A method for determining multi-phase flow properties of a fluid is disclosed. The method includes measuring a first time for a first ultrasonic signal to be emitted from a first transducer into the fluid, reflected off an inner surface of the pipeline, and received back at the first transducer. Measuring a second time for the first ultrasonic signal to be emitted from the first transducer into the fluid and received at a second transducer. Calculating, using the first time and the second time, at least one of: a liquid to gas ratio, a fluid density, a gas holdup, a liquid holdup, and a fluid velocity of the fluid flowing through the pipeline.

A fluid sensing apparatus and method for detecting pressure and the presence of bubbles within a fluid tube. The fluid sensor comprises a housing configured to receive a portion of the tube and to house the pressure sensor and the ultrasonic transmitter. The pressure sensor is positioned adjacent the tube and is configured to receive a pressure sensor signal, which correlates to a detected pressure differential within the tube. A controller transmits a drive signal to the ultrasonic transmitter, which emits ultrasonic waves through a portion of the tube and to the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor receives both the ultrasonic waves and a pressure sensor signal, and subsequently transmits an output signal to the controller. In the presence of a pressure differential or a bubble within the tube, the output signal will exhibit a DC shift or a distortion of its signal characteristics, respectively.

Techniques include flowing a multiphase fluid from a hydrocarbon production well through a conduit; measuring, with an ultrasonic tomographic multiphase flow meter (UMM), ultrasonic waveforms generated by the UMM from the multiphase fluid; measuring properties of the multiphase fluid with fluid measurement sensors coupled to the conduit; identifying the ultrasonic waveforms and the properties with a machine-learning control system; determining multiphase fractions of the multiphase fluid from the one or more ultrasonic waveforms with a first ML model; determining a total flow rate of the multiphase fluid from the measured properties of the multiphase fluid with a second ML model; and determining a volumetric flow rate of a liquid phase or a gas phase based on the determined multiphase fraction and the determined total flow rate.

The present invention is related to a device and a method using said device for the measurement and classification of bubble sizes in a liquid medium. This invention comprises two electric emitter and receiver transducers located at an angle lower than 180 degrees one with respect to the other, and ultrasonic signal emitter and receiver circuits operatively connected to the electric emitter and receiver transducer respectively. The classification of the bubble sizes is based on two-dimensional time domain patterns that represent the trace of the bubbles when they cross a generated ultrasonic field. This invention is of great utility to track processes involving the generation of bubbles in liquid media such as the froth flotation in mining.

Within the scope of the invention, a device for monitoring the quality of a fuel stored in a fuel tank has been developed. The main field of application is diesel-operated vehicles. The fuel is therefore preferably diesel fuel. The device is defined by the fact that means for determining the boiling point of the fuel are provided. Furthermore, a method for monitoring the quality of a fuel stored in a fuel tank has also been developed within the scope of the invention. The main field of application is diesel-operated vehicles. The fuel is therefore preferably diesel fuel. The method is defined by the fact that the boiling point of the fuel or a deviation of this boiling point from a normal value is measured. During the analysis of real injection pumps which have failed it has been detected that an excessively low boiling point of the fuel can cause the fuel to outgas. As a result, bubbles in which the necessary lubrication is no longer provided locally form in the injection pump. Furthermore, the lubricating effect is dependent on the fuel having a certain minimum viscosity. A low boiling point is also correlated with a low viscosity. Therefore, overall, the boiling point (initial boiling point, IBP) is a particularly good indicator especially of those deviations from standard values for the fuel which entail particularly costly damage.

A system for measuring a rising velocity and a deformation of a bubble in a viscous fluid includes a sample cell configured to hold a viscous fluid, a variable-diameter syringe provided at a bottom of the sample cell and configured to generate a bubble in the viscous fluid, two ultrasonic transmitting and receiving transducers arranged at different heights of the sample cell and configured to transmit first ultrasonic signals to the viscous fluid and receive second ultrasonic signals reflected by the bubble, and a host computer configured to analyze time-domain information of the second ultrasonic signals received by the two ultrasonic transmitting and receiving transducers, calculate the rising velocity of the bubble, build a mathematical model about a bubble size and a reflected sound pressure, analyze frequency-domain information of the second ultrasonic signals received by the two ultrasonic transmitting and receiving transducers, and calculate the deformation of the bubble.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for monitoring slug flow in subterranean wells. In one aspect, a method includes at a time instant, transmitting an acoustic signal across a cross-section of a pipeline flowing multiphase fluid including gaseous fluid and liquid fluid, wherein a portion of the acoustic signal is carried through the cross-section of the pipeline by the multiphase fluid and determining, at the time instant, a first quantity of the gaseous fluid and a second quantity of the liquid fluid passing the cross-section of the pipeline based, in part, on an energy of the portion of the acoustic signal carried through the cross-section and at least a portion of a total energy of the transmitted acoustic signal.

A measuring rod (1) with a longitudinal axis (A) for insertion in the flow cross section of a tube and for the verification of a flowing medium in this tube having at least one first sender unit (2) for the transmission of a first acoustic or electromagnetic measuring signal (3) and at least one first receiver unit (4) for receiving the first measuring signal, wherein the first sender unit (2) and the first receiver unit (4) define a measuring section, wherein the first sender unit (2) is arranged in such a manner that the first measuring signal (3) crosses the measuring section and wherein the first receiver unit (4) is arranged in such a manner that it, at least during operation without flow, receives the first measuring signal (3) after crossing the measuring section.

A method for detecting of components in a fluid includes emitting a modulated light beam from a modulated light source to the fluid in a chamber, wherein the fluid comprises a liquid and a component in the liquid. The method includes producing an acoustic signal in response to the emitted modulated light beam and detecting the acoustic signal via a pressure sensor disposed in the chamber. The method in one example also includes transmitting the acoustic signal from the pressure sensor to a processor based module and determining at least one of a component and a concentration of the component in the fluid via the processor based module, based on the acoustic signal.

To detect air in a fluid delivery line of an infusion system, infusion fluid is pumped through a fluid delivery line adjacent to at least one sensor. A signal is transmitted and received using the at least one sensor into and from the fluid delivery line. The at least one sensor is operated, using at least one processor, at a modified frequency which is different than a resonant frequency of the at least one sensor to reduce an amplitude of an output of the signal transmitted from the at least one sensor to a level which is lower than a saturation level of the analog-to-digital converter to avoid over-saturating the analog-to-digital converter. The signal received by the at least one sensor is converted from analog to digital using an analog-to-digital converter. The at least one processor determines whether air is in the fluid delivery line based on the converted digital signal.