BR112015002351B1 - System for monitoring a fluid, method for monitoring a fluid, and, method for controlling quality for a fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR MONITORING A FLUID AND FOR QUALITY CONTROL FOR A FLUID. Systems and methods for monitoring a fluid are described for the purpose of identifying microbiological content and/or microorganisms and determining the effectiveness of a microbiological treatment. A method of monitoring a fluid includes containing the fluid within a flow path including at least one microorganism present therein, optically interacting electromagnetic radiation from the fluid with at least one onboard computing element, thereby generating optically interacted light, receiving with at least one detector the light optically interacted and generating with the at least one detector an output signal corresponding to a fluid characteristic, the fluid characteristic being a concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid.

Description

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention relates to methods for monitoring a fluid in or near real time and, more specifically, to methods for monitoring a fluid for the purpose of identifying microbiological content and/or microorganisms in it and determining the effectiveness of a treatment. microbiological.

[002] The presence of bacteria and other microorganisms in a substance is often determined after increasing low levels of biological material to detectable levels. In some cases, a sample of the substance may be cultured under conditions that are conducive to growth of a particular biological material. In other cases, nucleic acid amplification techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), can be used to increase nucleic acid levels. Cultivation methods, in particular, can sometimes be non-specific, as many different levels of microorganisms can grow under chosen cultivation conditions, while only certain microorganisms can be of interest for an analysis. Furthermore, both culturing and nucleic acid amplification techniques are often limited by the time period over which they are conducted. PCR techniques, for example, can take several hours or more to produce sufficient amounts of nucleic acid for analysis, and the culturing can take days to weeks to complete. Methods for real-time or near-real-time monitoring of bacteria and other microorganisms are believed to have not yet been developed.

[003] The present inability to monitor bacteria and other microorganisms in a sufficiently rapid manner may have significant ramifications for a variety of commercial and industrial product processes. For example, due to a limited shelf life, a product (eg, a foodstuff or pharmaceutical) may have been transported to a warehouse and released for public consumption before product quality testing has been fully completed. By the time a biological contamination has been discovered, it can often be too late, as consumers may have already been exposed to the contaminated product. Not only can human health be compromised, but valuable process time, raw materials and other resources may have been lost preparing and distributing a contaminated product.

[004] While biological contamination is a recognizable concern in the food and drug industry, the problem of contamination by bacteria and other microorganisms extends to a much broader set of fields, including those not directly impacting human health. For example, and without limitation, biological monitoring of water treatment and wastewater processing streams, including those from refineries, may be of significant interest, due to downstream contamination issues. In underground oil and gas operations, biological contamination can reduce production and/or result in bio-clogging of equipment and wellbore surfaces. Furthermore, biological contamination on some solid surfaces can result in structural defects, including corrosion, which ultimately can result in mechanical failure. In short, any industry where monitoring of contamination or biological concentration is of interest could potentially benefit from faster detection techniques for biological materials.

[005] While monitoring for the presence of biological materials, there is often also an interest in reducing or otherwise preventing biological contamination within a substance, such as a fluid. In some instances, a biocide may be used to slow or stop biological growth. While biocides can often be effective in treating particular biological contamination, their effects can sometimes be slow acting. Furthermore, at least some members of a population of microorganisms are able to survive various biocide treatments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[006] The present invention relates to methods for monitoring a fluid in or near real time and, more specifically, to methods of monitoring a fluid for the purpose of identifying microbiological content and/or microorganisms therein and to determine the effectiveness of a fluid. microbiological treatment.

[007] In at least one aspect of the description, a system is described and includes a flow path containing a fluid having at least one microorganism present therein, at least one integrated computational element configured to optically interact with the fluid and thereby generating optically interacted light and at least one detector arranged to receive the optically interacting light and generating an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the fluid, the characteristic of the fluid being indicative of a concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid.

[008] In other aspects of the description, a method of monitoring a fluid is described. The method may include containing the fluid within a flow path, the fluid including at least one microorganism present therein, electromagnetic radiation optically interacting from the fluid with at least one integrated computational element, thereby generating optically interacted light, receiving with at least one detecting the optically interacted light and generating with the at least one detector an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the fluid, the characteristic of the fluid being a concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid.

