US 12,111,331 B1
Densitometer assembly for high-pressure flow lines
William Brent Stroebel, Houston, TX (US); Barry B. Ekstrand, Katy, TX (US); Larry Mitchel Hill, Cypress, TX (US); Scott Taylor Donaldson, Spring, TX (US); Mark C. Dille, Magnolia, TX (US); and E. Lee Colley, III, Jersey Village, TX (US)
Assigned to KHOLLE Magnolia 2015, LLC
Filed by KHOLLE Magnolia 2015, LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/149,459.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/059,933, filed on Jul. 31, 2020.
Int. Cl. G01N 9/24 (2006.01); G01N 9/36 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 9/24 (2013.01) [G01N 9/36 (2013.01); G01N 2223/628 (2013.01)] 48 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A densitometer assembly for high-pressure flowlines, said densitometer assembly comprising:
(a) a pipe having an inside diameter of about 5 inches or greater and walls of about 1 inch or less, said pipe being rated for pressures of at least about 5,000 psi and fabricated from steel having a yield strength of at least about 120 ksi;
(b) a radioactive source mounted on an exterior wall of said pipe; said source being configured to emit gamma radiation in a defined beam; and
(c) a detector mounted on an opposing exterior wall of said pipe in alignment with said gamma radiation beam; said detector being configured to detect gamma radiation from said detector and generate data sufficient to calculate a density of fluid flowing through said pipe.