‫‪IN SEARCH OF AN IDEAL MULTIPHASE FLOW METER‬‬

‫‪FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY‬‬

‫*‪Ibrahim M.M. Babelli‬‬

‫‪King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology‬‬
‫‪P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia‬‬

‫اﻟﺨﻼﺻــﺔ‬
‫ﻳﻔﺘﺮض ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﻤﺜﺎﻟﻲ ﻟﻠﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﻣﺘﻌﺪد اﻷﻃﻮار أن ﻳﺤﻮي ﻣﻌﻈﻢ اﻟﻤﻮاﺻﻔﺎت اﻟﺘﺎﻟﻴﺔ ‪:‬‬

‫‪ -١‬ﻗﻴﺎس ﺕﺮآﻴﺰ اﻟﻄﻮر اﻟﻤﻮزع ﻋﻠﻰ ﺷﻜﻞ ﻓﻘﺎﻋﺎت داﺧﻞ ﻃﻮر ﺁﺧﺮ ﻣﺘﺼﻞ ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -٢‬ﺕﺤﺪﻳﺪ ﺷﻜﻞ اﻷﻃﻮار وﺕﻮزﻳﻌﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﻣﺘﻌﺪد اﻷﻃﻮار ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -٣‬ﻗﻴﺎس آﻤﻴﺔ ﺱﺮﻳﺎن آﻞ ﻃﻮر ﻋﻠﻰ ﺡﺪة )وﻳﺴﺘﺤﺴﻦ أن ﻳﻜﻮن اﻟﻘﻴﺎس ﻟﻠﺴﺮﻋﺔ اﻟﻈﺎهﺮﻳﺔ( ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -٤‬أﺧﺬ اﻟﻘﻴﺎﺱﺎت دون اﻟﺘﺄﺙﻴﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺎر اﻟﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﺑﺘﻌﺪﻳﻞ ﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﻤﺴﺎر ‪ ،‬أو ﺕﻀﻴﻴﻘﻪ ‪ ،‬أو وﺽﻊ ﺡﺎﺟﺰ ﻓﻲ ﻃﺮﻳﻘﻪ ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -٥‬ﺷﻤﻮﻟﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﻘﻴﺎس ﻷﻧﻮاع ﻣﺘﻌﺪدة ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﻮاﺋﻞ ‪ ،‬وﺕﺮاآﻴﺐ اﻷﻃﻮار اﻟﻤﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ‪ ،‬واﻟﺴﺮﻋﺎت اﻟﻤﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﻟﻠﺴﺮﻳﺎن ‪ ،‬ﻣﻊ‬
‫اﻷﺧﺬ ﻓﻲ اﻻﻋﺘﺒﺎر اﻟﺨﺼﺎﺋﺺ اﻟﻔﻴﺰﻳﺎﺋﻴﺔ اﻷﺧﺮى ﻣﺜﻞ درﺟﺎت اﻟﺤﺮارة واﻟﻀﻐﻂ ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -٦‬ﻋﺪم ﺕﻐﻴﺮ ﻗﺮاءات اﻟﻤﻘﻴﺎس ﻧﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﻟﺘﻘﺎدم اﻟﺰﻣﻦ ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -٧‬أن ﻳﻜﻮن اﻟﻤﻘﻴﺎس ﺑﺴﻴﻄًﺎ ﻣﻊ ﻋﺪم ارﺕﻔﺎع ﺕﻜﻠﻔﺘﻪ اﻟﻤﺎدﻳﺔ ‪.‬‬
‫ﻳﺨﻠﺺ اﻟﺒﺎﺡﺚ ﺑﺪاهﺔ إﻟﻰ أن ﻣﻘﻴﺎﺱًﺎ آﻬﺬا ﻟﻢ ﻳﻄﻮر ﺑﻌﺪ‪ ،‬ﻏﻴﺮ أن اﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ اﻟﻤﺎﺱﺔ ﻹﺟﺮاء ﻗﻴﺎﺱﺎت ﻟﻠﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﻣﺘﻌﺪد اﻷﻃﻮار‬
‫ﻓﻲ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺎت ﻋﺪة )ﻣﺜﻞ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﻔﻂ واﻟﺒﺘﺮوآﻴﻤﺎوﻳﺎت واﻟﺼﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﻮوﻳﺔ( أدت إﻟﻰ ﺕﻄﻮﻳﺮ هﺎم وﻣﺴﺘﻤﺮ ﻷﺟﻬﺰة ﻗﻴﺎس ‪،‬‬
‫ﻟﻬﺎ ﺑﻌﺾ ﻣﻼﻣﺢ اﻟﻤﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﻤﺜﺎﻟﻲ اﻟﻤﺬآﻮر ﺁﻧﻔﺎ‪ .‬ﻓﻤﻦ اﻷﺟﻬﺰة اﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻗﻴﺎس اﻟﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﻣﺘﻌﺪد اﻷﻃﻮار ﻣﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﻜﺜﺎﻓﺔ‬
‫ﺑﺄﺷﻌﺔ ﺟﺎﻣﺎ‪ ،‬وﻣﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﺴﺮﻳﺎن اﻟﻤﻐﻨﺎﻃﻴﺴﻲ‪ ،‬وﻣﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﻤﻤﺎﻧﻌﺔ اﻟﻜﻬﺮﺑﺎﺋﻴﺔ‪ ،‬وﻣﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﻤﻮﺟﺎت ﻓﻮق اﻟﺼﻮﺕﻴﺔ‪ ،‬وﻏﻴﺮهﺎ آﺜﻴﺮ‪.‬‬