[009] In still other aspects of the description, a quality control method for a fluid is described. The method may include optically interacting a source of electromagnetic radiation with a fluid contained within a flow path and at least one integrated computational element, thereby generating optically interacted light, the fluid having at least one microorganism present therein, receiving with at least an optically interacting light detector, measuring a fluid characteristic with the at least one detector, the fluid characteristic being a concentration of the at least one microorganism present therein, generating an output signal corresponding to the fluid characteristic, and performing at least one step corrective, when the fluid characteristic exceeds a predetermined range of suitable operation.

[0010] The details and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the description of preferred embodiments which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The following figure is included to illustrate certain aspects of the present invention and should not be viewed as an exclusive embodiment. The subject described is capable of considerable modifications, alteration and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to a person of ordinary skill in the art and with the benefit of this description.

[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary integrated computing element, according to one or more embodiments.

[0013] Fig. 2 illustrates a non-mechanistically block diagram illustrating how an optical computing device distinguishes electromagnetic radiation related to a characteristic of interest from other electromagnetic radiation, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0014] Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary system for monitoring a fluid, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0015] Fig. 4 illustrates another exemplary system for monitoring a fluid, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention relates to methods for monitoring a fluid in or near real time and, more specifically, to methods for monitoring a fluid for the purpose of identifying microbiological content and/or microorganisms therein and to determine the effectiveness of a fluid. microbiological treatment.

[0017] The exemplary systems and methods described here employ various configurations of optical computing devices, also commonly referred to as “optical-analytical devices”, for the real-time or near-real-time quantification of specific microbiological species and strains, which live in fuel, hydrocarbons and/or water contained in a flow path. As discussed above, conventional methods for monitoring and treating biological contamination can be limited by both their effectiveness and the convenience of producing results. The optical computing devices described here, however, can advantageously provide real-time or near-real-time fluid monitoring, which cannot presently be achieved with on-site analysis at a job site or via more detailed analysis, which takes place on a site. laboratory. A significant and distinct advantage of these devices is that they can be configured to specifically detect and/or measure a particular component or characteristic of interest in a fluid, such as a set of pre-chosen microbiological species within the fluid, thereby allowing them to occur. qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the fluid, without having to extract a sample and perform time-consuming analysis of the sample in an off-site laboratory.

[0018] With the ability to perform analysis in real time or near real time, the exemplary systems and methods described here may be able to provide some measure of proactive or responsive control over the fluid within a flow path, enable the collection and fluid information files, together with operational information, to optimize subsequent operations and/or increase the ability to perform remote work. As will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the systems and methods described can be advantageous in quantifying bacteria, microorganisms and other microbiological species within a flow path, determining the need for an antimicrobial treatment within the flow path. , determining the effectiveness of the antimicrobial treatment and determining the concentration of sulfate-reducing or acid-producing bacteria within the flow path. By determining the above parameters, the flow paths can be treated in an increasingly bespoke fashion, thereby allowing for reduced antimicrobial chemical costs, which can save significant sums of capital costs.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the systems and methods described here may be suitable for use in the oil and gas industry, as the optical computing devices described provide a cost-effective, accurate and accurate means of monitoring the quality of hydrocarbons, fuel and/or water, in order to facilitate the efficient control of oil/gas production. We further note, however, that the various described systems and methods are equally applicable to other technologies or industrial fields, including but not limited to food, medical and drug industries, industrial applications, pollution mitigation, recycling industries, mining industries. , security and military industries, forensic medicine, processing, fish and animal industries, agricultural industries, veterinary sciences, epidemiology and other microbiological studies, or any field where it may be advantageous to determine in real time or near real time the concentration or a characteristic of a microbiological species or strain in a flowing fluid. In some applications, the systems and methods described may be useful in monitoring biodecontamination applications, such as hydrocarbon or metal digesting microorganisms.

