Granted Patent B2

US 12,644,811 · App. 18/529,384 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Fakuen Frank Chang (Houston, TX); Nan Mai (Richmond, TX); Brady Kevin Crane (Houston, TX)

Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company

G01N11/14

Abstract

Claims (38)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a rotatable cylindrical housing defining a longitudinal axis, the rotatable cylindrical housing configured to couple to a rotor configured to rotate the rotatable cylindrical housing about the longitudinal axis; and

a plurality of sensors, each sensor comprising:

a cylindrical body;

a torque sensor; and

a shaft coupling the cylindrical body to the torque sensor, wherein a plurality of the cylindrical bodies of the respective plurality of sensors are disposed within the rotatable cylindrical housing and are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, wherein the rotatable cylindrical housing and the plurality of cylindrical bodies of the respective plurality of sensors define an annular space for holding a fluid, wherein each torque sensor is configured to, during rotation of the rotatable cylindrical housing, measure a torque applied by the fluid residing in the annular space to the respective cylindrical body to which the torque sensor is coupled via the respective shaft,

wherein each cylindrical body has a different outer diameter.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each torque sensor is external to the rotatable cylindrical housing, and each shaft extends from the respective cylindrical body through an opening of the rotatable cylindrical housing to the respective torque sensor.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each sensor is concentrically aligned along the longitudinal axis.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the shafts extend through an inner bore of a different one of the shafts.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the shafts are separated from one another by a rotary bearing.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameters of the plurality of cylindrical bodies have an increasing trend along the longitudinal axis.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the fluid comprises solid material suspended in a liquid phase.

8 . A method comprising:

placing a fluid in an annular space defined between a cylindrical housing and a plurality of cylindrical bodies disposed within the cylindrical housing, wherein the cylindrical housing defines a longitudinal axis, the plurality of cylindrical bodies are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, and each cylindrical body has a different outer diameter;

after placing the fluid in the annular space, rotating the cylindrical housing while the plurality of cylindrical bodies remain non-rotating; and

for each cylindrical body, measuring a torque applied by the fluid residing in the annular space to the respective cylindrical body in response to rotation of the cylindrical housing.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cylindrical housing is rotated by a rotor coupled to the cylindrical housing.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each cylindrical body is coupled to a respective torque sensor by a respective shaft, and each torque sensor measures the torque applied by the fluid residing in the annular space to the respective cylindrical body in response to rotation of the cylindrical housing.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each torque sensor is external to the cylindrical housing, and each shaft extends from the respective cylindrical body through an opening of the cylindrical housing to the respective torque sensor.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each cylindrical body is concentrically aligned along the longitudinal axis.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the shafts extend through an inner bore of a different one of the shafts.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the shafts are separated from one another by a rotary bearing.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the fluid comprises solid material suspended in a liquid phase.

16 . A system comprising:

a cylindrical housing defining a longitudinal axis;

a rotor coupled to the cylindrical housing, the rotor configured to rotate the cylindrical housing about the longitudinal axis; and

a plurality of sensors, each sensor comprising:

a cylindrical body;

a torque sensor; and

a shaft coupling the cylindrical body to the torque sensor, wherein the plurality of cylindrical bodies of the respective plurality of sensors are disposed within the cylindrical housing and are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, wherein the cylindrical housing and the plurality of cylindrical bodies of the respective plurality of sensors define an annular space for holding a fluid, wherein each torque sensor is configured to, while the rotor rotates the cylindrical housing about the longitudinal axis, measure a torque applied by the fluid residing in the annular space to the respective cylindrical body to which the torque sensor is coupled via the respective shaft,

wherein each cylindrical body has a different outer diameter.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein:

each sensor is concentrically aligned along the longitudinal axis;

each torque sensor is external to the cylindrical housing;

each shaft extends from the respective cylindrical body through an opening of the cylindrical housing to the respective torque sensor, and

at least one of the shafts extend through an inner bore of a different one of the shafts.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the fluid comprises solid material suspended in a liquid phase.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (13)