‫ﻼ( ﻓﺈن ﻋﺪدًا ﻣﻦ أﺟﻬﺰة اﻟﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﻤﺬآﻮرة‬

‫وﻟﻠﺤﺼﻮل ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻘﻴﺎس ﻣﻨﺎﺱﺐ ﻟﻠﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﻣﺘﻌﺪد اﻷﻃﻮار )ﻓﻲ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﻔﻂ ﻣﺜ ً‬
‫أﻋﻼﻩ ﺕُـﺴﺘﺨﺪم ﻣﻊ ﺑﻌﻀﻬﺎ ﺑﻌﻀًﺎ ‪ ،‬وﻳﻜﻮن ﻟﻜﻞ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﺕﺨﺼﺺ ﻓﻲ ﻗﻴﺎس ﻣﻌﻄﻴﺎت ﻣﺤﺪدة ﺕﻌﻄﻲ‪ ،‬ﻋﻨﺪ دﻣﺠﻬﺎ وﺕﻜﺎﻣﻠﻬﺎ ﻣﻊ‬
‫ﺑﺎﻗﻲ اﻟﻤﻌﻄﻴﺎت‪ ،‬اﻟﻘﻴﺎﺱﺎت اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﻄﻠﻮﺑﺔ‪ .‬وﺕﺆﺙﺮ ﻋﻮاﻣﻞ ﻋﺪة ﻓﻲ اﺧﺘﻴﺎر اﻷﺟﻬﺰة اﻟﺘﻲ ﺱﻴﺘﻢ دﻣﺠﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻘﻴﺎس واﺡﺪ‬
‫ﻣﺜﻞ ﻧﻮﻋﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﻌﻄﻴﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺱﻴﺘﻢ ﻗﻴﺎﺱﻬﺎ وﺑﻴﺌﻴﺔ اﻟﻘﻴﺎس‪ .‬وﻳﻮﺟﺪ اﻵن ﻋﺪة ﻣﺌﺎت ﻣﻦ اﻷﺟﻬﺰة اﻟﻤﺘﻄﻮرة ﻟﻘﻴﺎس اﻟﺴﺮﻳﺎن ﻣﺘﻌﺪد‬
‫اﻷﻃﻮار ﻓﻲ أﻧﺤﺎء اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ ‪ .‬وﺕﺰود هﺬﻩ اﻷﺟﻬﺰة اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻠﻴﻦ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺠﺎل ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﻔﻂ ﺑﻘﻴﺎﺱﺎت ﻏﺎﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻷهﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﺘﺮﺷﻴﺪ اﻹﻧﺘﺎج‬
‫ﻣﻦ اﻵﺑﺎر ‪ ،‬إﺽﺎﻓﺔ إﻟﻰ دورهﺎ اﻷﺱﺎﺱﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻗﻴﺎس آﻤﻴﺔ اﻹﻧﺘﺎج‪.‬‬
‫وﺕﻘﻴﻢ هﺬﻩ اﻟﻮرﻗﺔ اﻟﺘﻘﻨﻴﺎت اﻟﻌﻠﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻌﻈﻢ أﺟﻬﺰة ﻗﻴﺎس اﻟﺴﺮﻳﺎن اﻟﺘﺠﺎرﻳﺔ اﻟﻤﻮﺟﻮدة ﻋﺎﻟﻤﻴﺎ‪ ،‬آﻤﺎ ﺕﺴﺘﻌﺮض‬
‫ﺡﺴﻨﺎت وﺱﻴﺌﺎت ﻣﻌﻈﻢ هﺬﻩ اﻟﺘﻘﻨﻴﺎت‪.‬‬

‫‪* e-mail: ibrahim@babelli.com‬‬

‫‪October 2002‬‬ ‫‪The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B.‬‬ ‫‪113‬‬
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

ABSTRACT
An ideal multiphase flow meter should have the majority of these characteristics:
1. Measure the void fraction of the dispersed phase within the continuous phase
2. Determine the flow regime of the mixture flow
3. Measure the flow rate of each phase (preferably in terms of superficial velocities)
4. Perform non-intrusive measurements where the mixture flow is unaltered by
redirection, reduction in flow area, or obstruction
5. Have wide range of applicability with respect to types of fluids, flow rates, flow
regimes, conduit size, temperatures, and pressures
6. Produce consistent measurements over a long period of time
7. Be simple and inexpensive.
Evidently, such a meter does not exist yet. However, the need to perform such
measurements for the nuclear, chemical, and oil industries (to name a few) has led to
substantial development of instruments that bear some resemblance to the ideal meter
whose characteristics are mentioned above. Some of the instruments used in the field
of multiphase metering are the gamma densitometer, the impedance meter, the
magnetic flow meter, the positive displacement meter, the ultrasonic sensor, the auto-
correlation sensor, the microwave watercut meter, and the pressure transducer, in
addition to flow visualization techniques.
A modern multiphase flow meter usually includes several of the above-mentioned
instruments. The measured quantity, the nature of the application, and the field
environment are the most important parameters considered while designing and/or
selecting the most appropriate combination of instruments. There are currently several
hundred multiphase flow meter installations around the world. The technical advances
in the majority of these meters are providing valuable information to the operators, not
only to measure flow rates but also to optimize production [1].
An assessment of the various technologies employed in most of the commercial
multiphase flow meters is provided in this paper. A brief description of the various
multiphase metering technologies along with their advantages and disadvantages are
presented.