[0020] In at least one embodiment, for example, the present systems and methods can be employed in water analysis, including drinking water, wastewater and process water analysis; analysis of body fluids, foodstuffs, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; surface analysis; analysis of oil, gas, treatment fluid, drilling mud and underground fluid; etc. Furthermore, the present systems and methods can be used in the healthcare industry to test for biological contamination on surfaces such as, for example, medical devices, surgical instruments and the like. Other industries where it may be desirable to monitor biological contamination on a surface can be anticipated by a person of ordinary skill in the art. The systems and methods described herein can be used in any field where it is desirable to examine for microorganisms and/or determine the effectiveness of a repair operation used to control microorganisms. Given the benefit of the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will be able to apply the techniques described herein to any application where it is desirable to control and measure microorganisms or other microbiological substances in a fluid.

[0021] Optical computing devices suitable for use in the present embodiments may be distributed in any number at various points within a flow path to monitor the fluid and the various changes that may occur therein. Depending on the location of the particular optical computing device, various types of information about the fluid can be obtained. In some cases, for example, optical computing devices can be used to monitor changes to the fluid as a result of adding an antibacterial or antimicrobial treatment to it, removing an antibacterial treatment from it, or exposing the fluid to a potentially changing condition. a characteristic of the fluid in some way. In other cases, fluid product quality can be obtained by identifying and quantifying the concentration of known microbiological species that may be present in the fluid. In still other embodiments, optical computing devices can be used to detect and quantify a more common substance general to a set of microbiological species, such as a biofilm, for a more general indication of fluid product quality.

[0022] As used herein, the term "fluid" refers to any substance that is capable of flowing, including particulate solids, liquids, gases, slurries, emulsions, powders, slurries, glasses, combinations thereof, and the like. In some embodiments, the fluid may be an aqueous fluid, including liquid fuel, water, or the like. In some embodiments, the fluid may be a non-aqueous fluid, including organic compounds, more specifically, hydrocarbons, oil, a refined oil component, petrochemicals, etc. In some embodiments, the fluid may be a treatment fluid or a formation fluid, as found in the oil and gas industry. Fluids can include various flowable mixtures of solids, liquids and/or gases. Illustrative gases that may be considered fluids in accordance with the present embodiments include, for example, air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, thiophene, methane, ethane, butane and other hydrocarbon gases, combinations thereof and/or or etc.

[0023] As used herein, the term "characteristic" refers to a chemical, mechanical or physical property of a substance, such as a fluid or a microorganism present within the fluid. A characteristic of a substance may include a quantitative value of one or more chemical components of the substance. Such chemical components may be referred to herein as "analyzed". Illustrative characteristics of a substance that can be monitored with the optical computing devices described herein may include, for example, chemical composition (e.g., identity and concentration of total or individual components), impurity content, pH, viscosity, density, ionic intensity, total dissolved solids, salt content, porosity, opacity, bacteria content, combinations thereof, etc. Furthermore, the phrase "feature of interest of/in a fluid" may be used herein to refer to the characteristic of a substance contained in or otherwise flowing with the fluid.

[0024] As used herein, the term "flow path" refers to a route through which a fluid is capable of being transported between two or more points. In some cases, the flow path need not be continuous or otherwise contiguous between the two points. Exemplary flow paths include but are not limited to a flow line, a pipeline, a hose, a processing facility, a vessel storage tank, an oil tanker, a railroad tank car, a ship or transport vessel, a depot, a stream, a pipeline, an underground formation, etc., combinations thereof, etc. In cases where the flow path is a pipeline or similar, the pipeline may be a pre-commissioned pipeline or an operational pipeline. In other cases, the flow path may be created or generated via movement of an optical computing device through a fluid (eg, an open air sensor). In still other cases, the flow path is not necessarily contained within any rigid structure, but may refer to the path the fluid takes between two points, such as where a fluid flows from one location to another without being contained by it. . It should be noted that the expression "flow path" does not necessarily imply that a fluid is flowing in it, particularly that a fluid is capable of being transported or otherwise flowable through it.

