The objective of this program is to develop instrumentation systems and techniques for radioactive tracer applications for one-component, two-phase flow measurements. The effort expended in this program is directed toward two goals: First, a technique is being developed for the measurement of the two-phase flow conditions during the experimental study of the phenomena in the upper reactor plenum during reflooding, to be performed with a full-scale, half vessel model of a PWR. Secondly, methods are being developed for the calibration of conventional two-phase flow measurement systems containing drag disks, turbines, and pressure sensors, by radioactive tracer techniques.
Use of radioactive tracers for flow velocity measurements is well developed and documented. Measurement techniques involving pulsed sources of fast (14 MeV) neutrons for in-situ production of tracers can be considered as extensions of the old methods. Improvements offered by these Pulsed Neutron Activation (PNA) techniques over conventional radioisotope techniques are (1) non-intrusion into the system, (2) easier introduction and better mixing of the tracer, and (3) no requirement to handle large amounts of relatively long lived radioactive materials. Just as in conventional tracer techniques, flow velocity measurements by PNA methods can be based on the transit-time or the total-count method. A very significant difference of the PNA technique from conventional methods is that the induced activity is proportional to the density of the fluid, and that PNA techniques can be used for density measurements (of two-phase flows) in addition to flow velocity measurement. Original equations were derived that relate experimental data to the mass flow velocity and the average density. The accuracy of these equations is not effected by the flow regime. Experimental results are presented for tests performed on liquid sodium loops, on air--water loops, on the EBR-II reactor and on the LOFT reactor. Current instrumentation development programs (detectors, pulsed neutron sources) are discussed.
The need for this book arose from my teaching, engineering, and - search experience in the non-power aspects of nuclear technology. The lack of a comprehensive textbook in industrial applications of radiation frustrated my students, who had to resort to a multitude of textbooks and research publications to familiarize themselves with the fundam- tal and practical aspects of radiation technology. As an engineer, I had to acquire the design aspects of radiation devices by trial-and-error, and often by accidental reading of a precious publication. As a researcher and a supervisor of graduate students, I found that the needed literature was either hard to find, or too scattered and diverse. More than once, I discovered that what appeared to be an exciting new idea was an old concept that was tried a few decades earlier during the golden era of “Atom for Peace”. I am hoping, therefore, that this book will serve as a single comprehensive reference source in a growing field that I expect will continue to expand. This book is directed to both neophytes and experts, and is written to combine the old and the new, the basic and the advanced, the simple and the complex. It is anticipated that this book will be of help in - viving older concepts, improving and expanding existing techniques and promoting the development of new ones.
Over the last two decades the development, evaluation and use of MFM systems has been a major focus for the Oil & Gas industry worldwide. Since the early 1990's, when the first commercial meters started to appear, there have been around 2,000 field applications of MFM for field allocation, production optimisation and well testing. So far, many alternative metering systems have been developed, but none of them can be referred to as generally applicable or universally accurate. Both established and novel technologies suitable to measure the flow rates of gas, oil and water in a three-phase flow are reviewed and assessed within this book. Those technologies already implemented in the various commercial meters are evaluated in terms of operational and economical advantages or shortcomings from an operator point of view. The lessons learned about the practical reliability, accuracy and use of the available technology is discussed. The book suggests where the research to develop the next generation of MFM devices will be focused in order to meet the as yet unsolved problems. The book provides a critical and independent review of the current status and future trends of MFM, supported by the authors' strong background on multiphase flow and by practical examples. These are based on the authors' direct experience on MFM, gained over many years of research in connection with both operators and service companies. As there are currently no books on the subject of Multiphase Flow Metering for the Oil & Gas industry, this book will fill in the gap and provide a theoretical and practical reference for professionals, academics, and students.* Written by leading scholars and industry experts of international standing* Includes strong coverage of the theoretical background, yet also provides practical examples and current developments* Provides practical reference for professionals, students and academics
