Advancing oil and gas pipeline monitoring with fast phase fraction sensor

Abstract In the oil and gas sector, the design of monitoring equipment usually prioritizes durability and long-term reliability. However, such equipment does not provide resolution for scientific research, where capturing transient and dynamic events is crucial to enhancing flow understanding. This work describes the development of a capacitive sensor system optimized for phase fraction measurements in oil–gas industrial environments. The sensor features high sensitivity and temporal resolution to meet flow measurement investigative requirements. The measurement technique is based on the electrical capacitance variations of the flowing media and was validated with reference equipment. Six sensors were deployed across multiple test stations to analyze the slug flow regime and its evolution along the pipe. The data collected from these experiments were processed, and flow parameters were compared with a model that describes the elongated bubble shape found in the slug flow pattern. Results show a good agreement between the experimental data and the model, validating its capability to track the fast-changing phases of multiphase flow. The uncertainty analysis revealed a maximum absolute uncertainty of 1.41% for the gas fraction measurements. Further, the gas flow rate was evaluated with a good agreement against the reference gas flow meter, ensuring the sensor’s reliability in dynamic multiphase flow environments. By providing accurate experimental data from real-world industrial conditions, the developed sensor can significantly enhance the precision of flow models, thereby improving the understanding of complex flow phenomena.