Research on oil-water mixed-phase flow measurement method based on heat transfer method

Oil-water two-phase flow at oilfield wellheads is a common occurrence in distribution. This paper proposes using a heat transfer method to accurately measure and monitor the total fluid volume at the wellhead. To achieve this, thermal sensors of types PT1000 and PT20, which are suitable for measuring oil-water mixed flow, are first designed. The feasibility and linearity of the sensors are simulated and calculated. Secondly, the heat transfer coefficient is computed using experimental methods and a functional relationship between the heat transfer coefficient and the flow rate is derived. Finally, the calculated results demonstrate the feasibility of using the heat transfer method to measure oil-water two-phase flow. If the water-liquid ratio (WLR) is known, the flow rate can be calculated through the functional relationship between the heat transfer coefficient and the flow rate. This method can improve the accuracy of estimating the flow rate.