A pipeline operating in the slug flow regime creates high fluctuations in gas and liquid flowerates at its outlet. The detection of slugs and the estimation of their length and velocity, are necessary to minimise the upsets in the operation of downstream process facilities. A new method based on the acoustic principle has been developed by TOTAL and SYMINEX with two variants: passive and active. The assive method gives the slug length and velocity, whereas the active method also gives the fluid density. The prototype of this system has been installed permanently on a 20" multiphase pipeline in Argentina. As this system detects the slugs and determines their characteristics approximately two minutes before they arrive at the first stage separator, the operators take appropriate actions in the case of arrival of an excessively long s lug, thus, avoiding possible slut-downs. At a later stage, an automatic adjustment of the process control valves will be reslised.
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