Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING THE PRESENCE OF AN
ADULTERANT IN A FLUID USING OPTICALLY INTERACTING LIGHT
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to methods for monitoring a fluid
in or near
real-time and, more specifically, to methods for monitoring a fluid having one
or more
adulterants therein.
[0002] In the oil and gas industry, it can be important to precisely
know the
characteristics and chemical composition of fluids circulating into and out of
subterranean
hydrocarbon-bearing formations. Typically, the analysis of fluids related to
the oil and gas
industry has been conducted off-line using laboratory analyses, such as
spectroscopic and/or
wet chemical methods, which analyze an extracted sample of the fluid.
Depending on the
analysis required, however, such an approach can take hours to days to
complete, and even in
the best-case scenario; a job will often be completed prior to the analysis
being obtained.
Furthermore, off-line laboratory analyses can sometimes be difficult to
perform, require
extensive sample preparation and present hazards to personnel performing the
analyses.
100031 Although off-line, retrospective analyses can be satisfactory in
certain
cases, but they nonetheless do not allow real-time or near real-time analysis
capabilities. As
a result, proactive control of a subterranean operation or fluid flow cannot
take place, at least
without significant process disruption occurring while awaiting the results of
the analysis.
Off-line, retrospective analyses can also be unsatisfactory for determining
true characteristics
of a fluid since the characteristics of the extracted sample of the fluid
oftentimes changes
during the lag time between collection and analysis, thereby making the
properties of the
sample non-indicative of the true chemical composition or characteristic. For
example,
factors that can alter the characteristics of a fluid during the lag time
between collection and
analysis can include, for example, scaling, reaction of various components in
the fluid with
one another, reaction of various components in the fluid with components of
the surrounding
environment, simple chemical degradation, and bacterial growth.
10004] Monitoring fluids in or near real-time can be of considerable
interest in
order to monitor how the fluids change over time, thereby serving as a quality
control
measure for processes in which fluids are used. Specifically,
1
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adulterants present in the fluid can lead to harmful scale formation, impurity
buildup, and bacterial growth which can impede processes in which the fluid is
used, and even damage process equipment in certain cases. For example, water
streams used in cooling towers and similar processes can become highly
corrosive over time and become susceptible to scale formation and bacterial
growth. Corrosion and scale formation can damage pipelines through which the
water is flowing and potentially lead to system breakdowns. Similar issues can
be encountered for fluids subjected to other types of environments.
[0005] Spectroscopic techniques for measuring various characteristics
of fluids are well known and are routinely used under laboratory conditions.
In
some cases, these spectroscopic techniques can be carried out without using an
involved sample preparation. It is more common, however, to carry out various
sample preparation procedures before conducting the analysis. Thus, there is
usually a delay in obtaining an analysis due to sample preparation time, even
discounting the transit time of transporting the extracted sample to a
laboratory.
Although spectroscopic techniques can, at least in principle, be conducted at
a
job site, such as a well site, or in a process, the foregoing concerns
regarding
sample preparation times may still apply. Furthermore, the transitioning of
spectroscopic instruments from a laboratory into a field or process
environment
can be expensive and complex. Reasons for these issues can include, for
example, the need to overcome inconsistent temperature, humidity, and
vibration encountered during field use. Furthermore, sample preparation, when
required, can be difficult under field analysis conditions. The
difficulty of
performing sample preparation in the field can be especially problematic in
the
presence of interfering materials, which can further complicate conventional
spectroscopic analyses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention relates to methods for monitoring a fluid
in or near real-time and, more specifically, to methods for monitoring a fluid
having one or more adulterants therein.
[0007] In some aspects of the disclosure, a system is disclosed that
includes a flow path containing a fluid having at least one adulterant present
therein, at least one integrated computational element configured to optically
interact with the fluid and thereby generate optically interacted light, and
at
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least one detector arranged to receive the optically interacted light and
generate
an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the at least one
adulterant
within the fluid.
[0008] In other aspects, a method of monitoring a fluid is disclosed.
The method may include containing the fluid within a flow path, the fluid
including at least one adulterant present therein, optically interacting
electromagnetic radiation from the fluid with at least one integrated
computational element, thereby generating optically interacted light,
receiving
with at least one detector the optically interacted light, and generating with
the
at least one detector an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of
the at
least one adulterant in the fluid.
[0009] In yet other aspects of the disclosure, a method of monitoring a
quality of a fluid is disclosed. The method may include optically interacting
an
electromagnetic radiation source with a fluid contained within a flow path and
at
least one integrated computational element, thereby generating optically
interacted light, receiving with at least one detector the optically
interacted light,
measuring a characteristic of at least one known adulterant in the fluid with
the
at least one detector, generating an output signal corresponding to the
characteristic of the at least one known adulterant, and undertaking at least
one
corrective step when the characteristic of the at least one adulterant
surpasses a
predetermined range of suitable operation.
[0010] The features and advantages of the present invention will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the description
of
the preferred embodiments that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of
the present invention, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The
subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications,
alterations,
combinations, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those
skilled
in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary integrated computation element,
according to one or more embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram non-mechanistically illustrating
how an optical computing device distinguishes electromagnetic radiation
related
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to a characteristic of interest from other electromagnetic radiation,
according to
one or more embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system for monitoring a fluid,
according to one or more embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary system for monitoring a
fluid, according to one or more embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The present invention relates to methods for monitoring a fluid
in or near real-time and, more specifically, to methods for monitoring a fluid
having one or more adulterants therein.
[0017] The exemplary systems and methods described herein employ
various configurations of optical computing devices, also commonly referred to
as "opticoanalytical devices," for the real-time or near real-time monitoring
of a
fluid. In operation, the exemplary systems and methods may be useful and
otherwise advantageous in determining product quality of the fluid. For
example, the optical computing devices, which are described in more detail
below, can advantageously provide real-time or near real-time fluid monitoring
that cannot presently be achieved with either onsite analyses at a job site or
via
more detailed analyses that take place in a laboratory. A significant and
distinct
advantage of these devices is that they can be configured to specifically
detect
and/or measure a particular component or characteristic of interest of a
fluid,
such as a known adulterant, thereby allowing qualitative and/or quantitative
analyses of the fluid to occur without having to extract a sample and
undertake
time-consuming analyses of the sample at an off-site laboratory. With the
ability to undertake real-time or near real-time analyses, the exemplary
systems
and methods described herein may be able to provide some measure of
proactive or responsive control over the fluid flow, enable the collection and
archival of fluid information in conjunction with operational information to
optimize subsequent operations, and/or enhance the capacity for remote job
execution.
[0018] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the systems
and methods disclosed herein may be suitable for use in the oil and gas
industry
since the described optical computing devices provide a cost-effective,
rugged,
and accurate means for monitoring hydrocarbon quality in order to facilitate
the
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efficient management of oil/gas production. It
will be further appreciated,
however, that the various disclosed systems and methods are equally applicable
to other technology or industry fields including, but not limited to, the
food,
medical, and drug industries, industrial applications, pollution mitigation,
recycling industries, mining industries, security and military industries, or
any
field where it may be advantageous to determine in real-time or near real-time
the concentration or a characteristic of a specific substance in a flowing
fluid. In
at least one embodiment, for example, the present systems and methods may
be employed to monitor the quality of potable water. In other embodiments, the
present systems and methods may be employed to monitor soil quality, such as
in the agricultural industry where the quality of soil is often measured for
concentrations of potassium, phosphates, and other minerals in order to
determine fertilizations needs. Soil quality may also be monitored to
determine
pollution levels present therein, such as in the event of an oil spill or the
like.
