime inside the pipe is determined based on the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid includes percentage of oil and water in the fluid.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the determination of the fluid flow regime inside the pipe includes identification of stratified flow, bubbly flow, or slug flow inside the pipe.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid composition of the fluid inside the pipe determined for different times is used to determine a dynamic characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pipe is inside a horizontal well, and the fluid composition of the fluid inside the pipe determined for different locations is used to identify producing stages and non-producing stages inside the horizontal well.

11. A method for determining fluid characteristics, the method comprising:

generating a multi-frequency signal to induce voltage difference between a first location along a pipe and a second location along the pipe, the voltage difference induced for multi-frequency measurement of an impedance characteristic of fluid inside the pipe;

obtaining the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe from a set of electrodes, the set of electrodes configured to measure the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe, the set of electrodes including a first electrode positioned at the first location along the pipe and a second electrode positioned at the second location along the pipe; and

determining fluid composition of the fluid inside the pipe based on the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe, the fluid composition of the fluid including hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid;

wherein:

responsive to the voltage difference being initially induced for the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristics of the fluid using voltage input and the hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid being lower than a first threshold value, the inducement of the voltage difference is switched from using the voltage input to using current input; and

responsive to the voltage difference being initially induced for the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristics of the fluid using the current input and the hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid being higher than a second threshold value, the inducement of the voltage difference is switched from using the current input to using the voltage input.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the multi-frequency signal includes a voltage chirp signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the multi-frequency signal includes a current chirp signal.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe measured by the set of electrodes includes the voltage difference between the first location along the pipe and the second location along the pipe.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe measured by the set of electrodes includes current between the first location along the pipe and the second location along the pipe.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein fluid flow regime inside the pipe is determined based on the multi-frequency measurement of the impedance characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hydrocarbon concentration in the fluid includes percentage of oil and water in the fluid.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the fluid flow regime inside the pipe includes identifying stratified flow, bubbly flow, or slug flow inside the pipe.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fluid composition of the fluid inside the pipe determined for different times is used to determine a dynamic characteristic of the fluid inside the pipe.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pipe is inside a horizontal well, and the fluid composition of the fluid inside the pipe determined for different locations is used to identify producing stages and non-producing stages inside the horizontal well.

Assignments (4)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Apr 26, 2021
From: TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 056037/0476 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2020
From: CHILLARA, VAMSHI KRISHNA; MUDUNURU, MARUTI KUMAR; VISWANATHAN, HARI SELVI; KARRA, SATISH; AHMMED, BULBUL
To: TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
Reel/Frame 054487/0897 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2020
From: APP, JEFFREY FOERING; HOVERSTEN, GARY MICHAEL
To: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
Reel/Frame 054311/0418 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2020
From: APP, JEFFREY FOERING; HOVERSTEN, GARY MICHAEL
To: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
Reel/Frame 054311/0510 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220107283A1 · Apr 7, 2022