114 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

IN SEARCH OF AN IDEAL MULTIPHASE FLOW METER FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY

1. INTRODUCTION
Pipelines from oil wells to production facilities carry multiphase mixtures of crude oil, water, and gas, where the
multiphase mixture is separated into its three phases. Current practice is to feed sequentially the outputs from each well
to a common test separator, and to measure the flow rate of each phase after separation. The disadvantages of this
practice, for oil well control, are that it takes several hours to determine the flow rates for each well, while there may be
more than 10 wells to be monitored on offshore platforms. Moreover, the determination may not be representative,
because the flow rate is sampled for only a small part of the production time of the well [2]. One alternative to the use of
separators is the use of multiphase flow meters. The information required from a multiphase flow meter includes the
flow rate of oil, water, and gas. The ideal way to obtain these measurements is by direct and independent measurement.
Unfortunately, no direct measurement devices exist yet [3].
The search for a more flexible measuring and monitoring system was also motivated by the fact that production from
many major oil fields has started to decline. Therefore, in the interest of operational cost effectiveness, several small
nearby fields that previously were uneconomical were tied to the same network of production that used to serve the
major fields. This action, though motivated by cost reduction, resulted in different oil properties, water content, and gas
fractions, all being produced for single-well (or single-field) production. The aging oil fields equally resulted in
increased water contents and gas fractions in the production stream.
An ideal multiphase flow meter for use by the oil industry should, at least:
1. measure the void fraction of the dispersed phase within the continuous phase;
2. determine the flow regime of the mixture flow;
3. measure the flow rate of each phase;
4. perform non-intrusive measurements [3–5];
5. have a wide range of applicability with respect to types of fluids, flow rates, flow regimes, conduit size,
temperatures, and pressures;
6. produce consistent measurements over a long period of time;
7. be compact;
8. be simple and inexpensive.
Evidently, such a comprehensive meter does not exist yet. However, the need to perform such measurements for the
nuclear, chemical, and oil industries (to name a few) has led to substantial development of instruments that bear some
resemblance to the ideal meter mentioned above. Some of the instruments used in the field of multiphase metering are
the gamma densitometer, the impedance meter, the magnetic flow meter, the positive displacement meter, the ultrasonic
sensor, an auto-correlation sensor, the microwave watercut meter, and the pressure transducer, in addition to flow
visualization techniques.
A modern multiphase flow meter usually includes several of the above-mentioned instruments. The measured quantity,
the nature of the application, and the field environment are the most important parameters considered while designing
and/or selecting the most appropriate combination of instruments. Use of such meter should eventually lead to:
1. replacement of test separators;
2. reduction in the cost of piping, because the outputs of several wells can be grouped together after having
performed the flow measurements at the well discharge;
3. reduction in capital cost of new offshore platforms by replacing the bulky and heavy test separators with the
multiphase flow meters;
4. better reservoir management, production allocation and optimization of total oil production over the lifetime of
the field [2].

October 2002 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. 115
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

Because multiphase meters do not use large-volume separators, the response time of multiphase meters is much faster
than that of conventional three-phase separator systems. In addition to providing more temporal information than
conventional well test systems, multiphase meters can also provide other real-time information such as water
conductivity and oil API. These measurements, which may be provided instantaneously without human interaction, can
be helpful in determining water breakthrough and communication between oil zones [6].
The average costs of the meters sold in 1997 are $197 000, $227 885, and $334 091 for onshore, topside, and subsea
meters, respectively. The cost range of the surface meters in 1997 was between $50 000 and $500 000, with an average
of $231 000 [6].
The target accuracy for a multiphase flow meter is to determine the flow rate of each component to within 5–10%
range [2]. The combination of different measurements to infer the necessary volumetric fraction and phasic velocities
may result in increased uncertainties. It is also well known that some of the measurement principles in multiphase flow
have fundamental measurement uncertainties, such as gamma densitometers, that influence the overall performance of
the meters.
The first three attempts to develop a multiphase flow meter were by Euromatic, Texaco, and a consortium led by NEL
and SGS. None of these three meters went into production, even though they provided valuable information on the
design and performance of single-phase technologies in multiphase flow measurements. Various types of multiphase
flow meters for oil–water–gas mixtures are currently being developed and tested [1, 7–22]. A representative list of
multiphase flow developers, reproduced from [15], is shown in Table 1.

Table 1.

Meter Total flow Gas fraction Water cut

Classification
Developer measurement measurement measurement
AGAR Positive displacement Venturi Microwave In-line
meter
Fluenta Venturi, Densitometer Capacitance In-line
cross-correlation
Framo Venturi Dual gamma Dual gamma In-line,
full stream mixer
Kongsberg Cross-correlation Cross-section Dielectric In-line
mapping Constant
MFI Cross-correlation Densitometer Microwave In-line
Scrolflow Progressive Densitometer Sampler/ WC Intrusive
cavity meter monitor
Texaco Mass meters Separator Microwave Sample
densitometer Separation
Wellcomp Coriolis flow meter Sample analysis Capacitance Sample
Separation

In addition to the meters shown in Table 1, CSIRO [16] and Shell [17] have been involved in the process of
developing multiphase flow meters for use in the oil industry. Saudi Aramco developed a partial separation multiphase
meter that uses coriolis flow meters [19]. Accuflow developed a multiphase flow meter similar to the one developed by
Saudi Aramco [20], but the Accuflow meter is slightly more compact. There are several other meters such as the
Kvaerner Duet, Jiskoot Mixmeter, the ISA flowmeter, the HAIMO meter developed in China, and the ESMER meter
which uses a neural network approach to interpret signals from capacitance/conductance sensors and pressure
transmitters. The ESMER meter is supposed to predict the expected values of phasic velocities by combining
measurements from training of the meter [21]. A recently developed multiphase meter consists of a software package

