DOUGLAS HAROLD LOOSE
Pilots at Brandywine Pl, Southington, CT

7474966, Jan 6, 2009

Sep 14, 2006

11/521627

Mark R. Fernald - Enfield CT, US
Michael A. Davis - Glastonbury CT, US
Alan D. Kersey - South Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas Loose - Southington CT, US
Timothy J. Bailey - Longmeadow MA, US

Expro Meters. Inc - Wallingford CT

G06F 19/00

702 25, 702 45

A apparatus is provided that measures the speed of sound and/or vortical disturbances propagating in a single phase fluid flow and/or multiphase mixture to determine parameters, such as mixture quality, particle size, vapor/mass ratio, liquid/vapor ratio, mass flow rate, enthalpy and volumetric flow rate of the flow in a pipe, by measuring acoustic and/or dynamic pressures. The apparatus includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors - placed at predetermined axial locations x-xdisposed axially along the pipe The pressure sensors - provide acoustic pressure signals P(t)-P(t) to a signal processing unit which determines the speed of sound apropagating through of the process flow flowing in the pipe The pressure sensors are piezoelectric film sensors that are mounted or clamped onto the outer surface of the pipe at the respective axial location.

2004018, Sep 23, 2004

Mar 19, 2003

10/392493

Daniel Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas Loose - Southington CT, US

G01N029/02

073/061790, 073/579000

A method for detecting the presence of particles, such as sand, flowing within a fluid in a conduit is disclosed. At least two optical sensors measure pressure variations propagating through the fluid. These pressure variations are caused by acoustic noise generated by typical background noises of the well production environment and from sand particles flowing within the fluid. If the acoustics are sufficiently energetic with respect to other disturbances, the signals provided by the sensors will form an acoustic ridge on a k plot, where each data point represents the power of the acoustic wave corresponding to that particular wave number and temporal frequency. A sand metric then compares the average power of the data points forming the acoustic ridge to the average power of the data points falling outside of the acoustic ridge. The result of this comparison allows one to determine whether particles are present within the fluid. Furthermore, the present invention can also determine whether the generated acoustic noise is occurring upstream or downstream of the sensors, thus giving an indication of the location of the particles in the fluid relative to the sensors.

7139667, Nov 21, 2006

Nov 24, 2003

10/720599

Paul Rothman - Windsor CT, US
Daniel L. Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas H. Loose - Southington CT, US
Alex Kravets - Bridgewater NJ, US

CiDRA Corporation - Wallingford CT

G01N 11/00

702 50

A method and apparatus are provided for calibrating a flow meter having an array of sensors arranged in relation to a pipe that measures a flow rate of a fluid flowing in the pipe. The method features the step of calibrating the flow rate using a calibration correction function based on one or more parameters that characterize either the array of sensors, the pipe, the fluid flowing in the pipe, or some combination thereof. The calibration correction function depends on either a ratio t/D of the pipe wall thickness (t) and the pipe inner diameter (D); a ratio t/λ of the pipe wall thickness (t) and the eddie wavelength (λ) of the fluid; a Reynolds number (ρUD/μ) that characterizes the fluid flow in the pipe; a ratio Δx/D of the sensor spacing (Δx) and the pipe inner diameter (D); a ratio fΔx/Uof usable frequencies in relation to the sensor spacing (Δx) and the raw flow rate (U); or some combination thereof. The apparatus takes the form of a flow meter having a calibration correction function module performing the aforementioned functionality.

7337075, Feb 26, 2008

Apr 24, 2006

11/410522

Daniel L. Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas H. Loose - Southington CT, US

CiDRA Corporation - Wallingford CT

G01N 31/00

702 25

An apparatus and method is provided that includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors - placed at predetermined axial locations x-xdisposed axially along a pipe for measuring at least one parameter of a saturated vapor/liquid mixture such as steam, flowing in the pipe The pressure sensors - provide acoustic pressure signals P(t)-P(t) to a signal processing unit which determines the speed of sound apropagating through of the saturated vapor/liquid mixture in the pipe using acoustic spatial array signal processing techniques. The primary parameters to be measured include vapor/liquid concentration (i. e. , steam wetness or steam quality), vapor/liquid mixture volumetric flow, mass flow, enthalpy, density and liquid droplet size. Frequency based sound speed is determined utilizing a dispersion model to determine the parameters of interest.

7389687, Jun 24, 2008

Nov 7, 2005

11/268815

Daniel L. Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas H. Loose - Southington CT, US

CiDRA Corporation - Wallingford CT

G01F 15/08

73200

A method and apparatus for measuring at least one characteristic of an aerated fluid flowing within a pipe is provided, wherein the method includes generating a measured sound speed, a measured density, a pressure and a gas volume fraction for the aerated fluid. The method also includes correcting the measured density responsive to the measured sound speed, the pressure and the gas volume fraction to generate a corrected density. The method further includes calculating a liquid phase density, determining whether the gas volume fraction is above a predetermined threshold value and generating a mass flow rate responsive to whether the gas volume fraction is above the predetermined threshold value.

