Patent US4860463A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0410522B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0410522B1
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EP
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Method and apparatus for preventing slug growth in a pipeline
Assignee: Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
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Filing: 1990-07-19
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Granted: 1994-05-11
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Expires: 2010-07-19
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Jan Van Der Steeg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:37
CPC Classifications
F; F17; F17D; F17D1/00; F17D1/005; B; B01; B01D; B01D19/00; B01D19/0063; E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/01; E21B43/34; E21B43/36; E21B2200/00; E21B2200/09
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for preventing slug growth in a pipeline system (1) during simultaneous transportation of gas and liquid through the pipeline system (1), the method comprising the steps of: - providing flux control means (11) for controlling fluxes of gas and liquid in a section (7) of the pipeline system (1); - determining a fluid flux, defined as the sum of the instantaneous fluxes of the gas and the liquid, in said section (7); and - adjusting the flux control means (11) to minimize variations of the fluid flux in said section (7) using the measured fluid flux as an input for the flux control means adjustment.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the flux control means (11) is carried out using a regulating device (30) which receives input signals representing the fluid flux in said section (7).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
167 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the pipeline system (1) includes a gas/liquid separator (9) which is equipped with a gas outlet conduit (15) and a liquid outlet conduit (13), and wherein the steps of determining the fluid flux and adjusting the flux control means (11) comprise: - measuring an instantaneous liquid flux by means of a liquid volumetric flow meter (19) in the liquid outlet conduit (13) of the separator (9); - measuring an instantaneous gas flux by means of a gas volumetric flow meter (17) in the gas outlet conduit (15) of the separator (9); - inducing the regulating device (30) to determine the fluid flux by adding the instantaneously measured gas and liquid fluxes; - inducing the regulating device (30) to calculate a time average of the fluid flux over a relatively long interval of time; - inducing the regulating device (30) to adjust the flux control means (11) to minimize a deviation of the fluid flux from said time average of said flux.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
56 words
The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the pipeline system (1) includes a control valve (11) at or near the downstream end of said section (7), and wherein the step of adjusting the flux control means comprises: - adjusting said control valve (11) to minimize variations of the fluid flux in said section (7).
Claim 5
Independent Claim
72 words
The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the pipeline system (1) includes a gas/liquid separator (9) which is equipped with a gas outlet conduit (15) provided with a first control valve and a liquid outlet conduit (13) provided with a second control valve, and wherein the step of adjusting the flux control means comprises: - adjusting said control valves to minimize variations of the fluid flux in said section (7).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
57 words
The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the pipeline system (1) includes a pressure gauge (12) in said section (7), the method comprising the further steps of: - measuring long term pressure changes with said pressure gauge (12); and - adjusting the flux control means (11) so as to minimise said long term pressure changes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
104 words
A pipeline system (1) having means for preventing slug growth therein during simultaneous transportation of gas and liquid through the pipeline system (1), comprising: - flux control means (11) for controlling fluxes of gas and liquid in a section (7) of the pipeline system (1); - means for determining a fluid flux, defined as the sum of the fluxes of the gas and the liquid, in said section (1); and - means for adjusting the flux control means (11) to minimize variations of the fluid flux in said section (7) using the measured fluid flux as an input for the flux control means adjustment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The pipeline system of claim 7, wherein the flux control means comprise a control valve (11) at or near the downstream end of said section (7).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The pipeline system of claim 7, wherein the flux control means comprise a first control valve in a gas outlet conduit (15) and a second control valve in a liquid outlet conduit (13) of a gas/liquid separator (9) provided in the pipeline system (1).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The pipeline system of any one of claims 7-9, wherein the means for determining the fluid flux comprise a liquid volumetric flow meter (19) in a liquid outlet conduit (13) and a gas volumetric flow meter (17) in a gas outlet conduit (15) of a gas/liquid separator (9) which forms part of the pipeline system (1).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The pipeline system of any one of claims 7-10, wherein the means for adjusting the flux control means (11) comprise a regulating device (30) which receives input signals representing the fluid flux in said section (7).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pipeline system of claim 11, wherein the regulating device (30) receives input signals from the liquid volumetric flow meter (19) and the gas volumetric flow meter (17).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The pipeline system of any one of claims 7-12, wherein said section (7) is formed by an end part of the pipeline system (1).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The pipeline system of any one of claims 7-13, wherein said section is formed by a riser (7) connected to an offshore platform (5).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The pipeline system of any one of claims 11-14, comprising a pressure gauge (12) for measuring long term pressure changes in said section (7), wherein the regulating device (30) receives input signals from said pressure gauge (12).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The pipeline system of any one of claims 7-15, wherein the flux control means comprise a control valve (11).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
96 words
Means for preventing slug growth in the pipeline system of any one of claims 7-16, comprising: - flux control means (11) for controlling fluxes of gas and liquid in a section (7) of the pipeline system (1); - means for determining a fluid flux, defined as the sum of the fluxes of the gas and the liquid, in said section (7); and - means for adjusting the flux control means (11) to minimize variations of the fluid flux in said section (7) using the measured fluid flux as an input for the flux control means adjustment.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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