Using “Digital Twin” Of Coriolis Meters For Multiphase Flow Measurement

Abstract Multiphase flow meters are often built based on one or many single-phase flow metering technologies. Following the trend, Coriolis meters are being increasingly used in upstream applications in conjunction with an independent water cut meter to measure multiphase flow. Coriolis meters are well-known for fiscal metering applications as they offer unparalleled accuracy without having to input detailed information on the fluid being metered. They offer two distinct measurements: density, and mass flow rate, which is often not possible with other metering technologies. Subsequently, under multiphase flow, the biggest problem with liquid Coriolis meters is their tendency to stall when large amounts of gas flows through them. Many manufacturers over the last 10 years have developed techniques to adjust the drive gain to enhance the ability of these meters to handle increasing amounts of gas. There have also been several developments in using advanced signal processing and machine learning methods to help the meters to self-calibrate and correct for the presence of gas. These methods range from a simple error analysis on certain raw measurements to more sophisticated "Digital Twin" based concepts to simulate the behavior of the Coriolis meter internally. The paper describes the concept of "Digital Twin" in detail and outlines the reasons for the superiority of such an approach.