2004016, Sep 2, 2004

Nov 12, 2003

10/712833

Mark Fernald - Enfield CT, US
Michael Davis - Glastonbury CT, US
Alan Kersey - South Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas Loose - Southington CT, US
Timothy Bailey - Longmeadow MA, US

G01F001/86

073/861010

A apparatus is provided that measures the speed of sound and/or vortical disturbances propagating in a single phase fluid flow and/or multiphase mixture to determine parameters, such as mixture quality, particle size, vapor/mass ratio, liquid/vapor ratio, mass flow rate, enthalpy and volumetric flow rate of the flow in a pipe, by measuring acoustic and/or dynamic pressures. The apparatus includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors -placed at predetermined axial locations x-xdisposed axially along the pipe . The pressure sensors -provide acoustic pressure signals P(t)-P(t) to a signal processing unit which determines the speed of sound apropagating through of the process flow flowing in the pipe . The pressure sensors are piezoelectric film sensors that are mounted or clamped onto the outer surface of the pipe at the respective axial location.

7134320, Nov 14, 2006

Aug 2, 2004

10/909593

Daniel L. Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Patrick Curry - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas H. Loose - Southington CT, US
Thomas E. Banach - Barkhamsted CT, US

CiDRA Corporation - Wallingford CT

G01N 9/00, G01N 33/00, G01F 1/20

73 32A, 7386118, 73 6144

A flow measuring system combines a density measuring device and a device for measuring the speed of sound (SOS) propagating through the fluid flow and/or for determining the gas volume fraction (GVF) of the flow. The GVF meter measures acoustic pressures propagating through the fluids to measure the speed of sound αpropagating through the fluid to calculate at least gas volume fraction of the fluid and/or SOS. In response to the measured density and gas volume fraction, a processing unit determines the density of non-gaseous component of an aerated fluid flow. For three phase fluid flows, the processing unit can determine the phase fraction of the non-gaseous components of the fluid flow. The gas volume fraction (GVF) meter may include a sensing device having a plurality of strain-based or pressure sensors spaced axially along the pipe for measuring the acoustic pressures propagating through the flow.

7328624, Feb 12, 2008

Apr 10, 2003

10/412839

Daniel L. Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas H. Loose - Southington CT, US
Thomas W. Engel - East Hampton CT, US
Paul F. Croteau - Columbia CT, US

CIDRA Corporation - Wallingford CT

G01L 13/02, G01L 15/00

73736, 7386149, 73 1901, 73 6141, 73 6143, 73 6144, 73 6147, 7315218, 7315242, 7315251

A probe is provided that measures the speed of sound and/or vortical disturbances propagating in a single phase fluid flow and/or multiphase mixture to determine parameters, such as mixture quality, particle size, vapor/mass ratio, liquid/vapor ratio, mass flow rate, enthalpy and volumetric flow rate of the flow in a pipe or unconfined space, for example, using acoustic and/or dynamic pressures. The probe includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors - placed at predetermined axial locations x-xdisposed axially along a tube. For measuring at least one parameter of a saturated vapor/liquid mixture , such as steam, flowing in the tube. The pressure sensors - provide acoustic pressure signals P(t)-P(t) to a signal processing unit which determines the speed of sound apropagating through of the saturated vapor/liquid mixture in the tube using acoustic spatial array signal processing techniques. Frequency based sound speed is determined utilizing a dispersion model to determine the parameters of interest.

7380439, Jun 3, 2008

Dec 20, 2006

11/642168

Daniel L. Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Patrick Curry - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas H. Loose - Southington CT, US
Thomas E. Banach - Barkhamsted CT, US

CiDRA Corporation - Wallingford CT

G01N 7/00, G01N 22/00, G01F 1/20

73 32A, 73 6144, 7386118

A flow measuring system is provided that provides at least one of a compensated mass flow rate measurement and a compensated density measurement. The flow measuring system includes a gas volume fraction meter in combination with a coriolis meter. The GVF meter measures acoustic pressures propagating through the fluids to measure the speed of sound αpropagating through the fluid to calculate at least gas volume fraction of the fluid and/or the reduced natural frequency. For determining an improved density for the coriolis meter, the calculated gas volume fraction and/or reduced frequency is provided to a processing unit. The improved density is determined using analytically derived or empirically derived density calibration models (or formulas derived therefore), which is a function of the measured natural frequency and at least one of the determined GVF, reduced frequency and speed of sound, or any combination thereof. The gas volume fraction (GVF) meter may include a sensing device having a plurality of strain-based or pressure sensors spaced axially along the pipe for measuring the acoustic pressures propagating through the flow.

2004014, Jul 29, 2004

Nov 17, 2003

10/715197

Daniel Gysling - Glastonbury CT, US
Douglas Loose - Southington CT, US

G01F001/34

073/861420

A apparatus is provided that measures the speed of sound and/or vortical disturbances propagating in a fluid or mixture having entrained gas/air to determine the gas volume fraction of the flow propagating through a pipes and compensating or correcting the volumetric flow measurement for entrained air. The GVF meter includes and array of sensor disposed axially along the length of the pipe. The GVF measures the speed of sound propagating through the pipe and fluid to determine the gas volume fraction of the mixture using array processing. The GVF meter can be used with an electromagnetic meter and a consistency meter to compensate for volumetric flow rate and consistency measurement respective, to correct for errors due to entrained gas/air.