Apparatus and method for determining flow characteristics of a fluid

Claim 1

An apparatus for producing signals indicative of at least one flow characteristic of a polyphase or turbulent single-phase fluid flowing in a well, comprising: a first differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; a second differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; and an elongated support structure, adapted for displacement in the well, to which the sensitive points of said first and second sensors are fixedly connected: in a linear arrangement substantially parallel to the direction of fluid flow and within a core portion of said fluid flow; and at respective levels separated by consecutive intervals, a first median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said first sensor and a second median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said second sensor; the distance between said first median level and said second median level being no less than one-third the length of one of said consecutive intervals that is no smaller than any other of said consecutive intervals; and the distance between said first median level and said second median level being between a half-diameter and one diameter of the well.

Claim 2

An apparatus for producing signals indicative of at least one flow characteristic of a polyphase or turbulent single-phase fluid flowing in a well, comprising: a first differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; a second differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; and an elongated support structure, adapted for displacement in the well, to which the sensitive points of said first and second sensors are fixedly connected: in a linear arrangement substantially parallel to the direction of fluid flow and within a core portion of said fluid flow; and at respective levels separated by consecutive intervals, a first median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said first sensor and a second median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said second sensor; the distance between said first median level and said second median level being no less than one-third the length of one of said consecutive intervals that is no smaller than any other of said consecutive intervals; and the distance between said first median level and said second median level being between a half-diameter and one diameter of the well.

Claim 4

An apparatus for producing signals indicative of at least one flow characteristic of a polyphase or turbulent single-phase fluid flowing in a well, comprising: a first differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; a second differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; and an elongated support structure, adapted for displacement in the well, to which the sensitive points of said first and second sensors are fixedly connected at respective levels separated by consecutive intervals; at least one of said consecutive intervals being a heterogeneous interval no greater than one-half the distance between the two sensitive points of each of said first and second differential pressure sensors.

Claim 5

An apparatus for producing signals indicative of at least one flow characteristic of a polyphase or turbulent single-phase fluid flowing in a well, comprising: a first differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; a second differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; and an elongated support structure, adapted for displacement in the well, to which the sensitive points of said first and second sensors are fixedly connected at respective levels separated by consecutive intervals; at least one of said consecutive intervals being a heterogeneous interval no greater than one-half the distance between the two sensitive points of each of said first and second differential pressure sensors.

Claim 8

An apparatus for producing signals indicative of at least one flow characteristic of a polyphase or turbulent single-phase fluid flowing in a well, comprising: a first differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; a second differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; and an elongated support structure, adapted for displacement in the well, to which the sensitive points of said first and second sensors are fixedly connected: in a linear arrangement substantially parallel to the direction of fluid flow and within a core portion of said fluid flow; and at respective levels separated by consecutive intervals, a first median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said first sensor and a second median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said second sensor; the distance between said first median level and said second median level being no less than one-third the length of one of said consecutive intervals that is no smaller than any other of said consecutive intervals; the distance between said first median level and said second median level being between a half-diameter and one diameter of the well; and at least one of said consecutive intervals being a heterogeneous interval no greater than one-half the distance between the two sensitive points of each of said first and second differential pressure sensors.

Claim 9

An apparatus for producing signals indicative of at least one flow characteristic of a polyphase or turbulent single-phase fluid flowing in a well, comprising: a first differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; a second differential pressure sensor, including a differential pressure transducer and two sensitive points each responsive to local pressure variation in said fluid, for obtaining a detection signal representative of the instantaneous fluctuations of the pressure gradient in a portion of said fluid therebetween; and an elongated support structure, adapted for displacement in the well, to which the sensitive points of said first and second sensors are fixedly connected: in a linear arrangement substantially parallel to the direction of fluid flow and within a core portion of said fluid flow; and at respective levels separated by consecutive intervals, a first median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said first sensor and a second median level being defined intermediate the respective levels of the sensitive points of said second sensor; the distance between said first median level and said second median level being no less than one-third the length of one of said consecutive intervals that is no smaller than any other of said consecutive intervals; the distance between said first median level and said second median level being between a half-diameter and one diameter of the well; and at least one of said consecutive intervals being a heterogeneous interval no greater than one-half the distance between the two sensitive points of each of said first and second differential pressure sensors.