[0019] The optical computing devices suitable for use in the present
embodiments can be deployed at any number of various points within a flow
path to monitor the fluid and the various changes that may occur thereto
between two or more points. Depending on the location of the particular
optical
computing device, various types of information about the fluid can be
obtained.
In some cases, for example, the optical computing devices can be used to
monitor changes to the fluid as a result of adding a treatment substance
thereto,
removing a treatment substance therefrom, or exposing the fluid to a condition
that potentially changes a characteristic of the fluid in some way. In other
cases, product quality of the fluid may be obtained by identifying and
quantifying
the concentration of known adulterants that may be present in the fluid. Thus,
the systems and methods described herein may be configured to monitor a flow
of fluids and, more particularly, to monitor the present state of the fluid
and any
changes thereto with respect to the influx or presence of known adulterants
therein.
[0020] As used herein, the term "fluid" refers to any substance that is
capable of flowing, including particulate solids, liquids, gases, slurries,
emulsions, powders, muds, glasses, combinations thereof, and the like. In some
embodiments, the fluid can be an aqueous fluid, including water or the like.
In
some embodiments, the fluid can be a non-aqueous fluid, including organic
compounds, more specifically, hydrocarbons, oil, a refined component of oil,
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petrochemical products, and the like. In some embodiments, the fluid can be a
treatment fluid or a formation fluid as found in the oil and gas industry.
Fluids
can include various flowable mixtures of solids, liquids and/or gases.
Illustrative
gases that can be considered fluids according to the present embodiments
include, for example, air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, methane,
ethane, butane, and other hydrocarbon gases, combinations thereof and/or the
like.
[0021] As used herein, the term "characteristic" refers to a chemical,
mechanical, or physical property of a substance. A characteristic of a
substance
may include a quantitative value of one or more chemical components therein.
Such chemical components may be referred to herein as "analytes." Illustrative
characteristics of a substance that can be monitored with the optical
computing
devices disclosed herein can include, for example, chemical composition (e.g.,
identity and concentration in total or of individual components), impurity
content, pH, viscosity, density, ionic strength, total dissolved solids, salt
content,
porosity, opacity, bacteria content, combinations thereof, and the like.
Moreover, the phrase "characteristic of interest of/in a fluid" may be used
herein
to refer to the characteristic of a substance contained in or otherwise
flowing
with the fluid.
[0022] As used herein, the term "flow path" refers to a route through
which a fluid is capable of being transported between two points. In some
cases, the flow path need not be continuous or otherwise contiguous between
the two points. Exemplary flow paths include, but are not limited to, a
flowline,
a pipeline, a hose, a process facility, a storage vessel, a tanker, a railway
tank
car, a transport ship or vessel, a trough, a stream, a sewer, a subterranean
formation, etc., combinations thereof, or the like. In cases where the flow
path
is a pipeline, or the like, the pipeline may be a pre-commissioned pipeline or
an
operational pipeline. In other cases, the flow path may be created or
generated
via movement of an optical computing device through a fluid (e.g., an open air
sensor). In yet other cases, the flow path is not necessarily contained within
any rigid structure, but may refer to the path fluid takes between two points,
such as where a fluid flows from one location to another without being
contained, per se. It should be noted that the term "flow path" does not
necessarily imply that a fluid is flowing therein, rather that a fluid is
capable of
being transported or otherwise flowable therethrough.
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[0023] As used herein, the term "adulterant," or variations thereof,
refers to at least a portion of a substance or chemical within the fluid to be
evaluated using the optical computing devices described herein. In
some
embodiments, the adulterant is the characteristic of interest, as defined
above,
and may therefore be used interchangeably therewith herein. In some aspects,
the adulterant includes any integral or non-integral component of the fluid
flowing within the flow path which may or may not be considered damaging or
otherwise disadvantageous to the fluid. In one or more embodiments, the
adulterant may include substances or chemicals such as BTEX compounds (i.e.,
benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), naphthalene, styrene, sulfur compounds, hexane, liquefiable
hydrocarbons, barium, calcium, manganese, sulfur, iron, strontium, chlorine,
potassium, phosphor, magnesium, boron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, combinations thereof, or the like. In other embodiments, the
adulterant may include or otherwise refer to paraffins, waxes, asphaltenes,
aromatics, saturates, foams, salts, bacteria, particulates, sand or other
solid
particles, pipe coatings (e.g., polymers), combinations thereof, and the like.
In
other embodiments, the adulterant may refer to various flow path "tags" added,
such as nanoparticles or the like.
[0024] In other aspects, the adulterant may include any substance or
chemical added to the flow path in order to treat the flow path for flow
assurance reasons. Exemplary treatment substances may include, but are not
limited to, acids, acid-generating compounds, bases, base-generating
compounds, biocides, surfactants, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors,
gelling
agents, exothermic substances, crosslinking agents, anti-sludging agents,
foaming agents, defoanning agents, antifoann agents, emulsifying agents, de-
emulsifying agents, iron control agents, proppants or other particulates,
gravel,
particulate diverters, salts, fluid loss control additives, gases, catalysts,
clay
control agents, chelating agents, corrosion inhibitors, dispersants,
flocculants,
scavengers (e.g., H25 scavengers, CO2 scavengers or 02 scavengers),
lubricants,
breakers, delayed release breakers, friction reducers, bridging agents,
viscosifiers, weighting agents, solubilizers, rheology control agents,
viscosity
modifiers, pH control agents (e.g., buffers), hydrate inhibitors, relative
permeability modifiers, diverting agents, consolidating agents, fibrous
materials,
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bactericides, tracers, probes, nanoparticles, and the like. Combinations of
these
substances can be used as well.
[0025] As used herein, the term "electromagnetic radiation" refers to
radio waves, microwave radiation, infrared and near-infrared radiation,
visible
light, ultraviolet light, X-ray radiation and gamma ray radiation.
[0026] As used herein, the term "optical computing device" refers to an
optical device that is configured to receive an input of electromagnetic
radiation
from a fluid, or a substance or adulterant within the fluid, and produce an
output
of electromagnetic radiation from a processing element arranged within the
optical computing device. The processing element may be, for example, an
integrated computational element (ICE) used in the optical computing device.
As discussed in greater detail below, the electromagnetic radiation that
optically
interacts with the processing element is changed so as to be readable by a
detector, such that an output of the detector can be correlated to at least
one
adulterant measured or monitored within the fluid. The
output of
electromagnetic radiation from the processing element can be reflected
electromagnetic radiation, transmitted electromagnetic radiation, and/or
dispersed electromagnetic radiation. Whether reflected, transmitted, or
dispersed electromagnetic radiation is eventually analyzed by the detector may
be dictated by the structural parameters of the optical computing device as
well
as other considerations known to those skilled in the art. In addition,
emission
and/or scattering of the substance, for example via fluorescence,
luminescence,
Raman scattering, and/or Raleigh scattering, can also be monitored by the
optical computing devices.
