You are here

THREE-PHASE FLOWMETER FOR OIL INDUSTRY

Award Information
Agency: National Science Foundation
Branch: N/A
Contract: 0945320
Agency Tracking Number: 0945320
Amount: $199,066.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: BC
Solicitation Number: NSF 09-541
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2010
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
1291 CUMBERLAND AVE
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47906
United States
DUNS: 944533009
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Ye Mi
 BEng
 (765) 497-3269
 yemi@enurga.com
Business Contact
 Ye Mi
Title: BEng
Phone: (765) 497-3269
Email: yemi@enurga.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will evaluate the feasibility of developing a multiphase flowmetering and characterization system for oil industry. New developments in reservoir management and production techniques have resulted in the requirement for multiphase flowmeters to replace conventional test separators. The proposed system will include three advanced multiphase flow instruments: (1) a multi-electrode electromagnetic flowmeter (MEEFM), (2) a X-ray attenuation technology, and (3) an electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The first instrument will provide liquid phase velocity information, while the latter two will provide phase distribution information. The innovation of this development is to further improve these technologies and judiciously combine them to realize non-intrusive online multiphase flow measurements. The Phase I study will demonstrate the feasibility of this development. During the future Phase II development, a solid engineering design of a prototype flowmeter will be carried out. The success of the proposed study will provide a reliable instrument for industrial process monitoring as well as a useful tool for multiphase flow research.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to meet requirements of online, continuous and non-intrusive multiphase flow measurements in the oil industry, as well as many other industries. The proposed flowmetering and characterization system enables accurate monitoring of multiphase pipe flows in industry, and aids researchers to study multiphase flow phenomena. The innovative development will significantly improve the performance and reduce the cost of existing multiphase flowmetering systems. Following the trend of replacing test separators and removing test lines and manifolds in the oil industry, the proposed multiphase flowmetering system will have a substantial economic impact on the infrastructure and operation of oil fields. The proposed flowmeter can also be utilized in the petroleum, chemical, food, and biochemical process industries.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government