Agitating – Stationary deflector in flow-through mixing chamber – Curved deflector surface
Patent
1997-08-29
1999-04-13
Soohoo, Tony G.
Agitating
Stationary deflector in flow-through mixing chamber
Curved deflector surface
366142, 73 6148, B01F 500, G01N 2185
Patent
active
058936424
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a mixer and apparatus for analysing fluid flow.
Mixers are widely used in a number of industries. One such industry is the oil industry. Oil wells produce a mixture of oil, water and gas and homogenisation of these components is desirable for accurate flow measurement.
EP 0395635 discloses a number of static mixer devices. One such device has a plate arranged normal to the flow through the pipe. The plate has two apertures and two curved vanes of sheet material lie directly behind these apertures. Fluids flowing in the pipe will pass through one or other of the apertures to be divided into two streams and will be deflected by the vanes to rotate in opposite senses about axes parallel to the direction of flow of the fluid and will thus be homogenised.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a static mixer for one or more fluids flowing in a pipe, the mixer comprising an element to divide the flowing fluids into at least two streams within the pipe and to deflect two of the resulting streams so that those streams rotate in opposite senses about axes parallel to the direction of flow of the fluid, the element being shaped so as to maintain movement of the flow in a substantially smooth manner.
In this way, effective homogenisation can be obtained without introducing unnecessary turbulence or otherwise unduly disturbing the flow.
The mixer of the invention provides adequate mixing over a wide range of flow conditions thus allowing accurate measurements to be made of phase fraction and velocity at points downstream of the mixer using single narrow gamma or X-ray beams or other established techniques.
Without adequate mixing the phases are not homogeneously distributed across the pipe section, with the result that a single narrow beam may give an erroneous indication of the phase contents due to non-uniformity and the exponential nature of the photon absorption. Furthermore, without adequate mixing the phases move at different velocities and a single velocity measurement does not give an accurate measure of the flow rates but must be corrected by the use of theoretical models or correlations to account for the relative velocities of the phases. This invention avoids the need for such corrections and their associated uncertainty.
Further, the characteristics of the mixer of the invention are such that the differential pressure across the mixer, when combined with phase fraction information, will provide an accurate measurement of velocity of the flowing fluids over a wide range of flow conditions, including slug flow.
Preferably, the element includes a smoothly contoured surface leading to the part of the element which divides the flowing fluids. Preferably further, the element includes a smoothly contoured surface which leads away from the part of the element which deflects two of the resulting streams so that those streams rotate in opposite senses.
Preferably, the part of the element which divides the flowing fluids into at least two streams within the pipe extends over a significant axial distance which may be about a half to three-quarters of a diameter of the pipe and preferably is about five-eighths of the diameter of the pipe. As the separation of the flows takes place over a significant distance, undue turbulence and disturbance are avoided. Preferably, the part of the element which deflects two of the resulting streams so that those streams rotate in opposite senses extends over a significant axial distance which may be a half to three-quarters of a diameter of the pipe and preferably is about five-eighths of a diameter of the pipe.
Preferably, the surface of the element which faces downstream defines a substantial absence of cavities facing downstream. Preferably, the surface of the element which faces upstream defines a substantial absence of cavities facing upstream.
Preferably further, substantially the entire impingement surface of the element is at an angle of no greater than 85.degree., preferably 80.degree., most preferably 70.degree. to the fl
REFERENCES:
patent: 4318623 (1982-03-01), Curtis
Harrison Paul Stephen
Hewitt Geoffrey Frederick
Mark Philip Antony
Parry Susan Joan
Shires George Lister
I.C. Consultants Limited
SGS Redwood Limited
Soohoo Tony G.
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