[0027] As used herein, the term "optically interact" or variations thereof
refers to the reflection, transmission, scattering, diffraction, or absorption
of
electromagnetic radiation either on, through, or from one or more processing
elements (i.e., integrated computational elements). Accordingly, optically
interacted light refers to light that has been reflected, transmitted,
scattered,
diffracted, or absorbed by, emitted, or re-radiated, for example, using the
integrated computational elements, but may also apply to interaction with a
fluid
or an adulterant within the fluid.
[0028] The exemplary systems and methods described herein will
include at least one optical computing device arranged along or in a flow path
in
order to monitor a fluid flowing or otherwise contained therein. Each optical
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computing device may include an electromagnetic radiation source, at least one
processing element (e.g., integrated computational elements), and at least one
detector arranged to receive optically interacted light from the at least one
processing element. As disclosed below, however, in at least one embodiment,
the electromagnetic radiation source may be omitted and instead the
electromagnetic radiation may be derived from the fluid or adulterant itself.
In
some embodiments, the exemplary optical computing devices may be
specifically configured for detecting, analyzing, and quantitatively measuring
a
particular characteristic, adulterant, or analyte of interest of the fluid in
the flow
path. In other embodiments, the optical computing devices may be general
purpose optical devices, with post-acquisition processing (e.g., through
computer means) being used to specifically detect the characteristic of the
sample.
[0029] In some embodiments, suitable structural components for the
exemplary optical computing devices are described in commonly owned U.S. Pat.
Nos. 6,198,531; 6,529,276; 7,123,844; 7,834,999; 7,911,605, 7,920,258, and
8,049,881, and U.S. Pat. App. Serial Nos. 12/094,460; 12/094,465; and
13/456,467. As will be appreciated, variations of the structural components of
the optical computing devices described in the above-referenced patents and
patent applications may be suitable, without departing from the scope of the
disclosure, and therefore, should not be considered limiting to the various
embodiments or uses disclosed herein.
[0030] The optical computing devices described in the foregoing patents
and patent applications combine the advantage of the power, precision and
accuracy associated with laboratory spectrometers, while being extremely
rugged and suitable for field use. Furthermore, the optical computing devices
can perform calculations (analyses) in real-time or near real-time without the
need for time-consuming sample processing. In
this regard, the optical
computing devices can be specifically configured to detect and analyze
particular
characteristics, adulterants, and/or analytes of interest of a fluid. As a
result,
interfering signals are discriminated from those of interest in the substance
by
appropriate configuration of the optical computing devices, such that the
optical
computing devices provide a rapid response regarding the characteristics of
the
fluid as based on the detected output. In some embodiments, the detected
output can be converted into a voltage that is distinctive of the magnitude of
the
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characteristic or adulterant being monitored in the fluid. The
foregoing
advantages and others make the optical computing devices particularly well
suited for field and downhole use, but may equally be applied to several other
technologies or industries, without departing from the scope of the
disclosure.
[0031] The optical computing devices can be configured to detect not
only the composition and concentrations of an adulterant in a fluid, but they
also
can be configured to determine physical properties and other characteristics
of
the adulterant as well, based on their analysis of the electromagnetic
radiation
received from the particular adulterant. For example, the optical computing
devices can be configured to determine the concentration of an analyte and
correlate the determined concentration to a characteristic of an adulterant by
using suitable processing means. As will be appreciated, the optical computing
devices may be configured to detect as many adulterants or as many
characteristics or analytes of the adulterant as desired in the fluid. All
that is
required to accomplish the monitoring of multiple characteristics and/or
adulterants is the incorporation of suitable processing and detection means
within the optical computing device for each adulterant and/or characteristic.
In
some embodiments, the properties of the adulterant can be a combination of the
properties of the analytes therein (e.g., a linear, non-linear, logarithmic,
and/or
exponential combination). Accordingly, the more characteristics and analytes
that are detected and analyzed using the optical computing devices, the more
accurately the properties of the given adulterant will be determined.
[0032] The optical computing devices described herein utilize
electromagnetic radiation to perform calculations, as opposed to the hardwired
circuits of conventional electronic processors. When electromagnetic radiation
interacts with an adulterant in a fluid, unique physical and chemical
information
about the adulterant may be encoded in the electromagnetic radiation that is
reflected from, transmitted through, or radiated from the adulterant. This
information is often referred to as the spectral "fingerprint" of the
adulterant.
The optical computing devices described herein are capable of extracting the
information of the spectral fingerprint of multiple characteristics or
analytes
within an adulterant, and converting that information into a detectable output
relating to one or more properties of the adulterant. That is, through
suitable
configurations of the optical computing devices, electromagnetic radiation
associated with a characteristic or analyte of interest of an adulterant can
be
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separated from electromagnetic radiation associated with all other components
of the fluid in order to estimate the properties of the adulterant in real-
time or
near real-time.
[0033] The processing elements used in the exemplary optical
computing devices described herein may be characterized as integrated
computational elements (ICE).
Each ICE is capable of distinguishing
electromagnetic radiation related to the characteristic or adulterant of
interest
from electromagnetic radiation related to other components of a fluid.
Referring
to FIG. 1, illustrated is an exemplary ICE 100 suitable for use in the optical
computing devices used in the systems and methods described herein. As
illustrated, the ICE 100 may include a plurality of alternating layers 102 and
104, such as silicon (Si) and 5i02 (quartz), respectively. In general, these
layers
102, 104 consist of materials whose index of refraction is high and low,
respectively. Other examples might include niobia and niobium, germanium and
gernnania, MgF, SiO, and other high and low index materials known in the art.
The layers 102, 104 may be strategically deposited on an optical substrate
106.
In some embodiments, the optical substrate 106 is BK-7 optical glass. In other
embodiments, the optical substrate 106 may be another type of optical
substrate, such as quartz, sapphire, silicon, germanium, zinc selenide, zinc
sulfide, or various plastics such as polycarbonate, polynnethylnnethacrylate
(PMMA), polyvinylchloride (PVC), diamond, ceramics, combinations thereof, and
the like.
[0034] At the opposite end (e.g., opposite the optical substrate 106 in
FIG. 1), the ICE 100 may include a layer 108 that is generally exposed to the
environment of the device or installation. The number of layers 102, 104 and
the thickness of each layer 102, 104 are determined from the spectral
attributes
acquired from a spectroscopic analysis of a characteristic of the adulterant
using
a conventional spectroscopic instrument. The spectrum of interest of a given
characteristic of an adulterant typically includes any number of different
wavelengths. It should be understood that the exemplary ICE 100 in FIG. 1
does not in fact represent any particular characteristic of a given
adulterant, but
is provided for purposes of illustration only. Consequently, the number of
layers
102, 104 and their relative thicknesses, as shown in FIG. 1, bear no
correlation
to any particular characteristic of a given adulterant. Nor are the layers
102,
104 and their relative thicknesses necessarily drawn to scale, and therefore
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should not be considered limiting of the present disclosure. Moreover, those
skilled in the art will readily recognize that the materials that make up each
layer 102, 104 (i.e., Si and 5i02) may vary, depending on the application,
cost
of materials, and/or applicability of the material to the given adulterant.
