Patent EP0072222A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0072222A1
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Method and apparatus for analyzing the hydrocarbon components of a gas sample by measuring laser beam absorption
Assignee: Ettinger Morris
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Filing: 1982-08-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-08-06
Abstract
Abstract Beams (11) and (13) produced by helium-neon gas lasers (10) and (12) are directed at photoacoustic absorption cells (20) and (21) containing a flowing sample gas stream recovered from coal, oil and natural gas well drilling. The common hydrocarbon gases and vapors within cell (20) highly absorb the infrared energy emitted by laser (10) thereby producing an acoustic disturbance which is detected by a transducer (34) which produces an electrical output signal proportional to the concentration of the hydrocarbon gases and vapors. The methane gas within cell (21) weakly absorbs the infrared energy of laser beam (13), and thus the resulting output signal produced by a transducer (35) serves as a reference signal for determining the methane concentration. The output signals from transducers (34) and (35) are used by data processing unit (40) to compute the total concentration of hydrocarbon gases and vapors and the concentration of methane gas within cells (20) and (21). A turnable carbon dioxide gas laser (44) produces laser beams (45) and (47) both in the infrared region which are highly absorbed by the propane and n-butane component gases, respectively, flowing through photoacoustic cell (48). The level of energy absorbed from these two beams, as determined by the energy of the acoustic disturbance produced within cell (48), induces production of an electrical output signal by transducer (56) at levels proportional to the concentrations of the propane and n-butane gases in cell (48). The output signals from transducer (56) are then used by data processing unit (40) to compute the concentrations of propane, n-butane gases and C
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen E. Moody
- 👤 Leonard Y. Nelson
- 👤 Jack J. Grynberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:26
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/1702; G01N2021/1704
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A method of determining the hydrocarbon composition of a gas sample comprising hydrocarbon gases, the method comprising the steps of: (a) directing a first laser beam at a frequency strongly absorbed by methane gas and other hydrocarbon gases at a sample of the extracted gas; (b) measuring the absorption of the first laser beam by the sample of gas; (c) directing a second laser beam at the sample of gas at a frequency weakly absorbed by methane gas; (d) measuring the absorption of the second laser beam by the sample of gas; (e) calculating the concentration of methane gas present in the gas sample based on the absorption of the first and second laser beams by the sample of gas; (f) directing a third laser beam at a sample of such gas at a frequency strongly absorbed by an additional type of hydrocarbon gas; (g) measuring the absorption of the third laser beam; and (h) calculating the concentration of the additional type of hydrocarbon gas present in the sample of gas based on the level of absorption of the third laser beam, ....
Claim 2
Independent Claim
183 words
A method of determining the hydrocarbon composition of a gas sample comprising hydrocarbon gases, the method comprising the steps of: (a) directing a first laser beam at a frequency strongly absorbed by methane gas and other hydrocarbon gases at a sample of the extracted gas; (b) measuring the absorption of the first laser beam by the sample of gas; (c) directing a second laser beam at the sample of gas at a frequency weakly absorbed by methane gas; (d) measuring the absorption of the second laser beam by the sample of gas; (e) calculating the concentration of methane gas present in the gas sample based on the absorption of the first and second laser beams by the sample of gas; (f) directing a third laser beam at a sample of such gas at a frequency strongly absorbed by an additional type of hydrocarbon gas; (g) measuring the absorption of the third laser beam; and (h) calculating the concentration of the additional type of hydrocarbon gas present in the sample of gas based on the level of absorption of the third laser beam, ....
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
119 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including adjusting the calculated concentration of the additional type of hydrocarbon gas based on the levels at which the first and second laser beams are absorbed by the sample of gas by the steps of: calculating the "wet" or "dry" gas composition range by dividing the level of absorption of the first laser beam by the level of absorption of the second laser beam; based on the calculated "wer" or "dry" gas composition range, computing a compensation factor representative of the proportion of heavier hydrocarbon gases present in the sample of gas; and . using the compensation factor to adjust the initially determined concentration of the additional type of hydrocarbon gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
224 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including using the measured absorption of the first, second and third laser beams to calculate the aggregate concentration of hydro- . carbon gases having molecular weights heavier than the additional type of hydrocarbon gas present in the sample of gas by the steps of: using the measured absorption of the third laser beam to make an initial estimation of the concentration of the additional type of hydrocarbon gas concentration present in the sample of gas; using the estimation of the additional type of hydrocarbon gas concentration to make an initial estimation of the aggregate hydrocarbon gas having molecular weights heavier than the additional type of hydrocarbon gas present in the sample of gas; calculating the "wet" or "dry" composition range by dividing the level of absorption of the first laser beam by the level of absorption of the second laser beam; based on the calculated "wet" or "dry" gas composition range, computing a compensation factor representative of the aggregate concentration of hydrocarbon gases having molecular weights heavier than the additional type of hydrocarbon gas present in the sample of gas; and using the compensation factor to adjust the initially determined concentration of aggregate hydrocarbon gases present in the gas sample which have molecular weights heavier than the molecular weight of the additional type. of hydrocarbon gas.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
