Systems that carry flowing fluids often require pressure of the fluid to drop or reduce from an upstream pressure to a downstream pressure. The pressure drop may serve to condition the fluid for other parts of the system, like branch networks or metrology hardware found on gas distribution systems. Pressure regulators enjoys wide use for this purpose. These devices often leverage “mechanically-actuated” restrictions to generate the pressure drop. Such restrictions are effective to restrict the flow of fluid so as to reduce pressure from the higher, upstream pressure to the lower, downstream pressure.
The subject matter of this disclosure improves pressure regulators and like devices that decrease (or regulate) pressure of fluid. Of particular interest here are embodiments that can generate power concomitantly with pressure drop as well. The embodiments can incorporate into gas distribution networks. Electrical couplings can direct the power to nearby metrology hardware or other peripheral devices (e.g., batteries, lights, cameras, communication systems, etc.). For gas distribution, this feature may solve power limitations that resonate at installations in the field. These installations often use batteries or on-board storage to address the lack readily available, reliable, or consistent power. Power from the embodiments here may find use to energize electronic components or to replace, supplement, or charge the batteries. Use of the embodiments may also reduce duty cycle on batteries (or like energy supply found on-board the gas meter). This feature may preclude maintenance necessary to check and replace batteries, potentially saving significant costs because these installations may number in the hundreds and thousands in the field and, moreover, often reside in remote areas, both of which may present major logistical challenges to plan and allocate labor. It is also thought that supplemental power from the embodiments may improve reliability because it will avoid downtime of the gas meter should batteries die unexpectedly or suffer from reduced or total loss of energy prematurely, which can be significant nuisance and unplanned expense for the operator.
Reference is now made briefly to the accompanying figures, in which:
Where applicable like reference characters designate identical or corresponding components and units throughout the several views, which are not to scale unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments disclosed herein may include elements that appear in one or more of the several views or in combinations of the several views. Moreover, methods are exemplary only and may be modified by, for example, reordering, adding, removing, and/or altering the individual stages.
The discussion below describes embodiments of a flow modulator that can modulate flow of fluids. The embodiments include operative components that can provide fuel gas to gas meters (and related metrology hardware) at appropriate flow parameters. These components may, for example, operate to reduce pressure of the fuel gas from higher pressure consistent with well-head or large distribution pipelines to lower pressure that allows the gas meter to accurately quantify volumetric flow. As an added benefit, these same components may concomitantly generate power, effectively to reclaim energy from the drop in pressure of the fuel gas that flows through the flow modulator. Other embodiments are within the scope of the subject matter of this disclosure.
Broadly, the flow modulator 100 is configured to reduce pressure of material 104 concomitantly with mechanical resistance to the flow. As noted, practice to date typically leverages “mechanically-actuated” restrictions to generate the pressure drop in the flow of material 106. The proposed design improves on these practices because it effectively “recovers” energy (as the signal 114) that results from the pressure drop. This energy may find use to power or supplement power on the load 120 or some other peripheral device. Examples of these devices include flow devices, like gas meters, batteries, lights, cameras, data systems, communication systems, and the like. In one implementation, the energy transfer loop may also use the signal 114 to generate quantifiable values for flow parameters (e.g., flow rate, pressure, etc.). Other values may correlate to movement of the components 110, 112, for example, rotation speed that occurs in response to flow of material 104.
The flow control 106 may be configured to interact with flow of material 104. These configurations may take the place of “mechanically-actuated” pressure regulators or like devices. Preference may be given to structure for the flow control 106 that interfere little with fluid dynamics of material 104. This structure may maintain the gap G that separates the components 108, 110, which is effective to reduce running friction or other interference that may add unwanted perturbations to the flow. This feature may prove useful because it won't introduce errors downstream when the flow modulator 100 is used in conjunction with metrology hardware that meters the flow of material 104.
The first component 108 may reside in the flow of material 104. It may adopt structure that can move (e.g., rotate) as material 104 passes across the device. Turbines and like “bladed” devices may be particularly well-suited for this endeavor. This structure may comprise metals, composites, or plastics, but this listing is not exhaustive. Preference may be given to materials that are compatible with material 104 to avoid corrosion or degradation. However, this disclosure does contemplate that other structure and materials may be useful as well.
The second component 110 may be configured to reside outside of the flow of material 104. In this position, the second component 110 may remain stationary (relative to the “moving” first component 108). It may also benefit installation, then, to fashion the second component 110 to avoid interference that can interrupt, e.g., rotation of the first component 110. However, this disclosure does contemplate some implementations where the second component 110 may transit to close any gap or distance with the first component 108.
The energy transitory mechanism 112 may be configured to transfer energy between the components 108, 110. These configurations may use structure that preserves the gap G between the components 108, 110. Preference may be given to “non-contact” modalities for this purpose. Exemplary modalities include magnetic or ultrasonic technologies, but this disclosure also contemplates that technologies developed after the date of this writing may also suffice.
The load circuit 116 may be configured to regulate the pressure drop across the flow control 106. These configurations may include circuitry that embodies the load control 118 to modulate the load 120 on the flow control 106. This circuitry may function to manage the energy drawn by the load 120 to appropriately impede relative movement between the components 108, 110. These functions, in turn, may cause pressure drop across the device to provide material 104 at appropriate pressure that is required downstream of the flow control 106. The circuitry may benefit from feedback, for example, sensors disposed in the flow of material 104 that monitor pressure upstream and downstream of the flow control 106.
The peripheral wall 140 may be configured for the pipe section to replicate part of the conduit 102. This configuration may help with installation, particularly to retrofit the device into existing pipes and pipelines in the field. In one implementation, a technician may remove part of an existing pipe. The technician may then install the pipe section in position to replace the missing section of the pipe. The load circuit 116 may connect to the pipe section, for example, on the peripheral wall 140. This feature may foreclose the need for an end user (e.g., technician) to run extensive wiring or cable to operate the device. Instead, pluggable cable connections may be used to connect the load circuit 116 to the load control 118 and load 120 in order to connect the signal 114 to these devices.
Feedback from sensors 166 may be useful to maintain or vary the pressure drop across the flow control 106. The sensors 166 may be disposed in the flow of material 104, on the flow control 106, or elsewhere as desired. Preferably, feedback monitors flow parameters upstream and downstream of the flow control 106. In turn, the load circuit 116 may process these signals to adjust the system to maintain the pressure drop or increase or decrease the pressure drop as necessary.
In light of the foregoing discussion, the improvements herein enable devices that can both generate pressure differential and harvest energy. These devices may be useful in remote locations or other installations, where power is scarce or unavailable, but where kinetic energy of flowing materials may provide an effective catalyst for operative devices that can perform these functions. For the oil & gas industry, the option to employ devices with this dual functionality is important, for example, to supplement power (either directly or by energy storage) for use on gas meters and metrology hardware. The “extra” power may allow for increased functionality because metrology hardware has historical limitations based entirely on power available at or in proximity to the installation. The flow modulator discussed here may serve future data transmission demands like real-time data transmission, which may require almost-continuous supply of reliable power on the device. In turn, the gas meter may operate as part of a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, cloud-connected product life-cycle management software, and the “connected” that can monitor ongoing device health or diagnostics, and provide efficient allocation of resources to resolve potential issues in the field.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. An element or function recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural said elements or functions, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. References to “one embodiment” of the claimed invention should not be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, the claims are but some examples that define the patentable scope of the invention. This scope may include and contemplate other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
Examples appear below that include certain elements or clauses one or more of which may be combined with other elements and clauses to describe embodiments contemplated within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.