[0035] In some embodiments, the material of each layer 102, 104 can
be doped or two or more materials can be combined in a manner to achieve the
desired optical characteristic. In addition to solids, the exemplary ICE 100
may
also contain liquids and/or gases, optionally in combination with solids, in
order
to produce a desired optical characteristic. In the case of gases and liquids,
the
ICE 100 can contain a corresponding vessel (not shown), which houses the
gases or liquids.
Exemplary variations of the ICE 100 may also include
holographic optical elements, gratings, piezoelectric, light pipe, digital
light pipe
(DLP), and/or acousto-optic elements, for example, that can create
transmission, reflection, and/or absorptive properties of interest.
[0036] The multiple layers 102, 104 exhibit different refractive indices.
By properly selecting the materials of the layers 102, 104 and their relative
thickness and spacing, the ICE 100 may be configured to selectively
pass/reflect/refract predetermined fractions of electromagnetic radiation at
different wavelengths. Each wavelength is given a predetermined weighting or
loading factor. The thickness and spacing of the layers 102, 104 may be
determined using a variety of approximation methods from the spectrograph of
the characteristic or analyte of interest. These methods may include inverse
Fourier transform (IFT) of the optical transmission spectrum and structuring
the
ICE 100 as the physical representation of the IFT. The approximations convert
the IFT into a structure based on known materials with constant refractive
indices. Further information regarding the structures and design of exemplary
integrated computational elements (also referred to as multivariate optical
elements) is provided in Applied Optics, Vol. 35, pp. 5484-5492 (1996) and
Vol.
129, pp. 2876-2893.
[0037] The weightings that the layers 102, 104 of the ICE 100 apply at
each wavelength are set to the regression weightings described with respect to
a
known equation, or data, or spectral signature. Briefly, the ICE 100 may be
configured to perform the dot product of the input light beam into the ICE 100
and a desired loaded regression vector represented by each layer 102, 104 for
each wavelength. As a result, the output light intensity of the ICE 100 is
related
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to the characteristic or analyte of interest. Further details regarding how
the
exemplary ICE 100 is able to distinguish and process electromagnetic radiation
related to the characteristic or analyte of interest are described in U.S.
Patent
Nos. 6,198,531; 6,529,276; and 7,920,258.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrated is a block diagram that non-
mechanistically illustrates how an optical computing device 200 is able to
distinguish electromagnetic radiation related to a characteristic or
adulterant of a
fluid from other electromagnetic radiation. As shown in FIG. 2, after being
illuminated with incident electromagnetic radiation, a fluid 202 containing an
adulterant (e.g., a characteristic of interest) produces an output of
electromagnetic radiation (e.g., sample-interacted light), some of which is
electromagnetic radiation 204 relating to the adulterant and some of which is
background electromagnetic radiation 206 corresponding to other components or
characteristics of the fluid 202.
[0039] Although not specifically shown, one or more spectral elements
may be employed in the device 200 in order to restrict the optical wavelengths
and/or bandwidths of the system and thereby eliminate unwanted
electromagnetic radiation existing in wavelength regions that have no
importance. Such spectral elements can be located anywhere along the optical
train, but are typically employed directly after the light source, which
provides
the initial electromagnetic radiation. Various configurations and applications
of
spectral elements in optical computing devices may be found in commonly
owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,198,531; 6,529,276; 7,123,844; 7,834,999; 7,911,605,
7,920,258, 8,049,881, and U.S. Pat. App. Serial Nos. 12/094,460 (U.S. Pat.
App. Pub. No. 2009/0219538); 12/094,465 (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.
2009/0219539); and 13/456,467.
[0040] The beams of electromagnetic radiation 204, 206 impinge upon
the optical computing device 200, which contains an exemplary ICE 208 therein.
In the illustrated embodiment, the ICE 208 may be configured to produce
optically interacted light, for example, transmitted optically interacted
light 210
and reflected optically interacted light 214. In operation, the ICE 208 may be
configured to distinguish the electromagnetic radiation 204 from the
background
electromagnetic radiation 206.
[0041] The transmitted optically interacted light 210, which may be
related to the adulterant or a characteristic of interest of the adulterant in
the
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fluid 202, may be conveyed to a detector 212 for analysis and quantification.
In
some embodiments, the detector 212 is configured to produce an output signal
in the form of a voltage that corresponds to the particular characteristic of
the
fluid 202. In at least one embodiment, the signal produced by the detector 212
and the concentration of the characteristic or adulterant of the fluid 202 may
be
directly proportional. In other embodiments, the relationship may be a
polynomial function, an exponential function, and/or a logarithmic function.
The
reflected optically interacted light 214, which may be related to
characteristics of
other components of the fluid 202, can be directed away from detector 212. In
alternative configurations, the ICE 208 may be configured such that the
reflected
optically interacted light 214 can be related to the adulterant, and the
transmitted optically interacted light 210 can be related to other components
of
the fluid 202.
[0042] In some embodiments, a second detector 216 can be present
and arranged to detect the reflected optically interacted light 214. In other
embodiments, the second detector 216 may be arranged to detect the
electromagnetic radiation 204, 206 derived from the fluid 202 or
electromagnetic
radiation directed toward or before the fluid 202. Without limitation, the
second
detector 216 may be used to detect radiating deviations stemming from an
electromagnetic radiation source (not shown), which provides the
electromagnetic radiation (i.e., light) to the device 200. For example,
radiating
deviations can include such things as, but not limited to, intensity
fluctuations in
the electromagnetic radiation, interferent fluctuations (e.g., dust or other
interferents passing in front of the electromagnetic radiation source),
coatings
on windows included with the optical computing device 200, combinations
thereof, or the like. In some embodiments, a beam splitter (not shown) can be
employed to split the electromagnetic radiation 204, 206, and the transmitted
or
reflected electromagnetic radiation can then be directed to one or more ICE
208.
That is, in such embodiments, the ICE 208 does not function as a type of beam
splitter, as depicted in FIG. 2, and the transmitted or reflected
electromagnetic
radiation simply passes through the ICE 208, being computationally processed
therein, before travelling to the detector 212.
[0043] The characteristic(s) of the fluid 202 being analyzed using the
optical computing device 200 can be further processed computationally to
provide additional characterization information about the fluid 202. In some
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embodiments, the identification and concentration of each analyte or
adulterant
in the fluid 202 can be used to predict certain physical characteristics of
the fluid
202. For example, the bulk characteristics of a fluid 202 can be estimated by
using a combination of the properties conferred to the fluid 202 by each
analyte
or adulterant.
[0044] In some embodiments, the concentration of each adulterant or
the magnitude of each characteristic of the adulterant determined using the
optical computing device 200 can be fed into an algorithm operating under
computer control. The algorithm may be configured to make predictions on how
the characteristics of the fluid 202 change if the concentrations of the
adulterants or analytes are changed relative to one another. In
some
embodiments, the algorithm can produce an output that is readable by an
operator who can manually take appropriate action, if needed, based upon the
output. In some embodiments, the algorithm can take proactive process control
by automatically adjusting the flow of a treatment substance being introduced
into a flow path or by halting the introduction of the treatment substance in
response to an out of range condition.
[0045] The algorithm can be part of an artificial neural network
configured to use the concentration of each detected adulterant in order to
evaluate the overall characteristic(s) of the fluid 202 and predict how to
modify
the fluid 202 in order to alter its properties in a desired way. Illustrative
but
non-limiting artificial neural networks are described in commonly owned U.S.
