Two AC signals generated by two sensors mounted in two elbows at the ends of vertical and horizontal branches of a metering pipe are simultaneously recorded and analyzed. The AC signals are mainly due to fluctuations in stagnation-pressure caused by the local oscillations of local void fraction and to transport velocity of the gas-liquid flow. Features extracted from stochastic interpretation of the two signals are strongly related to gas and liquid flowrates. Laboratory and field testing of the new meter demonstrated that, for the same gas and liquid flowrates, probability distribution functions (PDF) determined from statistical analysis of “vertical” and “horizontal” AC signals are unique. For broad ranges of gas-liquid ratios, features extracted from the PDF are linearly related to gas and liquid flowrates.

1.
Oliemans, R. V., 1994, “Multiphase Science and Technology for Oil/Gas Production and Transport,” paper (SPE 27958), University of Tulsa Centennial Petr. Engng. Symp., Tulsa, OK, August 29–31.
2.
Kouba
,
G. E.
,
Shoham
,
O.
, and
Brill
,
J. P.
,
1990
, “
A Nonintrusive Flowmetering Method for Two-Phase Intermittent Flow in Horizontal Pipes
,”
SPE Prod. Eng.
,
11
, p.
373
373
.
3.
Rajan
,
V. S. V.
,
Ridley
,
R.
, and
Rafa
,
K. G.
,
1993
, “
Multiphase Flow Measurement Techniques—A Review
,”
ASME J. Energy Resour. Technol.
,
115
(
9
), p.
151
151
.
4.
Darwich, T. D. A., 1989, “A Statistical Method for Two-Phase Flow Metering,” Ph.D. dissertation, Imperial College, London.
5.
Hubbard, M. G., and Dukler, A. E., 1966, “The Characterization of Flow Regimes for Horizontal Two-Phase Flow,” Proc. of Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics, Inst. Paper #7, p. 100.
6.
Jones
,
O. C.
, and
Zuber
,
N.
,
1975
, “
Interrelations Between Void Fraction Fluctuations and Flow Patterns in Two-Phase Flow
,”
Int. J. Multiphase Flow
,
2
, p.
273
273
.
7.
Pimsner
,
V.
, and
Toma
,
P.
,
1974
, “
The Wavy Aspect of a Two-Phase Liquid Film Flow System Related to Shear Stress Distribution
,”
Rev. Roum. Science Technique-Romanian Academy of Science, Electrotechn & Energy
,
19
, p.
153
153
.
8.
Vince
,
M. A.
, and
Lahey
, Jr.,
R. T.
,
1982
, “
On the Development of an Objective Flow Regime Indicator
,”
Int. J. Multiphase Flow
,
8
(
2
), p.
93
93
.
9.
Begg
,
N. A.
, and
Toral
,
H.
,
1993
, “
Off-site calibration of a two-phase pattern recognition flowmeter
,”
Int. J. Multiphase Flow
,
19
(
6
), p.
999
999
.
10.
ESMER Newsletters, August 1997 and October 1998.
11.
Toma, P., and Ridley, R., 2000, “Method and Apparatus for Use in Determining a Property of a Multiphase Fluid,” US Patent 6, 155, 102, Dec. 5, Application August 6, 1998.
12.
Toma
,
P.
,
Singh
,
R.
,
Ridley
,
R.
,
Rajan
,
R.
,
Coates
,
L.
,
Korpany
,
G.
, and
de Rocco
,
M.
, 2000, “New Concept for Rapid Transfer of Novel Technologies from Laboratory to Field,” Pipeline & Gas J., July, 2000, p. 65.
13.
Zuber
,
N.
, and
Findlay
,
J. A.
,
1965
, “
Average Volumetric Concentrations in Two-Phase Flow Systems
,”
ASME J. Heat Transfer
,
11
, p.
453
453
.
14.
Niklin
,
D. J.
,
Wilkes
,
J. O.
, and
Davidson
,
J. F.
,
1962
, “
Two-Phase Flow in Vertical Tubes
,”
AIChE J.
,
40
, p.
61
61
.
15.
Dumitrescu
,
D. T.
, 1943, “Stromung an Einer Luftblase im Senkrechten Rohr,” Agnew. Math. Mech, 23, p. 139.
16.
Taitel
,
Y.
,
Bornea
,
D.
, and
Dukler
,
A. E.
,
1980
, “
Modeling Flow Pattern Trasitions for Steady Upward Gas-Liquid Flow in Vertical Tubes
,”
AIChE J.
,
26
(
3
), p.
345
345
.
17.
Brill, J. P., and Mukherjee, H., 1999, “Multiphase Flow in Wells,” SPE Monograph Series, #4.2.2 Mechanistic Models, p. 46.
18.
Toma, P., Ridley, R., Korpany, G., and Scott, K. 2002, “Statistical Investigations of Voltage Signals Obtained From the V-H Multiphase Flowmeter in a Broad Range of Gas-Liquid Superficial Velocities, in Multiphase Technology bHr Group Ed. by Cem Sarica and G. Gegory, p. 399.
19.
Carr
,
G.
, 1999, “SPC for Continuous Processes,” Chemical Engineering, 6, p. 98.
You do not currently have access to this content.