116 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

(IDUN) that uses the pressure and temperature data from sensors in a network of flow lines (bottom hole to the inlet of
separator) plus sophisticated multiphase flow modeling to calculate the flow rates of oil, water, and gas from a well [1].
M. Ishii and co-workers at Purdue University [18] have developed a two-phase flow meter, primarily for the nuclear
industry that uses impedance void meter, gamma densitometer, and the neural network approach.
The proposed ideas for measuring oil–water–gas flow parameters using a multiphase flow meter may be divided into
two categories, namely, off-line (i.e. with a gas bypass) or on-line (i.e. without a gas bypass). For relatively high gas
fraction in the mixture content, typical of gas lift wells, it is customary to adopt a gas bypass where the majority of the
mixture gas content is diverted away from the mixture path. The separated gas is metered and then recombined with the
already metered liquid mixture. This approach was found to be equally useful for surging flow conditions. The
separation of gas from liquid prior to metering is becoming more attractive as evidenced by the multiphase flow meters
reported in [19, 20]. If proper separation between the gas and the liquid components of the mixture is achieved, the
measurement process becomes rather simple. Proper separation, however, may be hampered by the limited development
space provided within this type of meters.

2. MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS
The measured parameters of the oil–water–gas flow may be divided into four general categories:
1. flow parameters;
2. volumetric fraction parameters;
3. flow regime parameters;
4. mixture properties.
The flow regime parameters, such as the flow regimes and their transition, cannot be measured directly and must be
inferred from other measurements. Knowledge of the flow regime is, however, essential for estimating the volumetric
fraction of each phase when using the gamma densitometer or the impedance (capacitance) void meter. In addition to the
flow rate of each phase and its physical properties, the orientation of the flow (vertical or horizontal) and the size of the
pipe influence the flow regime of the mixture flow. Figure 1 shows a stratified three-phase flow of oil–water–gas
mixture in a horizontal pipe. When the flow rate of all phases is relatively small, the flow regime is stratified. With
increase in the flow rate of gas, the interface becomes wavy due to surface instability. Further increase in the gas flow
rate will transform the flow structure into plug and slug flow due to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Annular flow will
appear with further increase in the gas flow rate. Figure 2 shows a vertical bubbly three-phase flow of oil–water–gas
mixture in a pipe. Oil is the continuous phase whereas gas and water are dispersed. With increase in gas flow rate, more
bubbles will coalesce and their size will increase forming cap bubbles. If the pipe size is smaller than a critical value (to
be discussed below), the flow will undergo a transition to slug flow and further increase will result in churn turbulent
followed by annular flow. If the pipe size, on the other hand, is larger than a critical value, the slug flow regime will not
appear and transition from bubbly flow to churn turbulent will take place followed by the annular flow regime.

Figure 1. Stratified three-phase flow of oil – water – gas mixture in a horizontal pipe.

October 2002 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. 117
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

Figure 2. Bubbly three-phase flow of oil – water – gas mixture in a vertical pipe.

Most of the commercially available multiphase flow meters force the flow of the oil–water–gas mixture into a
relatively small vertical pipe through a blind Tee or an elbow. The smaller the pipe, the more compact the meters since
most meters come as stand-alone units. By forcing the mixture to flow in a vertical pipe, the flow regime of the flow
becomes symmetric and the abrupt change in direction enhances mixing between the phases. If the gas volumetric
concentration in the mixture is below 30%, there will be no problem with performing the required measurements. Most
sensors are capable of providing relatively accurate measurements when the flow regime of the mixture is bubbly. The
accuracy of the multiphase flow measurements, generally, deteriorates with increase in the gas content of the mixture.

2.1. Flow Parameters

The most important measured parameter in the oil–water–gas mixture exiting the well is the flow rate of crude oil.
Table 2 shows the methods currently used to measure the flow rate of the oil–water mixtures, along with their main
advantages and disadvantages.

2.2. Volumetric Fraction Parameters

Measuring the volumetric fraction concentration of the phases (void fraction for gas and water cut for water) is
essential in estimating the flow rate of oil. At low gas flow rates, the gas void fraction is measured by one of the
following methods:
1. gamma densitometer;
2. capacitance (impedance) void meter;
3. momentum (Venturi) meter.

118 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

Table 2.

No. Measurement method Advantages Disadvantages

1 Positive displacement Reliable and accurate for highly Performance degradation with
meter viscous fluids increase in water content

2 Momentum (venturi) Simple and inexpensive Dependent on pressure drop

meter correlation of multiphase flow

3 Cross-correlation and Simple and inexpensive Flow regime dependent

momentum meter

4 Cross-correlation and Simple and inexpensive Flow regime dependent and

densitometer radioactivity

5 Mass (Coriolis) meter Simple and accurate Performance degradation with

increase in gas content

6 Separation of phases Simple and accurate Not a real time measurement

At relatively high gas flow rates (and high gas void fraction) it is customary to separate the gas flow from the liquid
mixture for separate metering and then recombine all three phases downstream of the metering stations.
Water cut is measured by one of the following methods:
1. gamma densitometer;
2. capacitance (impedance) void meter;
3. microwave water cut meter.
Accurate prediction of flow regime is essential for the success of the above measurement methods (with the exception
of separation) [1, 3]. Unless the mixture flow is forced to completely homogenize (which is not always easy), the
knowledge of flow regime identification and flow regime transition is essential to accurate measurement of volumetric
fractions. For gas void fraction values greater than 30% (bubbly flow), flow regime prediction is not usually accurate and
hence both volumetric concentrations of gas and oil are not accurately predicted. Changing salinity (water conductivity)
affects adversely the water cut measurement using a microwave meter or a gamma densitometer. It is also reported that
the microwave water cut meter is not accurate for gas void fraction values greater than 15% [23].
The advantages and disadvantages of the volumetric fraction measurement methods are discussed in Table 3 below.