Patent App. No. 11/986,763 (U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2009/0182693). It is to
be recognized that an artificial neural network can be trained using samples
of
adulterants having known concentrations, compositions, and/or properties, and
thereby generating a virtual library. As
the virtual library available to the
artificial neural network becomes larger, the neural network can become more
capable of accurately predicting the characteristics of a fluid having any
number
of adulterants or analytes present therein. Furthermore, with sufficient
training,
the artificial neural network can more accurately predict the characteristics
of
the fluid, even in the presence of unknown adulterants.
[0046] It is recognized that the various embodiments herein directed to
computer control and artificial neural networks, including various blocks,
modules, elements, components, methods, and algorithms, can be implemented
using computer hardware, software, combinations thereof, and the like. To
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illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various
illustrative
blocks, modules, elements, components, methods and algorithms have been
described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such
functionality is
implemented as hardware or software will depend upon the particular
application
and any imposed design constraints. For at least this reason, it is to be
recognized that one of ordinary skill in the art can implement the described
functionality in a variety of ways for a particular application. Further,
various
components and blocks can be arranged in a different order or partitioned
differently, for example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments
expressly described.
[0047] Computer hardware used to implement the various illustrative
blocks, modules, elements, components, methods, and algorithms described
herein can include a processor configured to execute one or more sequences of
instructions, programming stances, or code stored on a non-transitory,
computer-readable medium. The processor can be, for example, a general
purpose microprocessor, a nnicrocontroller, a digital signal processor, an
application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a
programmable logic device, a controller, a state machine, a gated logic,
discrete
hardware components, an artificial neural network, or any like suitable entity
that can perform calculations or other manipulations of data. In some
embodiments, computer hardware can further include elements such as, for
example, a memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read
only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable read
only memory (EPROM)), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMS,
DVDs, or any other like suitable storage device or medium.
[0048] Executable sequences described herein can be implemented with
one or more sequences of code contained in a memory. In some embodiments,
such code can be read into the memory from another machine-readable
medium. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the memory
can cause a processor to perform the process steps described herein. One or
more processors in a multi-processing arrangement can also be employed to
execute instruction sequences in the memory. In addition, hard-wired circuitry
can be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to
implement various embodiments described herein. Thus, the present
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embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and/or
software.
[0049] As used herein, a machine-readable medium will refer to any
medium that directly or indirectly provides instructions to a processor for
execution. A machine-readable medium can take on many forms including, for
example, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-
volatile media can include, for example, optical and magnetic disks. Volatile
media can include, for example, dynamic memory. Transmission media can
include, for example, coaxial cables, wire, fiber optics, and wires that form
a
bus. Common forms of machine-readable media can include, for example,
floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, other like magnetic
media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, other like optical media, punch cards, paper tapes and
like physical media with patterned holes, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM and flash
EPROM.
[0050] In some embodiments, the data collected using the optical
computing devices can be archived along with data associated with operational
parameters being logged at a job site. Evaluation of job performance can then
be assessed and improved for future operations or such information can be used
to design subsequent operations. In addition, the data and information can be
communicated (wired or wirelessly) to a remote location by a communication
system (e.g., satellite communication or wide area network communication) for
further analysis. The communication system can also allow remote monitoring
and operation of a process to take place. Automated control with a long-range
communication system can further facilitate the performance of remote job
operations. In particular, an artificial neural network can be used in some
embodiments to facilitate the performance of remote job operations. That is,
remote job operations can be conducted automatically in some embodiments. In
other embodiments, however, remote job operations can occur under direct
operator control, where the operator is not at the job site.
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is an exemplary system 300
for monitoring a fluid 302, according to one or more embodiments. In the
illustrated embodiment, the fluid 302 may be contained or otherwise flowing
within an exemplary flow path 304. The flow path 304 may be a flow line or a
pipeline and the fluid 302 present therein may be flowing in the general
direction
indicated by the arrows A (i.e., from upstream to downstream). As will be
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appreciated, however, the flow path 304 may be any other type of flow path, as
generally described or otherwise defined herein. For example, the flow path
304
may be a containment or storage vessel and the fluid 302 may not necessarily
be flowing in the direction A while the fluid 302 is being monitored.
[0052] In at least one embodiment, however, the flow path 304 may
form part of an oil/gas pipeline and may be part of a wellhead or a plurality
of
subsea and/or above-ground interconnecting flow lines or pipes that
interconnect various subterranean hydrocarbon reservoirs with one or more
receiving/gathering platforms or process facilities. In
some embodiments,
portions of the flow path 304 may be employed downhole and fluidly connect,
for example, a formation and a wellhead. As such, portions of the flow path
304
may be arranged substantially vertical, substantially horizontal, or any
directional configuration therebetween, without departing from the scope of
the
disclosure.
[0053] The system 300 may include at least one optical computing
device 306, which may be similar in some respects to the optical computing
device 200 of FIG. 2, and therefore may be best understood with reference
thereto. While not shown, the optical computing device 306 may be housed
within a casing or housing configured to substantially protect the internal
components of the device 306 from damage or contamination from the external
environment. The housing may operate to mechanically couple the device 306
to the flow path 304 with, for example, mechanical fasteners, brazing or
welding
techniques, adhesives, magnets, combinations thereof or the like. In
operation,
the housing may be designed to withstand the pressures that may be
experienced within or without the flow path 304 and thereby provide a fluid
tight
seal against external contamination. As described in greater detail below, the
optical computing device 306 may be useful in determining a particular
characteristic of the fluid 302 within the flow path 304, such as determining
a
concentration of a known adulterant present within the fluid 302. Knowing the
concentration of known adulterants may help determine the overall quality of
the
fluid 302 and provide an opportunity to remedy potentially undesirable levels
of
adulterants in the fluid 302.
[0054] The device 306 may include an electromagnetic radiation source
308 configured to emit or otherwise generate electromagnetic radiation 310.
The electromagnetic radiation source 308 may be any device capable of emitting
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or generating electromagnetic radiation, as defined herein. For example, the
electromagnetic radiation source 308 may be a light bulb, a light emitting
device
(LED), a laser, a blackbody, a photonic crystal, an X-Ray source, combinations
thereof, or the like. In some embodiments, a lens 312 may be configured to
collect or otherwise receive the electromagnetic radiation 310 and direct a
beam
314 of electromagnetic radiation 310 toward the fluid 302. The lens 312 may be
any type of optical device configured to transmit or otherwise convey the
electromagnetic radiation 310 as desired. For example, the lens 312 may be a
normal lens, a Fresnel lens, a diffractive optical element, a holographic
graphical
element, a mirror (e.g., a focusing mirror), a type of collimator, or any
other
electromagnetic radiation transmitting device known to those skilled in art.
In
other embodiments, the lens 312 may be omitted from the device 306 and the
electromagnetic radiation 310 may instead be directed toward the fluid 302
directly from the electromagnetic radiation source 308.
