Dual Modality EIT-UTT for Water Dominate Three-Phase Material Imaging

Abstract

Three-phase material imaging such as oil, gas and water is a critical problem in many processes. Monitoring and separation of each phase before corresponding process can be a key to realise cost efficiency production. In the oil and gas industry such a tool can generate great environmental benefits. In recent years, several multi-modality imaging systems are being adapted for such an application. It is not possible to gain information on three phase flow using a single imaging modality that can be deployed in production field. For a three-phase flow dominated by water phase, this is more challenging. The capability of the majority of current dual-modality systems was only demonstrated under limited flow regime conditions. This paper presents a novel combined imaging system including electrical impedance tomography (EIT), and ultrasound transmission tomography (UTT) for mapping three-phase flow. In water dominate mode, the EIT is able to image the nonconductive phases of oil and gas in a water dominate background phase, but not able to separate oil and gas. The EIT two-phase imaging then complimented with the speed of sound imaging of the UTT, which can separate liquid (oil and water) and gas. A dual modality EIT-UTT system combining a 32-electrode EIT array and a 32-transducer UTT sensor array is developed to demonstrate this novel three-phase material imaging. The concept was demonstrated using simulation study and then shown with experimental lab tests. Measurement principles and method are described, experiment based on several three-phase flow scenarios are established, and the results show successful distinguishably for all three phases. INDEX TERMS Three phase flow, electrical impedance tomography, ultrasound travel time tomography.

A Triple-Modality Ultrasound Computed Tomography Based on Full-Waveform Data for Industrial Processes

“…ltrasound computed tomography (USCT) has been studied lately on a broad spectrum of industrial applications with significant success [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Its usage has drawn a special attention notably relating to the imaging of biphasic medium and liquid mixtures in pipe flows and stirred reactors environments [11][12][13][14][15]. USCT works by analysing the acoustic wave propagation, via sound velocity or pulse amplitude decays of different materials.…”

A triple-modality ultrasound computed tomography based on full-waveform data for industrial processes

“…ltrasound computed tomography (USCT) has been studied lately on a broad spectrum of industrial applications with significant success [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Special attention has been drawn for its usage in imaging of biphasic medium and liquid mixtures in pipe flows and stirred reactors environments [11]- [13], [14], [15]. USCT works by analysing the acoustic wave propagation, allowing to gain information about the time of travel or the amplitude decay of the pulses, in different materials.…”

Coplanar electrical/ultrasonic dual-modality tomography for water continuous gas/oil/water three-phase distribution imaging

“…However, the ECT/UTT dual-modality tomography system is unable to visualize the water continuous gas/oil/water three media because the conductive component water will invalidate the ECT sensor. The ERT is a good candidate for detecting the water continuous gas/oil/water three media, which can distinguish the non-conductive component gas and oil from the conductive component water, and the UTT can further distinguish the high acoustic attenuation component gas [19]. Thus, the ERT/UTT dual-modality tomography is promising to distinguish the three media in water continuous gas/oil/water three-phase distribution.…”