[0025] As used herein, the term "microorganism" refers to a multicellular microscopic or macroscopic life form. Microorganisms may include, but are not limited to, bacteria, protobacteria, protozoa, phytoplankton, viruses, fungi, algae, omycetes, parasites, nematodes, and any combination thereof. Particular classes of bacteria that may be of interest include, for example, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, nitrate-reducing bacteria, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, bacteria of the genera such as, for example, Y-proteo bacteria, a-proteobacteria, &roteobacteria, Clostridia, Metanohalophilus, Methanoplanus, Methanolobus, Metanocalculus, Metanoarcinaceae, Halanaerobium, Desulfobacter, Marinobacter, Halotiobacillus and Fusibacter can be detected. and analyzed by the techniques described here. In more specific embodiments, bacteria of interest in the oilfield industry, which can be detected and analyzed using the systems and methods described herein, include, for example, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Desulfovibrio vulgaris, Desulfosarcina variabilis, Desulfobacter hydrogenophilus, Bdellovibrio bacteriouvorus, Myxococcus xanthus, Bacilus subtilis, Methanococcus vannielii, P. aeroginosa, Micrococcus luteus, Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Clostridium butricum. Other bacteria that can be monitored or analyzed may include e-coli and other food/water contaminants and pathogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Shigelia, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cenocepacia and Mycobacterium avium. It must be recognized that some microorganisms may be large enough to be seen with the naked eye.

[0026] The term "microorganism" may also refer to any microbiological species, strains or substance known to those skilled in the art. For example, in some cases, the term microorganism may refer to a microbiological substance secreted or otherwise produced by a microorganism. Microbiological substances that may be considered microorganisms include, but are not limited to, plasma, cells, prions, proteins, lipids, any derivatives thereof, and the like. The terms "microbiological treatment" and "antimicrobial treatment" are used interchangeably herein and refer to treatments that reduce or cultivate a population of microorganisms or microbiological substances.

[0027] As used herein, the term "viable microorganism" refers to a microorganism that is substantially unchanged from its native state and is capable of normal metabolic activity, including reproduction.

[0028] As used herein, the term "non-viable microorganism" refers to a microorganism that is no longer metabolically active. In some embodiments, non-viable microorganisms may refer to microorganisms that have had their cell wall ruptured, degraded, or modified by exposure to a degrading agent, such as an antibacterial treatment.

[0029] As used herein, the term “inactivated microorganism” refers to a microorganism that has been altered from its native state and is no longer able to reproduce. The alteration that generates inactivated microorganisms can be temporary or permanent. Permanent changes can include nucleic acid mutations, for example. Temporary changes may include, for example, environmental conditions (eg, temperature or lack of an appropriate nutrient source) that impact the microorganism's ability to reproduce or otherwise carry out normal metabolic functions, but the microorganism can recover once returned to more favorable conditions.

[0030] As used herein, the term "electromagnetic radiation" refers to radio waves, microwave radiation, infrared and near-infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-ray radiation, and radiation. gamma.

[0031] As used herein, the terms "real time" and "near real time" refer to an analysis of a substance occurring in substantially the same time period as the interrogation of the substance with electromagnetic radiation.

[0032] As used herein, the term "optical computing device" refers to an optical device that is configured to receive an input of electromagnetic radiation from a fluid, or a microorganism present within the fluid, and produces an output of radiation. electromagnetic signal from a processing element arranged within the optical computing device. The processing element can be, for example, an integrated computing element (ICE) used in the optical computing device. As discussed in greater detail below, electromagnetic radiation that optically interacts with the processing element is changed so that it is readable by a detector, so that an output from the detector can be correlated with at least one measured or monitored microorganism within the fluid. . The output of electromagnetic radiation from the processing element may be reflected electromagnetic radiation, reflected electromagnetic radiation, and/or scattered electromagnetic radiation. The structural parameters of the optical computing device, as well as other considerations known to those skilled in the art, can dictate whether reflected, transmitted, or scattered electromagnetic radiation is eventually analyzed by the detector. In addition, the emission and/or scattering of the substance, for example via fluorescence, luminescence, Raman scattering and/or Raleigh scattering, can also be monitored by optical computing devices.

[0033] As used herein, the term "optically interacts" or its variations refers to the reflection, transmission, dispersion, diffraction or absorption of electromagnetic radiation, in, through or through one or more processing elements 9 that is, integrated computing elements ). Therefore, optically interacted light refers to light that has been reflected, transmitted, scattered, diffracted or absorbed by, emitted, or re-radiated, for example, using the integrated computational elements, but interaction with a fluid or microorganism within the fluid.

