Multiphase flows sensor response database

Abstract The requirement for reliable and yet cost effective multiphase meters has recently become increasingly more important. Multiphase meters are especially needed in cases when several operators share the use of production and transportation facilities in the exploitation of marginal oil and gas reserves. The employment of a sensor array comprising a combination of conventional instrumentation is seen as a cost effective and reliable solution to multiphase metering due to their simplicity, robustness and reliability. As part of the UK National Flow Programme, Cranfield University, working in conjunction with the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), has collected the response from a range of sensors when subjected to three phase (oil/water/gas) flow conditions. The ultimate objective of the project is to enable the industry to develop novel signal processing techniques so that the flow rates of the three individual phases can be determined from simple, robust sensors. This database is available to industry and academia for the evaluation and development of signal analysis and measurement strategies from the Flow Programme via Cranfield University. This paper presents the detail of the sensor spool piece, experimental arrangement and tests that were carried out. The sensor spool piece comprising of two capacitance meters, two conductance meters, a gamma densitometer, an absolute pressure transducer, two differential pressure transducers and a thermocouple, was designed and assembled by Cranfield University. After the initial commissioning trials, the spool piece was transferred to NEL. Data was collected over a wide range of flow conditions with two salinity levels of 50 and 100 g/l MgSO4. Tests were also carried out at two different locations in the flow loop so that the user can explore possible installation effects on the data. A total of 531 data test series are in the database.