| 摘要 |
<p>An apparatus (10, 100) and method for dispersing and preventing the formation of agglomerates, particularly hydrates, in a conduit such as an oil production pipeline (14, 110) of a well is described. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus (10) comprises four piezo-ceramic ultrasound transducers (12) disposed spaced around an outer surface of the pipeline (14), and coupled to a remote power supply via electric cables; and an ultrasonic detector (16), also mounted to the outer surface of the pipeline (14), and coupled to an output display unit at the surface of the well. The apparatus (10) has a 'disruptive' mode of operation, in which an ultrasonic field is developed by one or more of the transducers, to displace a lattice of hydrates which have formed in the pipeline (14) and a 'sensory' mode, in which the field propagates through the pipeline (14) to the detector (16), where its intensity is measured, to determine whether hydrate has formed in the pipeline (14).</p> |