[0034] As described in the U.S. Patent Application commonly owned no. 13/204294, filed August 5, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, one or more built-in computational elements can be used to quickly detect and analyze particular types of bacteria, including whether the bacteria are living or dead. These techniques can be extended to other types of microorganisms, as discussed below. Microorganism analyzes can be conducted using one or more integrated computational elements much more quickly than with conventional biological assays. The speed with which the integrated computational elements can perform analysis is advantageous for a number of applications and is particularly advantageous for analysis of biological materials, including microorganisms.

[0035] Specifically, the integrated computational elements can be used to assess the degree to which microorganisms, classes of microorganisms, or other microbiological substances have been rendered infeasible by a microbiological treatment (eg, antimicrobial treatment) that may kill or otherwise to render microorganisms unviable. Differentiation between viable and non-viable microorganisms can be readily determined using one or more integrated computational elements, as described here. Furthermore, because of the speed with which the integrated computational elements can provide information about a population of microorganisms, they can be used advantageously to conduct biological analyzes in real time or near real time, thereby satisfying an unmet need in the art. In addition, they can be used to proactively track and control the progress of a biological repair operation (eg, a microbiological treatment) in real or near-real time, thereby improving its effectiveness. For example, if an analysis indicates that unacceptably high levels of viable microorganisms remain in a fluid during or following a biological repair operation, the operational parameters associated with the repair may be altered in an attempt to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Conventional microorganism assay techniques, by contrast, are simply too slow to allow proactive control of biological repair operations to take place.

[0036] Exemplary systems and methods described herein include at least one optical computing device arranged along or within a flow path in order to monitor a fluid flowing or otherwise contained therein. Each optical computing device may include a source of electromagnetic radiation, at least one processing element (e.g., integrated computing elements), and at least one detector arranged to receive optically interacted light from the at least one processing element. As described below, however, in at least one embodiment, the source of electromagnetic radiation may be omitted and, conversely, the electromagnetic radiation may be derived from the fluid of the microorganism itself. In some embodiments, exemplary optical computing devices may be specifically configured to detect, analyze, and quantitatively measure a particular characteristic or analyte of interest of the fluid in the flow path. In other embodiments, the optical computing devices may be general purpose optical devices, with post-acquisition processing (e.g., through computer media) being used to specifically detect the sample characteristic.

[0037] In some embodiments, structural components suitable for exemplary optical computing devices are described in U.S. Patents. commonly owned in. 6,198,531; 6,529,276; 7,123,844; 7,834,999; 7,911,605, 7,920,258 and 8,049,881, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and U.S. Patent Applications. US. Serial 12/094,460; 12/094,465; and 13/456,467, each of which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As will be seen, variations of the structural components of the optical computing devices described in the above-referenced patents and patent applications may be suitable without deviating from the scope of the description and therefore should not be considered limiting of the various embodiments or uses described herein. .

[0038] Optical computing devices, described in previous patents and patent applications, combine the strength, precision and accuracy advantages associated with laboratory spectrometers, while being extremely rugged and suitable for field use. In addition, optical computing devices can perform real-time or near-real-time calculations (analysis) without the need for time-consuming sample processing. In this regard, optical computing devices can be specifically configured to detect and analyze particular characteristics, microorganisms and/or analytes of interest of a fluid. As a result, interfering signals are discriminated from those of interest in the fluid by appropriate configuration of optical computing devices, so that optical computing devices provide a quick response regarding fluid characteristics, as based on the detected output. In some embodiments, the detected output may be converted to a voltage that is distinctive to the magnitude of the characteristic of the microorganism being monitored in the fluid. The foregoing and other advantages make optical computing devices particularly well suited for field and downhole use, but they can equally be applied to a variety of other technologies or industries without deviating from the scope of the description.