2.3. Flow Regime Parameters

Flow regime maps are the current tools for discriminating between flow regimes in the void fraction estimation. These
maps, which were developed for air–water flows, are generally reliable but they were developed for relatively small
pipes and hence may not be applicable for all pipe sizes [24–26]. Flow regimes are very complex and their idealization
by a flow regime map is rather an over simplification [5]. This simplification, however, has permitted researchers to
develop interaction models between the phases with sufficient accuracy. One has to be very careful in applying the
conditions of a certain flow regime map outside its range of applicability [2]. Pressure, temperature, flow orientation,
pipe size, and water salinity are just few parameters that affect flow structure and hence flow regime transition.

October 2002 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. 119
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

Table 3.

No. Measurement method Advantages Disadvantages

1 Gamma densitometer Reliable and simple. It can handle Accuracy dependent on phase
moderate to high gas fractions distribution and on mode of
operation, in addition to salinity, and
specific gravity

2 Capacitance (impedance) Simple, robust, and has no radiation Accuracy dependent on flow regime
void meter and on the properties of the water

3 Momentum (venturi) Simple and inexpensive Flow regime dependent

meter

4 Microwave water cut Simple and reliable Accuracy dependent on water salinity
meter and cannot handle gas void fractions
in excess of 15%

We will look at one example where varying one parameter will render most vertical flow regime maps inaccurate [26].
The parameter in question is the pipe diameter and its effect on the slug flow regime is remarkable. For two-phase
air–water or steam–water vertical flows, it was shown that there is a critical diameter above which no Taylor bubbles
(i.e. slug bubbles) are formed [27]. This is caused by the disintegration of large bubbles due to surface instabilities. The
critical diameter was given by:

σ
D = 40 , (1)
g∆ρ

where D is the critical pipe diameter, σ is the surface tension, g is the acceleration of gravity, and ∆ρ is the density
difference between the two phases.

2.4. Mixture Properties

The mixture properties include:
1. densities;
2. salinity;
3. temperature;
4. pressure;
5. dielectric constant.
The accurate measurement of the mixture properties is crucial to the successful measurement of the flow properties of
the mixture.

3. MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE COMMERCIAL MULTIPHASE FLOW METERS

A brief description of the most important components of the currently available multiphase flow meters is given
below. The mathematical description for the principles of operation of the instruments is available in several references
and hence will not be reproduced below. It is important to notice that the list of components is by no means exhaustive.
It contains, however, the most widely used components.

120 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

3.1. Gamma Densitometer

Gamma densitometers are simple density measurement tools. A denser material attenuates gamma ray more
effectively than a lighter material. By careful calibration, the ratio of the volume of one material to the total volume of
the mixture may be estimated. A collimated gamma ray at the source and the detector results in a line (chord) average
volumetric concentration. Pan and Hewitt [28] demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that the cross sectional
(traversing chordal) phase fractions in air–oil–water flow could be measured using a dual-energy gamma-densitometer.
They reported a 3% average uncertainty in the measurements.

The basic principle for the gamma-ray attenuation technique is the experimentally observed fact that the intensity of
the collimated beam decreases exponentially as it passes through matter. A detailed analysis for the chordal-average void
fraction in a multiphase flow in a steel pipe is given in [28].

Minimizing the error in gamma-ray measurements depends on a group of five parameters:

1. count rates;
2. measurement time;
3. chord length;
4. mass attenuation coefficients;
5. gamma source energies.

The selection of gamma energies was the focus of the optimization effort by Van Santen et al. [7] and Pan and Hewitt
[28]. The latter authors reported a theoretical study for the selection of best pairs of gamma energies for the specific
geometry and composition. For a stainless steel 3 inch pipe, Ba-133 with energies of 31 KeV and 81 KeV and a strength
of 20 mCi was selected and gave a measurement error of 3%. The authors used 8-points traversing measurements
covering half of the pipe cross-section — assuming symmetry — and a scintillation detector operating in the count
mode. Roach et al. [2] used Cs-137 and Am-241 as the radioactive sources in their dual gamma-energy densitometer.

One of the important conclusions of the authors was that the smaller the energy of the lower gamma beam the better
the statistical error [29]. A tradeoff between minimum error and shielding requirement due to increase in source strength
— needed to overcome absorption — must be struck for each experimental setup.

Van Santen and Kolar [4] showed (theoretically) that a third photon energy can be used to reduce the systematic errors
in the watercut resulting form spatial and temporal variations in the oil–water–gas mixture composition when measured
with a dual-energy gamma densitometer. The energy of the third photon was proposed to be significantly higher than the
energy of the first two photons, hence providing a third independent measurement.

3.2. Impedance/Capacitance Void Probe

A two-ring impedance/capacitance void probe measures the volume-averaged void fraction. Measuring the electrical
impedance, or the dielectric constant, of the mixture and applying the relationship between the void fraction and the
impedance (dielectric constant) of the mixture determine the information about void fraction. The fast response of the
impedance/capacitance void meter makes it possible to use it for measurements during transient situations as well as
steady state. Void measurements using the impedance/capacitance void meter depend on flow regimes and proper
constitutive relationships between the measured impedance of the mixture and void fraction are necessary.