[0055] In one or more embodiments, the device 306 may also include a
sampling window 316 arranged adjacent to or otherwise in contact with the
fluid
302 for detection purposes. The sampling window 316 may be made from a
variety of transparent, rigid or semi-rigid materials that are configured to
allow
transmission of the electromagnetic radiation 310 therethrough. For example,
the sampling window 316 may be made of, but is not limited to, glasses,
plastics, semi-conductors, crystalline materials, polycrystalline materials,
hot or
cold-pressed powders, combinations thereof, or the like. In order to remove
ghosting or other imaging issues resulting from reflectance on the sampling
window 316, the system 300 may employ one or more internal reflectance
elements (IRE), such as those described in co-owned U.S. Patent No. 7,697,141,
and/or one or more imaging systems, such as those described in co-owned U.S.
Patent App. Ser. No. 13/456,467.
[0056] After passing through the sampling window 316, the
electromagnetic radiation 310 impinges upon and optically interacts with the
fluid 302, including any adulterants present within the fluid 302. As a
result,
optically interacted radiation 318 is generated by and reflected from the
fluid
302. Those skilled in the art, however, will readily recognize that
alternative
variations of the device 306 may allow the optically interacted radiation 318
to
be generated by being transmitted, scattered, diffracted, absorbed, emitted,
or
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re-radiated by and/or from the fluid 302, or one or more adulterants present
within the fluid 302, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
[0057] The optically interacted radiation 318 generated by the
interaction with the fluid 302 and at least one adulterant present therein may
be
directed to or otherwise be received by an ICE 320 arranged within the device
306. The ICE 320 may be a spectral component substantially similar to the ICE
100 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Accordingly, in operation the
ICE
320 may be configured to receive the optically interacted radiation 318 and
produce modified electromagnetic radiation 322 corresponding to a particular
characteristic or adulterant of interest of the fluid 302. In particular,
the
modified electromagnetic radiation 322 is electromagnetic radiation that has
optically interacted with the ICE 320, whereby an approximate mimicking of the
regression vector corresponding to the characteristic or adulterant in the
fluid
302 is obtained.
[0058] It should be noted that, while FIG. 3 depicts the ICE 320 as
receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation from the fluid 302, the ICE 320
may be arranged at any point along the optical train of the device 306,
without
departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, in one or more
embodiments, the ICE 320 (as shown in dashed) may be arranged within the
optical train prior to the sampling window 316 and equally obtain
substantially
the same results. In other embodiments, the sampling window 316 may serve a
dual purpose as both a transmission window and the ICE 320 (i.e., a spectral
component). In yet other embodiments, the ICE 320 may generate the modified
electromagnetic radiation 322 through reflection, instead of transmission
therethrough.
[0059] Moreover, while only one ICE 320 is shown in the device 306,
embodiments are contemplated herein which include the use of at least two ICE
components in the device 306 configured to cooperatively determine the
characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid 302. For example, two or
more ICE may be arranged in series or parallel within the device 306 and
configured to receive the optically interacted radiation 318 and thereby
enhance
sensitivities and detector limits of the device 306. In other embodiments, two
or
more ICE may be arranged on a movable assembly, such as a rotating disc or an
oscillating linear array, which moves such that the individual ICE components
are able to be exposed to or otherwise optically interact with electromagnetic
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radiation for a distinct brief period of time. The two or more ICE components
in
any of these embodiments may be configured to be either associated or
disassociated with the characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid
302. In
other embodiments, the two or more ICE may be configured to be positively or
negatively correlated with the characteristic or adulterant of interest in the
fluid
302. These optional embodiments employing two or more ICE components are
further described in co-pending U.S. Pat. App. Ser. Nos. 13/456,264,
13/456,405, 13/456,302, and 13/456,327.
[0060] In some embodiments, it may be desirable to monitor more than
one characteristic or adulterant of interest at a time using the device 306.
In
such embodiments, various configurations for multiple ICE components can be
used, where each ICE component is configured to detect a particular and/or
distinct characteristic or adulterant of interest. In some embodiments, the
characteristic or adulterant can be analyzed sequentially using multiple ICE
components that are provided a single beam of electromagnetic radiation being
reflected from or transmitted through the fluid 302. In some embodiments, as
briefly mentioned above, multiple ICE components can be arranged on a rotating
disc, where the individual ICE components are only exposed to the beam of
electromagnetic radiation for a short time. Advantages of this approach can
include the ability to analyze multiple adulterants within the fluid 302 using
a
single optical computing device and the opportunity to assay additional
adulterants simply by adding additional ICE components to the rotating disc.
In
various embodiments, the rotating disc can be turned at a frequency of about
10
RPM to about 30,000 RPM such that each adulterant in the fluid 302 is measured
rapidly. In some embodiments, these values can be averaged over an
appropriate time domain (e.g., about 1 millisecond to about 1 hour) to more
accurately determine the characteristics of the fluid 302.
[0061] In other embodiments, multiple optical computing devices can
be placed at a single location along the flow path 304, where each optical
computing device contains a unique ICE that is configured to detect a
particular
characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid 302. In such
embodiments, a
beam splitter can divert a portion of the electromagnetic radiation being
reflected by, emitted from, or transmitted through the fluid 302 and into each
optical computing device.
Each optical computing device, in turn, can be
coupled to a corresponding detector or detector array that is configured to
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detect and analyze an output of electromagnetic radiation from the respective
optical computing device. Parallel configurations of optical computing devices
can be particularly beneficial for applications that require low power inputs
and/or no moving parts.
[0062] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the foregoing
configurations can further be used in combination with a series configuration
in
any of the present embodiments. For example, two optical computing devices
having a rotating disc with a plurality of ICE components arranged thereon can
be placed in series for performing an analysis at a single location along the
length of the flow path 304. Likewise,
multiple detection stations, each
containing optical computing devices in parallel, can be placed in series for
performing a similar analysis.
[0063] The modified electromagnetic radiation 322 generated by the
ICE 320 may subsequently be conveyed to a detector 324 for quantification of
the signal. The
detector 324 may be any device capable of detecting
electromagnetic radiation, and may be generally characterized as an optical
transducer. In some embodiments, the detector 324 may be, but is not limited
to, a thermal detector such as a thermopile or photoacoustic detector, a
semiconductor detector, a piezo-electric detector, a charge coupled device
(CCD)
detector, a video or array detector, a split detector, a photon detector (such
as a
photonnultiplier tube), photodiodes, combinations thereof, or the like, or
other
detectors known to those skilled in the art.
[0064] In some embodiments, the detector 324 may be configured to
produce an output signal 326 in real-time or near real-time in the form of a
voltage (or current) that corresponds to the particular characteristic or
adulterant of interest in the fluid 302. The voltage returned by the detector
324
is essentially the dot product of the optical interaction of the optically
interacted
radiation 318 with the respective ICE 320 as a function of the concentration
of
the characteristic or adulterant of interest of the fluid 302. As such, the
output
signal 326 produced by the detector 324 and the concentration of the
characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid 302 may be related, for
example, directly proportional. In other embodiments, however, the
relationship
may correspond to a polynomial function, an exponential function, a
logarithmic
function, and/or a combination thereof.
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[0065] In some embodiments, the device 306 may include a second
detector 328, which may be similar to the first detector 324 in that it may be
any device capable of detecting electromagnetic radiation. Similar to the
second
detector 216 of FIG. 2, the second detector 328 of FIG. 3 may be used to
detect
radiating deviations stemming from the electromagnetic radiation source 308.
