Signal processing for slug flow analysis: MATLAB algorithm

Gabriel Soto-Cortes,Eduardo Pereyra,Cem Sarica,Carlos Torres,Auzan Soedarmo

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2021.101546

Gabriel Soto-Cortes, Eduardo Pereyra + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2021.101546

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Abstract

This paper presents an easy-to-use MATLAB© program to characterize slug flow, one of the most observed gas-liquid flow patterns in pipes. “BSignalProcessing2020.m” based on the study reported in [1] is a flexible, expandable, and adaptable statistical algorithm used to calculate the film and slug cut threshold values, the disregard cut value to group slug pulses, and the disregard cut value to remove slug pulses, which are required to determine the slug characteristics. The code is provided for unlimited and unrestricted use.• The statistical algorithm does not depend on any subjective criteria.• The methodology is illustrated using voltage time-series, but it is applicable without changes to instantaneous liquid holdup time-series.

Highlights

The concept development of the signal processing methodology reported in [1] started in 2014 as a project of the Tulsa University Fluid Flow Projects (TUFFP) [2,3]
Data acquisition and normalization: As the main input, BsignalProcessing2020 uses voltage or instantaneous liquid holdup time-series, which come from a data acquisition station
An experiment is defined by seven variables: experiment trial, superficial liquid velocity, superficial gas velocity, temperature, pipe inclination angle, data acquiring time interval, and stations available

Summary

Method Article

Gabriel Soto-Cortes a,∗, Eduardo Pereyra b, Cem Sarica b, Carlos Torres c, Auzan Soedarmo d a Autonomous Metropolitan University Campus Lerma, Mexico, Mexico b McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA c School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela d Schlumberger Norway Technology Center, Asker, Norway abstract This paper presents an easy-to-use MATLAB© program to characterize slug flow, one of the most observed gas-liquid flow patterns in pipes. “BSignalProcessing2020.m” based on the study reported in [1] is a flexible, expandable, and adaptable statistical algorithm used to calculate the film and slug cut threshold values, the disregard cut value to group slug pulses, and the disregard cut value to remove slug pulses, which are required to determine the slug characteristics. The methodology is illustrated using voltage time-series, but it is applicable without changes to instantaneous liquid holdup time-series. Subject Area: More specific subject area: Method name: Name and reference of original method: Resource availability: Engineering Liquid – gas flow in piplines. Signal processing for slug flow analysis via a voltage or instantaneous liquid holdup time-series. G.E. Kouba, Horizontal slug flow modeling and metering, University of Tulsa, 1986. E.M. Al-Safran, An experimental and theoretical investigation of slug flow characteristics in the valley of a hilly-terrain pipeline, University of Tulsa, 2003. MATLAB© script with this paper: “BSignalProcessing2020.m” and its complementary data to run the examples are available here as supplementary material

Introduction

Objectives and general description

Data acquisition and normalization

Graphic memory

Filtering