[0039] Optical computing devices can be configured to not only detect the composition and concentrations of a microorganism in a fluid, but can also be configured to determine the physical properties and other characteristics of the microorganism as well, based on their analysis of radiation. electromagnetic signal received from the particular microorganism. For example, optical computing devices can be configured to determine whether the microorganism detected is viable, non-viable, or inactivated. As will be seen, optical computing devices can be configured to detect as many microorganisms or as many characteristics or analyzed of the microorganism as desired in the fluid. All that is required to carry out the monitoring of multiple features and/or microorganisms is the incorporation of adequate processing and detection means within the optical computing device for each microorganism and/or feature. In some embodiments, the properties of the feature can be a combination of the properties of the parsers of it (e.g., a linear, non-linear, logarithmic, and/or exponential combination). Therefore, the more analyzed that are detected and analyzed using optical computing devices, the more precisely the properties of the given feature will be determined.

[0040] The optical computing devices described here use electromagnetic radiation to perform calculations, as opposed to the built-in circuitry in a hardware system of conventional electronic processors. When electromagnetic radiation interacts with a fluid or a co-present in it, the only physical and chemical information about the fluid or microorganism can be encoded in electromagnetic radiation that is reflected, transmitted through, or radiated by the substance. This information is often referred to as the spectral “fingerprint” of the fluid or microorganism. The optical computing devices described here are capable of extracting spectral fingerprint information from multiple features or analyzed within a fluid and converting this information into a detectable output, referring to the fluid's overall properties, including the concentration and content of microorganisms. That is, through suitable configurations of optical computing devices, electromagnetic radiation associated with a characteristic or analyte of interest of a fluid or a microorganism present in it, can be separated from electromagnetic radiation associated with all other components of the fluid, the in order to estimate the properties of the microorganism in real time or near real time.

[0041] The processing elements used in the exemplary optical computing devices described here can be characterized as integrated computing elements (ICE). Each ICE is capable of distinguishing electromagnetic radiation related to the characteristic or microorganism of interest from electromagnetic radiation related to other components of a fluid. With reference to Fig. 1, an exemplary ICE 100 suitable for use in the optical computing devices used in the systems and methods described herein is illustrated. As illustrated, the ICE 100 may include a plurality of alternate layers 102 and 104, such as silicon (Si) and SiO2 (quartz), respectively. In general, these layers 102, 104 consist of materials whose refractive index is high and low, respectively. Other examples could include niobium and niobium, germanium and germanium, MgF, SiO and other high and low index materials known in the art. Layers 102, 104 can be strategically deposited onto an optical substrate 106. In some embodiments, the optical substrate 106 is BK-7 optical glass. In other embodiments, the optical substrate 106 can be another type of optical substrate, such as quartz, sapphire, silicon, germanium, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, or various plastics, such as polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyvinylchloride ( PVC), diamond, ceramics, combinations thereof, etc.

[0042] At the opposite end (eg, opposite the optical substrate 106 of Fig. 1), the ICE 100 may include a layer 108, which is generally exposed to the environment of the device or installation. The number of layers 102, 104 and the thickness of each layer 102, 104 are determined by the spectral attributes acquired from a spectroscopic analysis of a specific feature of interest using a conventional spectroscopic instrument. The spectrum of interest for a given feature typically includes any number of different wavelengths. It should be understood that the exemplary ICE 100 of Fig. 1 does not, in fact, represent any particular feature of interest, but is provided for purposes of illustration only. Consequently, the number of layers 102, 104 and their relative thicknesses, as shown in Fig. 1, contains no correlation with any particular feature of interest. Nor are the layers 102, 104 and their relative thicknesses necessarily drawn to scale and therefore should not be considered limiting of the present disclosure. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the materials comprising each layer 102, 104 (i.e., Si and SiO2 ) may vary depending upon application, cost of materials, and/or material applicability to a given characteristic.

[0043] In some embodiments, the material of each layer 102, 104 may be doped, or two or more materials may be combined in such a way as to obtain the desired optical characteristic. In addition to solids, exemplary ICE 100 may also contain liquids and/or gases, optionally in combination with solids, in order to produce a desired optical characteristic. In the case of gases and liquids, the ICE 100 may contain a corresponding vessel (not shown) that houses the gases or liquids. Exemplary variations of the ICE 100 may also include holographic, reticules, piezoelectric, light tube, digital light tube (DLP) and/or acoustic-optical elements, for example, that can create transmission, reflection and/or absorption properties of interest.