The frequency of the input signal determines whether the measurement is in the impedance or the capacitance mode.
Mi et al. used a frequency of 100 kHz [30] to perform impedance void fraction measurements in two-phase flow. The
choice of this frequency value managed to avoid the double layer effect reported by Coney [31]. The capacitance void
meters used in the multiphase flow meters usually operate at ranges of frequency around 1 gHz [6]. The impedance void
meter is more suitable when the conducting liquid, i.e. water, is the continuous medium, whereas the capacitance void
meter is more suitable when the oil, which is not electrically conducting, is the continuous medium.

October 2002 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. 121
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

Once the multiphase mixture impedance (dielectric constant) is measured, it must be interpreted to provide the phase
fractions. The flow regime and the phase fractions have a pronounced effect over the accuracy of the measurement [32].
Several multiphase flow meters designs usually force the mixture into a small region — either a mixer or through a blind
Tee — to force the flow regime of the mixture into a homogeneous distribution where the structure of the dispersed
phase is generally spherical and there is very little slip between the phases.

3.3. Microwave Watercut Meter

The dielectric constant and conductivity of water are much different than those for oil. This difference may be used to
measure the water content of oil–water mixtures. When oil and water are mixed, the mixture dielectric properties lie
between those of water and oil and will depend on the volume fraction of the water. The microwave watercut meter
measures the microwave dielectric properties of the mixtures using the resonant cavity method.
A resonant cavity is a metal structure, which confines an electric field and causes it to reflect back and forth within the
cavity. If the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves equals one of the dimensions of the cavity, and then the multiple
reflecting waves constructively interfere and generate a standing wave, i.e. the electric field resonates. If the cavity is
filled with a specific material, the resonant frequency of the cavity will shift by an amount directly related to the
dielectric material in the cavity. The width of the resonant peak is related to the conductivity of the material in the cavity.
Thus, by measuring the resonant frequency and the peak width, the dielectric properties of the material in the cavity are
determined [23]. By proper calibration, the ratio of water volume to oil volume (watercut) is determined.

3.4. Coriolis Mass Flow Meter

The operational principle of the coriolis mass flowmeter is as follows: The fluid in motion through a vibrating flow
tube is forced to take on an acceleration as it moves toward the point of peak amplitude of vibration. Conversely, the
fluid decelerates as it moves away from the point of peak amplitude as it exits the tube. The moving fluid exerts a force
on the inlet side of the tube in resistance to this acceleration, causing this side of the tube to lag behind its no-flow
position. On the outlet side, the force exerted by the flowing fluid is in the opposite direction as the fluid resists the
deceleration. This force causes the outlet side of the tube to lead ahead of its no-flow position. The result of these forces
is a twisting reaction of the flow tube during flow conditions as it traverses each vibrational cycle [33].
Since the measured mass flow rate is independent of the vibrating frequency of the tube, it is possible to operate the
device at its natural frequency. The natural frequency of the vibrating tube depends on the mass of the material contained
within the tube. This fact enables the use of Coriolis meters as a density measuring devices. This operational
characteristic has been adopted to determine the void fraction of a dispersed phase within the continuous phase flowing
in the vibrating tube. The accuracy of this method in measuring gas void fraction is limited to values of void fraction
below 15%.

3.5. Pressure Measurement

By using the Beggs and Brill correlation (or a modified version of it), one can use the integrated momentum equation
to back calculate the void fraction of the flow from the measured differential pressure drop. In horizontal flow, this also
necessitates the use of accurate models for the multiphase friction coefficient. Extensive research has been reported in
this area, but the detailed information is beyond the scope of this paper.
System pressure must be measured accurately to ensure accurate properties substitution.

3.6. Positive Displacement Meters

This is a tool for measuring volumetric liquid flow rate of the oil and water mixture. The positive-displacement (PD)
meters segregate the flow into discrete volumes and then sum the total volume by counting unit volumes passing through
the meter. The meter housing has chambers — up to four for the bellows type — that are continuously filled and
discharged. As each chamber is filled and discharged, rotation is transmitted through suitable gearing to a counter that
reads total volume. Seals are required to separate the volumes, and the pressure loss across the meter provides the energy

122 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

to drive the moving parts. Because of the close tolerances required, the fluid temperature and viscosity affect the range as
well as the accuracy [34]. The presence of entrained gas in the liquid stream adversely affects the performance of the PD
meter.

4. NEURAL NETWORKS
Neural computing (NC) attempts to emulate some of the workings of the human brain. An essential characteristic of
NC is that it uses artificial neurons and networks to perform arbitrarily nonlinear mappings and discover hidden relations
in various data patterns [30].
In analogy with the biological neuron, which is the fundamental cellular unit of the brain nervous system, an artificial
neuron is the elementary processing unit of artificial neural networks. An artificial neural network can be defined as a
data processing system consisting of a large number of simple, highly interconnected artificial neurons. These processing
elements are usually organized into a sequence of layers with full or random connections between the layers. This
arrangement, shown in Figure 3, is where the input layer is a buffer that presents data to the network. The top layer is the
output layer, which receives the output response to a given intermediate or hidden layer because it usually has no
connections to the outside world. Typically the input, hidden and output layers are designated the i th, j th, and k th layers,
respectively.
A typical neural network is fully connected, which means that there is a connection between each of the neurons in
any given layer with each of the neurons in the next layer as shown in Figure 3. In all cases, these connections have
weights that must be trained, i.e., adjusted through a learning algorithm to best reflect the underlying relation between
known inputs and outputs. When known input and output are presented to the network and an error minimization
algorithm supervises the weight modification, the entire process is called supervised learning. And when the network is
presented with inputs, which it clusters to related categories, by itself, it is known as self-organized neural network.
NC uses supervised learning for approximating complex mappings and self-organized neural networks for discovering
relations hidden in various data patterns. Both approaches are used for flow regime identification.
Two-phase flow regimes are difficult to be identified by traditional classifier system designs. This suggests that
classifiers should be developed using non-parametric methods, which are capable of forming non-linear decisions. Both
a supervised and a self-organizing neural network were developed to identify flow regimes in vertical adiabatic flow

Y1 Yn Ym

Output
Buffer k th layer

Middle
j th layer
Layer

Input
Buffer i th layer

X1 Xn Xm

Figure 3. Example of an artificial neural network architecture [30].