83 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the additional type of hydrocarbon gas is propane, the method further comprising the steps of: (I) directing a fourth laser beam at the sample of gas at a frequency strongly absorbed by n-butane gas; (II) measuring the absorption of the fourth laser beam by the sample of gas; and (III) calculating the concentration of n-butane gas present in the sample of gas based on the absorption of the fourth laser beam.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for determining the concentration of propane in a gas sample, comprising the steps of: directing a stream of monochromatic, coherent infrared energy waves at a sample of the recovered gases at a frequency strongly absorbed by propane gas; sensing the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample; and converting the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample into an output signal representative of the concentration of propane present in the gas sample.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for determining the concentration of propane in a gas sample, comprising the steps of: directing a stream of monochromatic, coherent infrared energy waves at a sample of the recovered gases at a frequency strongly absorbed by propane gas; sensing the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample; and converting the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample into an output signal representative of the concentration of propane present in the gas sample.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
89 words
A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the steps of: directing a second stream of monochromatic, coherent infrared energy waves at the gas sample at a frequency strongly absorbed by n-butane gas; sensing the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample from the second stream of infrared energy waves; and converting the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample from the second stream of infrared energy waves into a second output signal representative of the concentration of n-butane gas in the gas sample.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of determining the n-butane gas content of a gas sample, comprising the steps of: directing a stream of monochromatic, coherent infrared energy waves at a gas sample recovered from the drilling mud at a frequency strongly absorbed by n-butane gas; sensing the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample; and converting the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample into an output signal representative of the amount of n-butane gas present in the gas sample.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of determining the n-butane gas content of a gas sample, comprising the steps of: directing a stream of monochromatic, coherent infrared energy waves at a gas sample recovered from the drilling mud at a frequency strongly absorbed by n-butane gas; sensing the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample; and converting the level of infrared energy absorbed by the gas sample into an output signal representative of the amount of n-butane gas present in the gas sample.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
142 words
An apparatus for detecting and measuring the composition of a gas sample comprising hydrocarbons comprising: (a) first laser beam generating means for directing a first laser beam at the sample of gas at a first wave frequency which is strongly absorbed by most common hydrocarbon gases and vapors; (b) second laser beam generating means for directing a second laser-beam at the sample of gas at a second wave frequency which is absorbed by most common hydrocarbon gases and vapors, but weakly absorbed by methane gas; (c) third laser beam generating means for directing a third laser beam at the gas sample at a third wave frequency which is strongly absorbed by another type of hydrocarbon gas other than methane; and (d) sensing means responsive to the levels of energies absorbed by the gas sample. at the first, second and third laser beams.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
142 words
An apparatus for detecting and measuring the composition of a gas sample comprising hydrocarbons comprising: (a) first laser beam generating means for directing a first laser beam at the sample of gas at a first wave frequency which is strongly absorbed by most common hydrocarbon gases and vapors; (b) second laser beam generating means for directing a second laser-beam at the sample of gas at a second wave frequency which is absorbed by most common hydrocarbon gases and vapors, but weakly absorbed by methane gas; (c) third laser beam generating means for directing a third laser beam at the gas sample at a third wave frequency which is strongly absorbed by another type of hydrocarbon gas other than methane; and (d) sensing means responsive to the levels of energies absorbed by the gas sample. at the first, second and third laser beams.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further including adjusting means for adjusting the third output signal based on the levels of the first and second output signals.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
109 words
- 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 further including fourth laser beam generating means for directing a fourth laser beam at the sample of gas at a fourth wave frequency which is strongly absorbed by a further type of hydrocarbon gas other than methane and other than the type of gas which strongly absorbs the third laser beam; and said sensing means is also responsive to the level of energy absorbed by the gas sample as the fourth laser beam strikes the gas sample to produce a fourth output signal proportional to the energy absorbed by the gas sample from the fourth laser beam.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
104 words
An apparatus for detecting and measuring the composition of a gas sample comprising hydrocarbons, comprising: (a) container means for containing a sample of gas recovered from the drilling operations; (b) laser means for directing a first laser beam at said container means at a frequency which is strongly absorbed by a hydrocarbon gas having a molecular weight heavier than methane; and (c) sensing means for sensing the energy absorbed by the gas sample as the first laser beam strikes the gas sample and producing a first output signal proportional to the level of energy absorbed by the gas sample from the first laser beam.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
104 words
An apparatus for detecting and measuring the composition of a gas sample comprising hydrocarbons, comprising: (a) container means for containing a sample of gas recovered from the drilling operations; (b) laser means for directing a first laser beam at said container means at a frequency which is strongly absorbed by a hydrocarbon gas having a molecular weight heavier than methane; and (c) sensing means for sensing the energy absorbed by the gas sample as the first laser beam strikes the gas sample and producing a first output signal proportional to the level of energy absorbed by the gas sample from the first laser beam.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
27 words
A method or apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the gas sample is recovered from oil, natural gas or coal drilling operations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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