DOWNHOLE X-RAY DENSITOMETER

摘要

A downhole densitometer is used to determine one or more characteristics of a flowing fluid. The densitometer has one or more downhole x-ray sources and one or more downhole x-ray detectors. A fluid is allowed to flow past the x-ray sources. X-rays emitted by the x-ray sources and that have travelled through the flowing fluid are detected by the x-ray detectors. Characteristics of the flowing fluid are determined based on the detected x-rays. The densitometer may also have reference detectors used to measure a reference signal. The measured reference signal is used to normalize source emissions. The densitometer may be used as a permanent monitor and it may be used in conjunction with other sensors such as a flow-rate sensor or a capacitance sensor. The x-ray source may be, for example, a pyroelectric source, a radioisotopic source, or a traditional x-ray tube source.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
providing a downhole densitometer comprising one or more downhole x-ray sources disposed in a source housing placed in a flow stream, and one or more downhole x-ray detectors; flowing a fluid past the source housing; detecting, by the one or more x-ray detectors, x-rays emitted by the one or more x-ray sources that have travelled through the flowing fluid; and determining one or more characteristics of the flowing fluid based on the detected x-rays.