Importance

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Abstract

A mini-spinner flowmeter (1) is intended for use in a hydrocarbon well (101) for measuring a fluid linear velocity and/or a fluid direction (F1, F2) of a fluid (100) present in the hydrocarbon well (101). It comprises an impeller (2) formed with a plurality of axially extending vanes (3) longitudinally secured to a shaft (4), the shaft (4) extending along a longitudinal axis (XX′), the impeller (2) being caused to rotate at an impeller angular velocity depending on the fluid linear velocity and in a rotational direction (Rt1, Rt2) depending on the fluid direction (F1, F2); and a support (5) having a bearing (6, 7) positioned on each end of the shaft (4) and a through-hole (8) securing an optical section (9). The optical section (9) comprises an emitting optical fiber (E), a first receiving optical fiber (R1) and a second receiving optical fiber (R2), optical fiber distal ends (10) directed towards the vanes (3) defining an optical path (11) offset from the shaft longitudinal axis (XX′) and positioned such as to face a vane rotation trajectory. The vanes (3) are reflective such that, in use, a light energy (IE) emitted by the emitting optical fiber (E) and reflected backward by anyone of the vanes (3) is received by the first receiving optical fiber (R1) and/or the second receiving optical fiber (R2), the reflected light energy (IR) containing information indicative of the fluid linear velocity and/or the fluid direction (F1, F2).

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