Undesirable radiating deviations can occur in the intensity of the
electromagnetic
radiation 310 due to a wide variety of reasons and potentially causing various
negative effects on the device 306. These negative effects can be particularly
detrimental for measurements taken over a period of time. In
some
embodiments, radiating deviations can occur as a result of a build-up of film
or
material on the sampling window 316 which has the effect of reducing the
amount and quality of light ultimately reaching the first detector 324.
Without
proper compensation, such radiating deviations could result in false readings
and
the output signal 326 would no longer be primarily or accurately related to
the
characteristic or adulterant of interest.
[0066] To compensate for these types of undesirable effects, the
second detector 328 may be configured to generate a compensating signal 330
generally indicative of the radiating deviations of the electromagnetic
radiation
source 308, and thereby normalize the output signal 326 generated by the first
detector 324. As illustrated, the second detector 328 may be configured to
receive a portion of the optically interacted radiation 318 via a
beannsplitter 332
in order to detect the radiating deviations. In other embodiments, however,
the
second detector 328 may be arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation from
any portion of the optical train in the device 306 in order to detect the
radiating
deviations, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
[0067] In some applications, the output signal 326 and the
compensating signal 330 may be conveyed to or otherwise received by a signal
processor 334 communicably coupled to both the detectors 320, 328. The signal
processor 334 may be a computer including a non-transitory machine-readable
medium, and may be configured to computationally combine the compensating
signal 330 with the output signal 326 in order to normalize the output signal
326
in view of any radiating deviations detected by the second detector 328. In
some embodiments, computationally combining the output and compensating
signals 320, 328 may entail computing a ratio of the two signals 320, 328. For
example, the concentration of each adulterant or the magnitude of each
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characteristic determined using the optical computing device 306 can be fed
into
an algorithm run by the signal processor 334. The algorithm may be configured
to make predictions on how the characteristics of the fluid 302 change if the
concentrations of the adulterants are changed relative to one another.
[0068] In real-time or near real-time, the signal processor 334 may be
configured to provide a resulting output signal 336 corresponding to a
concentration of the characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid
302. The
resulting output signal 336 may be readable by an operator who can consider
the results and make proper adjustments or take appropriate action, if needed,
based upon the measured concentration of adulterants in the fluid 302. In some
embodiments, the resulting signal output 328 may be conveyed, either wired or
wirelessly, to the user for consideration. In other embodiments, the resulting
output signal 336 may be recognized by the signal processor 334 as being
within
or without a predetermined or preprogrammed range of suitable operation.
[0069] For example, the signal processor 334 may be programmed with
an impurity profile corresponding to one or more adulterants. The impurity
profile may be a measurement of a concentration or percentage of adulterant
within the fluid 302. In some embodiments, the impurity profile may be
measured in the parts per million range, but in other embodiments, the
impurity
profile may be measured in the parts per thousand or billion range. If the
resulting output signal 336 exceeds or otherwise falls without a predetermined
or preprogrammed range of operation for the impurity profile, the signal
processor 334 may be configured to alert the user of an excessive amount of
adulterant(s) so appropriate corrective action may be taken, or otherwise
autonomously undertake the appropriate corrective action such that the
resulting output signal 336 returns to a value within the predetermined or
preprogrammed range of suitable operation. In
some embodiments, the
corrective action may include, but is not limited to, adding a treatment
substance to the flow path 302, increasing or decreasing the fluid flow within
the
flow path 302, shutting off the fluid flow within the flow path 302,
combinations
thereof, or the like.
[0070] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the various and
numerous applications that the system 300, and alternative configurations
thereof, may be suitably used with. For example, in one or more embodiments
where the fluid 302 is a liquid, such as a hydrocarbon-based liquid
corresponding
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to the oil and gas industry, the optical computing device 306 may be
configured
to determine one or more known adulterants such as, but not limited to, BTEX
compounds (i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), volatile
organic
compounds (VOCs), naphthalene, styrene, water, sand, sulfur compounds,
combinations thereof, and the like. In other embodiments, where the fluid 302
is a gas, such as a hydrocarbon-based gas corresponding to the oil and gas
industry, the optical computing device 306 may be configured to determine one
or more known adulterants such as, but not limited to, hexane, liquefiable
hydrocarbons, water, sulfur compounds, black powder-related substances,
combinations thereof, and the like. In yet other embodiments, the system 300
may be used to monitor breathable atmosphere and provide early indication of
an unhealthy concentration of one or more adulterants (i.e., hazardous
substances or chemicals) present within the atmosphere. For example, the
system 300 may be configured to provide percentage level measurements of 02/
N2, CO2, CO, Ar, methane, or the like.
[0071] Referring now to FIG. 4, illustrated is another exemplary system
400 for monitoring a fluid 302, according to one or more embodiments. The
system 400 may be similar in some respects to the system 300 of FIG. 3, and
therefore may be best understood with reference thereto where like numerals
indicate like elements that will not be described again. As illustrated,
the
optical computing device 306 may again be configured to determine the
concentration of a characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid 302
as
contained within the flow path 304. Unlike the system 300 of FIG. 3, however,
the optical computing device 306 in FIG. 4 may be configured to transmit the
electromagnetic radiation through the fluid 302 via a first sampling window
402a
and a second sampling window 402b arranged radially-opposite the first
sampling window 402a. The first and second sampling windows 402a,b may be
similar to the sampling window 316 described above in FIG. 3.
[0072] As the electromagnetic radiation 310 passes through the fluid
302 via the first and second sampling windows 402a,b, it optically interacts
with
the fluid 302 and at least one adulterant present therein. Optically
interacted
radiation 318 is subsequently directed to or otherwise received by the ICE 320
as arranged within the device 306. It is again noted that, while FIG. 4
depicts
the ICE 320 as receiving the optically interacted radiation 318 as transmitted
through the sampling windows 402a,b, the ICE 320 may equally be arranged at
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any point along the optical train of the device 306, without departing from
the
scope of the disclosure. For example, in one or more embodiments, the ICE 320
may be arranged within the optical train prior to the first sampling window
402a
and equally obtain substantially the same results. In other embodiments, one
or
each of the first or second sampling windows 402a,b may serve a dual purpose
as both a transmission window and the ICE 320 (i.e., a spectral component). In
yet other embodiments, the ICE 320 may generate the modified electromagnetic
radiation 322 through reflection, instead of transmission therethrough.
Moreover, as with the system 300 of FIG. 3, embodiments are contemplated
herein which include the use of at least two ICE components in the device 306
configured to cooperatively determine the characteristic or adulterant of
interest
in the fluid 302.
[0073] The modified electromagnetic radiation 322 generated by the
ICE 320 is subsequently conveyed to the detector 324 for quantification of the
signal and generation of the output signal 326 which corresponds to the
particular characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid 302. As with
the
system 300 of FIG. 3, the system 400 may also include the second detector 328
for detecting radiating deviations stemming from the electromagnetic radiation
source 308. As illustrated, the second detector 328 may be configured to
receive a portion of the optically interacted radiation 318 via the
beannsplitter
332 in order to detect the radiating deviations. In other embodiments,
however,
the second detector 328 may be arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation
from any portion of the optical train in the device 306 in order to detect the
radiating deviations, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The
output signal 326 and the compensating signal 330 may then be conveyed to or
otherwise received by the signal processor 334 which may computationally
combine the two signals 330, 326 and provide in real-time or near real-time
the
resulting output signal 336 corresponding to the concentration of the
characteristic or adulterant of interest in the fluid 302.
