Ultrasonic Rag Layer Detection System And Method For Its Use

摘要

A system and method for detecting and locating the interface emulsion or rag layer in a separator vessel makes use of an acoustic property approach or an imaging approach. Both approaches use ranging and longitudinal mode reflectance and are non-ionizing. The signals are sent through the fluid medium residing in different zones of the vessel, not through the vessel wall or a probe surrounded by the fluid medium. The acoustic property approach uses differences in acoustic impedance between the oil, rag, and water layers that create an echo detected by transit time measurement. Also, the velocity of sound, density, viscosity and attenuation can be calculated for each fluid in order to determine whether the medium is oil, rag, or water. The imaging approach uses differences in amplitude reflectance at these interfaces to create a brightness mode image of the different layers by each amplitude mode scan line being added spatially.

主权项

1. A method for determining the location of an interface emulsion layer within a separator vessel housing an oil-and-water mixture, the separator vessel being equipped with a plurality of transducer elements located at predetermined locations on the separator vessel to query fluid medium residing in different zones of the separator vessel and arranged oblique to a central longitudinal axis of the separator vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
sending a longitudinal wave at an ultrasonic frequency through the fluid medium, the longitudinal wave being sent by individual transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements; measuring for the individual transducer elements at least one of a pulse echo time and a reflected amplitude of the longitudinal wave; using the measurements to determine a type of fluid medium residing within the different zones.