The development of a gas–liquid two-phase flow sensor applicable to CBM wellbore annulus

Abstract

The measurement of wellbore annulus gas–liquid two-phase flow in CBM (coalbed methane) wells is of great significance for reasonably developing gas drainage and extraction processes,estimating CBM output,judging the operating conditions of CBM wells and analyzing stratum conditions. Hence,a specially designed sensor is urgently needed for real-time measurement of gas–liquid two-phase flow in CBM wellbore annulus. Existing flow sensors fail to meet the requirements of the operating conditions of CBM wellbore annulus due to such factors as an inapplicable measurement principle,larger size,poor sealability,high installation accuracy,and higher requirements for fluid media. Therefore,based on the principle of a target flowmeter,this paper designs a new two-phase flow sensor that can identify and automatically calibrate different flow patterns of two-phase flows. Upon the successful development of the new flow sensor,lab and field tests were carried out,and the results show that the newly designed sensor,with a measurement accuracy of ±2.5%,can adapt to the operating conditions of CBM wells and is reliable for long-term work.