[0074] Still referring to FIG. 4, with additional reference to FIG. 3,
those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, in one or more
embodiments,
electromagnetic radiation may be derived from the fluid 302 itself, and
otherwise
derived independent of the electromagnetic radiation source 308. For example,
various substances naturally radiate electromagnetic radiation that is able to
optically interact with the ICE 320. In some embodiments, for example, the
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fluid 302 or the adulterant within the fluid 302 may be a blackbody radiating
substance configured to radiate heat that may optically interact with the ICE
320. In other embodiments, the fluid 302 or the adulterant within the fluid
302
may be radioactive or chenno-luminescent and, therefore, radiate
electromagnetic radiation that is able to optically interact with the ICE 320.
In
yet other embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation may be induced from the
fluid 302 or the adulterant within the fluid 302 by being acted upon
mechanically, magnetically, electrically, combinations thereof, or the like.
For
instance, in at least one embodiment, a voltage may be placed across the fluid
302 or the adulterant within the fluid 302 in order to induce the
electromagnetic
radiation. As a result, embodiments are contemplated herein where the
electromagnetic radiation source 308 is omitted from the optical computing
device 306.
[0075] It should also be noted that the various drawings provided
herein are not necessarily drawn to scale nor are they, strictly speaking,
depicted as optically correct as understood by those skilled in optics.
Instead,
the drawings are merely illustrative in nature and used generally herein in
order
to supplement understanding of the systems and methods provided herein.
Indeed, while the drawings may not be optically accurate, the conceptual
interpretations depicted therein accurately reflect the exemplary nature of
the
various embodiments disclosed.
[0076] Other embodiments disclosed herein include:
[0077] A. A system, comprising: a flow path containing a fluid having
at least one adulterant present therein; at least one integrated computational
element configured to optically interact with the fluid and thereby generate
optically interacted light; and at least one detector arranged to receive the
optically interacted light and generate an output signal corresponding to a
characteristic of the at least one adulterant within the fluid.
[0078] Embodiment A may have one or more of the following
additional elements in any combination:
[0079] Element 1: The embodiment further comprising a signal
processor communicably coupled to the at least one detector for receiving the
output signal, the signal processor being configured to determine the
characteristic of the at least one adulterant.
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[0080] Element 2: The embodiment comprising an electromagnetic
radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation that optically
interacts with the fluid.
[0081] Element 3: The embodiment wherein the at least one detector is
a first detector and the system further comprises a second detector arranged
to
detect electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source and
thereby generate a compensating signal indicative of electromagnetic radiating
deviations.
[0082] Element 4: The embodiment further comprising a signal
processor communicably coupled to the first and second detectors, the signal
processor being configured to receive and computationally combine the output
and compensating signals in order to normalize the output signal.
[0083] Element 5: The embodiment wherein the electromagnetic
radiation optically interacts with the at least one integrated computational
element after optically interacting with the fluid.
[0084] Element 6: The embodiment wherein the electromagnetic
radiation optically interacts with the at least one integrated computational
element before optically interacting with the fluid.
[0085] Element 7: The embodiment, wherein the fluid is a liquid.
[0086] Element 8: The embodiment wherein the at least one adulterant
comprises at least one of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, volatile
organic compounds, naphthalene, styrene, water, sand, and sulfur compounds.
[0087] Element 9: The embodiment, wherein the fluid is a gas.
[0088] The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one adulterant
comprises at least one of hexane, liquefiable hydrocarbons, water, sulfur
compounds.
[0089] Element 10: The embodiment, wherein the characteristic of the
at least one adulterant is the concentration of the at least one adulterant in
the
fluid.
[0090] Other embodiments disclosed herein include:
[0091] B. A method of monitoring a quality of a fluid, comprising:
optically interacting at least one integrated computational element with a
fluid
contained within a flow path, thereby generating optically interacted light,
wherein the fluid includes at least one adulterant present therein; receiving
the
optically interacted light with at least one detector; and generating with the
at
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least one detector an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the
at
least one adulterant in the fluid.
[0092]
Embodiment B may have one or more of the following
additional elements in any combination:
[0093] Element 1: The embodiment further comprising, before
generating with the at least one detector an output signal: measuring a
characteristic of the fluid or at least one known adulterant in the fluid with
the at
least one detector.
[0094] Element 2: The embodiment further comprising, after measuring
a characteristic of the fluid or at least one known adulterant in the fluid
with the
at least one detector: undertaking at least one corrective action when the
characteristic of the at least one adulterant surpasses a predetermined range
of
suitable operation.
[0095] Element 3: The embodiment further comprising: receiving the
output signal with a signal processor communicably coupled to the at least one
detector; and determining the characteristic of the at least one adulterant
with
the signal processor.
[0096] Element 4: The embodiment further comprising emitting
electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source, the
electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source being
configured to optically interact with the fluid and the at least one
adulterant.
[0097] Element 5: The embodiment, further comprising reflecting the
electromagnetic radiation emitted from the electromagnetic radiation source
off
of the fluid.
[0098] Element 6: The embodiment further comprising transmitting the
electromagnetic radiation emitted from the electromagnetic radiation source
through the fluid.
[0099] Element 7: The embodiment wherein the at least one detector is
a first detector, the method further comprising: receiving and detecting with
a
second detector at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted
from
the electromagnetic radiation source; generating with the second detector a
compensating signal indicative of radiating deviations of the electromagnetic
radiation source; computationally combining the output signal and the
compensating signal with a signal processor communicably coupled to the first
and second detectors; and normalizing the output signal.
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[0100] Element 8: The embodiment wherein containing the fluid within
the flow path further comprises flowing the fluid within the flow path.
[0101] Element 9: The embodiment wherein undertaking the at least
one corrective action comprises adding a treatment substance to the flow path.
[0102] Element 10: The embodiment wherein undertaking the at least
one corrective action comprises increasing or decreasing a flow rate of the
fluid
within the flow path.
[0103] Element 11: The embodiment wherein undertaking the at least
one corrective action comprises shutting off a flow of the fluid within the
flow
path.
[0104] Element 12: The embodiment wherein the characteristic of at
least one known adulterant is the concentration of the at least one known
adulterant in the fluid.
[0105] Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to attain the
ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The
particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present
invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners
apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings
herein.
Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or
design
herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore
evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be
altered, combined, or modified and all such variations are considered within
the
scope and spirit of the present invention. The invention illustratively
disclosed
herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element that is not
specifically disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein.
While
compositions and methods are described in terms of "comprising," "containing,"
or "including" various components or steps, the compositions and methods can
also "consist essentially of" or "consist of" the various components and
steps.
All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever
a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any
number
and any included range falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In
particular, every range of values (of the form, "from about a to about b," or,
equivalently, "from approximately a to b," or, equivalently, "from
approximately
a-b") disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range
encompassed within the broader range of values. Also, the terms in the claims
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have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly
defined
by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles "a" or "an," as used in the
claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it
introduces.
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