October 2002 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. 123
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

using a multi-electrode impedance void meter signal [30]. For vertical adiabatic two-phase flow, it was shown that neural
networks are appropriate classifiers of flow regimes. Furthermore, the self-organizing neural network discovered the
information about flow regime transition [30].

The ESMER (Expert System for Multiphase MeteRing) multiphase flow meter is founded on the premise that there is
a non-linear relationship between the time, frequency, and amplitude domain properties of the turbulent hydrodynamic
signals sampled at high frequency (turbulent pressure signals) and average flow rates of the total liquid and gas phases
and between the turbulent impedance/capacitance signal and the composition of the liquid phase. These relationships are
modeled using neural nets [5].

After testing the ESMER meter, it was reported that supervised neural nets provided optimum performance in terms of
phasic flow rate, and a flow conditioner was necessary to decouple the turbulent signals from in-situ effects [5].

This type of meters learn the details of fluid dynamics behavior from experience using neural nets. There is no
Newtonian mechanics modeling in the meter, hence its (theoretical) immunity to inaccuracies resulting from incomplete
or erroneous flow regime and flow regime transition modeling.

5. CONCLUSIONS

The general consensus is that there is no single multiphase flow meter design capable of providing the required
accurate measurements of oil, water, and gas fractions, as well as the phase velocities under all flow conditions. The
industry has made great strides in the direction of resolving this problem by selecting proper instrument combinations for
the specific applications. An extensive procedure for testing the individual components of the meters and of the integral
meters has been going on for the past 15 years. As operational experience accumulated, the technology used in
multiphase flow meters has matured significantly, resulting in increasing acceptance of these meters to replace
conventional test separators [1].

There is no single combination of instruments yet that is capable of performing the necessary measurements for all
ranges encountered at the oil fields. And it is clear that a winner has not emerged in the race to produce the best meter.
I believe that the multiphase flow meters that adopt separation of the gas phase from the liquid mixture have the potential
to win the market. This is due to the fact that the presence of gas in the mixture stream is the single most complicating
factor in performing volumetric void fraction measurements.

Neural networks are being considered seriously to resolve the difficulties that arise from having to combine several
measured signals to obtain the phasic velocities and void fractions. Using neural computing has proven to be successful
in predicting flow regime and transition in two-phase air–water vertical flow. The ESMER meter adopts neural nets for
reporting multiphase parameters from basic measurements. More research is needed in this area if this technology is to
be used in the multiphase flow meters successfully.

It has to be mentioned that there is still one area where the conventional test separators outperform the new generation
multiphase flow meters. By properly sizing the meters on the three-phase separator lines, a very large rate turndown is
measurable for each phase. Essentially, rates can be measured accurately from the maximum that the separator can
handle down to zero (provided the test is long enough) [6]. The standard commercial multiphase meters are less flexible
and, consequently, more limited in this respect. Continuous modification of multiphase flow meters is being carried on
by the major manufacturers to cover ranges of the flow rates (such as very high gas fractions [22] or higher watercuts)
that could not be covered by the standard multiphase flow meters.

Calibration of multiphase flow meters is another area of concern that has not been properly addressed. Test separators
are not acceptable devices for meaningful calibration, as the order of uncertainty in a test separator is similar to that for a
multiphase flow meter [35]. Most meters are tested and calibrated at certified flow loop facilities that may not be capable
of reproducing field conditions, however.

