EP0487798A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Water content monitor apparatus
Assignee: Texaco Development Corp
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Filing: 1990-11-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-11-29
Abstract
Abstract A petroleum stream microwave water content monitor comprises a test cell (53) which receives the flow and a reference fluid, first and second antennas (63,65,67,70) for irradiating and receiving microwave energy through the fluid in the cell, a detector (22) to detect the received microwave intensity, means (5,34) to determine the phase difference between the irradiating and the received microwave energy, means (40) to provide a water percentage signal in accordance with the intensity and the phase difference, the test cell (53) having fluid passage channels (136,140,142) and microwave energy channels (130,132), and temperature control means (105) to circulate fluid through one of the test cell channels (142) to tend to maintain the test cell at a predetermined temperature.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Gregory Durrett
- 👤 David Albert Helms
- 👤 Gregory John Hatton
- 👤 Earl Leonard Dowty
- 👤 John David Marrelli
- 👤 Joseph David Stafford
- 👤 David John Stavish
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 16:26
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N22/00; G01N22/04; G01N33/00; G01N33/26; G01N33/28; G01N33/2823
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
227 words
A petroleum stream microwave water content monitor characterized by: a test cell (53) for positioning in a sample petroleum stream flow and for receiving a reference petroleum multiphase fluid; first antenna means (63,65) for irradiating the flow or the reference fluid with microwave energy; second antenna means (67,70) for receiving microwave energy transmitted through the flow or the reference fluid; a detector (22) connected to said second antenna means to detect the intensity of the received energy and to provide a signal representative thereof; means (5,34) to provide a signal representative of the phase difference between the irradiating microwave energy and the received microwave energy; means (40) to provide a signal representative of the percentage water content of the petroleum stream in accordance with said intensity signal and said phase difference signal; said test cell (53) comprising a body having first, second and third fluid passage channels (136,140,142) and first and second microwave energy passage channels (130,132); said first and second fluid channels (136,140) being adapted to receive respectively said flow and said reference fluid and to intersect respectively said first and second microwave energy channels; and temperature control means (105) associated with the test cell (53) and operable to provide a temperature control fluid to said third fluid passage (142) through the test cell body to tend to maintain the test cell at a predetermined temperature.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
A monitor according to claim 1 characterized by a temperature sensor (108) positioned to sense the temperature of said test cell body (53) and to provide a signal representative of the sensed temperature.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
A monitor according to claim 2 characterized in that the temperature control means (105) includes a heat exchanger (105) and means (95) operable to circulate said temperature control fluid between the test cell and the heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being responsive to said temperature signal to tend to maintain the temperature control fluid at said predetermined temperature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A monitor according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterized in that said means (40) to provide a signal is also responsive to said temperature signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said first and second microwave energy channels (130,132) are filled with material, except at the intersections with the first or second fluid channel (136,140), said material being impervious to fluids but allowing passage of microwave energy.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
A monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that: said first antenna means (63,65) comprises a first antenna (63) arranged to provide microwave energy into said first microwave channel (130), a second antenna (65) arranged to provide microwave energy into said second microwave channel (132), and a first switch (58) to provide microwave energy from a source (3) selectively to the first and second antennas (63,65); said second antenna means (67,70) comprises a first receiving antenna (67) arranged to receive microwave energy from said first microwave channel (130), a second receiving antenna (70) arranged to receive microwave energy from said second microwave channel (132), and a second switch (72) to pass microwave energy selectively from said first and second receiving antennas (67,70) to said detector (22).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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