124 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

REFERENCES
[1] P. Mehdizadeh, “Optimize Production with Online Measurements”, Hart’s E&P, November 1999, pp. 80–83.
[2] G.J. Roach, J.S. Watt, H.W. Zastawny, P.E. Hartley, and W.K. Ellis, “Field Trial of Gamma-Ray Multiphase Flow Meter on
Thevenard Island”, Nucl. Geophys., 9(1) (1995), pp. 1–17.
[3] P. Mehdizadeh, “Multiphase Meters: Delivering Improved Production Measurements and Well Testing Today”, Petroleum
Engineer International, May 1998, pp. 63–70.
[4] H. Van Santen and Z.I. Kolar, “Using a Third Photon Energy for Gamma- and/or X-Ray Composition Measurements in Oil–
Water–Gas Mixtures”, Nuclear Geophysics, 9(5) (1995), pp. 413–423.
[5] H. Toral, S. Cai, and E. Akartuna, “Multiphase Flow Rate Identification by Pattern Recognition at Shell AUK Alpha Platform”,
18th North Sea Flow Measurement Workshop, 2000.
[6] G.J. Hatton, “Multiphase Flow Meters and Application Trends”, OTC 8547 (Offshore Technology Conference), 1997,
pp. 509–516.
[7] H. Van Santen, Z.I. Kolar, and A.M. Scheers, “Photon Energy Selection for Dual Energy γ- and/or X-Ray Absorption
Composition Measurements in Oil–Water–Gas Mixtures”, Nucl. Geophys., 9(3) (1995), pp. 193–202.
[8] R. Baker, “Measuring Multiphase Flow”, Chem. Eng., 39 (1988).
[9] E.A. Lunde and J. Grendstad, “Multiphase Metering”, in Multiphase Meters and Their Subsea Applications: Proc. One Day
Seminar, Subsea Engineering News, London, 1993.
[10] R. Maurer, “BP Multiphase Flowmeter: Mechanical Design Parameters”, in Multiphase Meters and Their Subsea Applications:
Proc. One Day Seminar, Subsea Engineering News, London, 1993.
[11] A.B. Olsen, “Framo Subsea Multiphase Flow Meter System”, in Multiphase Meters and Their Subsea Applications: Proc. One
Day Seminar, Subsea Engineering News, London, 1993.
[12] G.J. Roach, J.S. Watt, H.W. Zastawny, P.E. Hartley, and W.K. Ellis, “Multiphase Flowmeter for Oil, Water and Gas in
Pipelines Based on Gamma-Ray Transmission Techniques”, Nucl. Geophys., 8 (1994), pp. 225–241.
[13] S. Ashkuri and T.J. Hill, “Measurement of Multiphase Flows in Crude Oil Production Systems”, Petrol. Rev., 39 (1985),
pp. 14–17.
[14] A.W. Jamieson, R.G. Smeenk, and P.B Vriesen, “Multiphase Flow Measurement at Production Platforms”, Petrol. Rev.,
39 (1985), 23–29.
[15] P. Mehdizadeh and D. Farchy, “Multiphase Flow Metering Using Dissimilar Flow Sensors: Theory and Field Trial Results”,
SPE 29847 (SPE Middle East Oil Show, Bahrain), 1995.
[16] J.S. Watt, “The CSIRO Gamma-Ray Multiphase Flow Meter”, CSIRO Australia Report: DM-P092, 1996.
[17] Z.I. Kolar, Private Communication, 1997.
[18] M. Ishii, L.H. Tsoukalas, Y. Mi, Z. Xiao, and M. Li, “Development of Multiphase Flow Sensors and Diagnostic Systems”,
Purdue University Report: PU/NE-96-6, 1996.
[19] A.B. Al-Taweel, S.G. Barlow, and M.A. Aggour, “Development and Testing of Multiphase Metering Unit Utilizing Coriolis
Meters”, SPE 38785 (SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition), 1997.
[20] J.J.S. Shen and R.C. Riley, “Field Evaluation of a Multiphase Meter in Well-Testing Operation”, SPE Production & Facilities,
1998, pp. 109–117.
[21] B. Millington, “Multiphase Flow Metering: a Review”, J. Offshore Technology, 5(4) (1997), pp. 18–21.
[22] C.C. Ngai, M.D. Brown, and P. Mehdizadeh, “Performance Test of a High Gas Volume Fraction Multiphase Flow Meter in a
Producing Field”, SPE 38784, 1997, pp. 359–363.
[23] URL: http://www.multifluid.com
[24] J.M. Mandhane, G.A. Gregory and K. Aziz, “A Flow Pattern Map for Gas–Liquid Flow in Horizontal Pipes”, Int. J. Multiphase
Flow, 1 (1974), pp. 537–544.
[25] Y. Taitel and A.E. Dukler, “A Model for Predicting Flow Regimes Transition in Horizontal and Near Horizontal Gas–Liquid
Flow”, AIChE J., 22 (1976), pp. 47–55.
[26] K. Mishima and M. Ishii, “Flow Regime Transition Criteria for Upward Two-Phase Flow in Vertical Tubes”, Int. J. Heat Mass
Transfer, 27(5) (1984), pp. 723–737.
[27] I. Kataoka and M. Ishii, “Prediction of Pool Void Fraction by New Drift Flux Correlation”, NUREG/CR 4657 ANL-86-29, 1986.
[28] L. Pan and G.F. Hewitt, “Precise Measurement of Cross Sectional Phase Fractions in Three-Phase Flow Using a Dual-Energy
Gamma Densitometer”, in HTC 8: ANS Proceedings of the 1995 National Heat Transfer Conference, 1995, pp. 71–78.

October 2002 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. 125
 Ibrahim M. M. Babelli

[29] A.M.C. Chan and S. Banarjee, “Design Aspects of Gamma Densitometers for Void Fraction Measurements in Small Scale Two-
Phase Flows”, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, 190 (1981), pp. 135–148.
[30] Y. Mi, M. Li, Z. Xiao, L.H. Tsoukalas, and M. Ishii, “Impedance Void-Meter and Neural Networks for Vertical Two-Phase
Flows”, in Proceedings of the OECD/CSNI Specialist Meeting on Advanced Instrumentation and Measurement Techniques,
1997.
[31] M.W.E. Coney, “The Theory and Application of Conductance Probes for the Measurement of Liquid Film Thickness in Two-
Phase Flow”, J. Phys. E: Scient. Instrum., 6 (1973), pp. 903–910.
[32] P. Andreussi, A. Di Donfrancesco, and M. Messia, “An Impedance Method for the Measurement of Liquid Hold-up in Two-
Phase Flow”, Int. J. Multiphase Flow, 6 (1998), pp. 777–787.
[33] D.W. Spitzer (ed.), Flow Measurement. Instrument Society of America, 1991.
[34] R.W. Miller, Flow Measurement Engineering Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2nd edn., 1989.
[35] P. Mehdizadeh, “Multiphase Flow Metering: Current Status and Future Developments”, OTC 8553 (Offshore Technology
Conference), 1997, pp. 545–552.

Paper Received 3 July 2000; Revised 10 February 2001; Accepted 22 April 2001.

126 The Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, Volume 27, Number 2B. October 2002