[0044] The multiple layers 102, 104 exhibit different refractive indices. By properly selecting the materials of layers 102, 104 and their relative thickness and spacing, the ICE 100 can be configured to selectively pass/reflect/refract predetermined fractions of electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths. Each wavelength is assigned a predetermined weighting factor or load. The thickness and spacing of layers 102, 104 can be determined using a variety of spectrograph approximation methods of the feature or analyzer of interest. These methods may include inverse Fourier transform (IFT) of the optical transmission spectrum and structuring the ICE 100 as the physical representation of the IFT. The approximations converge the IFT on a structure based on known materials with constant refractive indices. More information regarding the structures and design of exemplary integrated computational elements (also referred to as multivariable optical elements) is provided in Applied Optics, Vol. 35, pgs. 5484 - 5492 (1996) and Vol. 129, pgs. 2876 - 2893 in Applied Optics, Vol. 35, pgs. 5484 - 5492 (1996) and Vol. 129, pgs. 2876 - 2893, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

[0045] The weights that layers 102, 104 of the ICE 100 apply at each wavelength are established for the described regression weights with respect to a known equation, or data, or spectral signature. Briefly, the ICE 100 can be configured to perform the scalar product of the incoming light beam at the ICE 100 and a desired charged regression vector, represented by each layer 102, 104 for each wavelength. As a result, the intensity of the light output from the ICE 100 is related to the feature or analyte of interest. Further details regarding how the exemplary ICE 100 is capable of distinguishing and processing electromagnetic radiation related to the characteristic or analyte of interest are described in U.S. Patents. US. 6,198,531; 6,529,276; and 7,920,258, previously incorporated herein by reference.

[0046] Referring now to Fig. 2, there is illustrated a block diagram that does not mechanistically illustrate how an optical computing device 200 is capable of distinguishing electromagnetic radiation related to a characteristic of a fluid or a microorganism present therein from other electromagnetic radiation. As shown in Fig. 2, after being illuminated with incident electromagnetic radiation, a fluid 202, containing a microorganism (eg, a characteristic of interest), produces an output of electromagnetic radiation (eg, sample-interacted light), part of which is electromagnetic radiation 204 corresponding to the microorganism and part of which is electromagnetic background radiation 206 corresponding to other components or characteristics of the fluid 202.

[0047] Although not specifically shown, one or more spectral elements may be employed in device 200 in order to constrain the optical wavelengths and/or bandwidths of the system and thereby eliminate unwanted electromagnetic radiation existing in regions wavelengths that are unimportant. Such spectral elements can be located anywhere along the optical train, but are typically employed directly after the light source, which provides the initial electromagnetic radiation. Various configurations and applications of the spectral elements of optical computing devices can be found in the commonly held U.S. Patents. US. 6,198,531; 6,529,276; 7,123,844; 7,834,999; 7,911,605, 7,920,258, 8,049,881 and U.S. Patent Applications US. Serial 12/094,460 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0219538); 12/094,465 (Application Publ. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2009/0219539 ); and 13/456,467, incorporated herein by reference, as noted above.

[0048] The beams of electromagnetic radiation 204, 206 impinge on the optical computing device 200, which contains an exemplary ICE 208 therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the ICE 208 can be configured to produce optically interacted light, for example, transmitted optically interacted light 210 and reflected optically interacted light 214. In operation, the ICE 208 can be configured to distinguish electromagnetic radiation 204 from electromagnetic radiation. background 206.

[0049] The optically transmitted interacted light 210, which may be related to the microorganism or other feature of interest from the fluid 202, may be transported to a detector 212 for analysis and quantification. In some embodiments, detector 212 is configured to produce an output signal in the form of a voltage, which corresponds to the particular characteristic being monitored in fluid 202. In at least one embodiment, the relationship may be a polynomial function, a exponential function and/or a logarithmic function. The reflected optically interacted light 214, which can be related to the characteristics of other components of the fluid 202, can be directed away from the detector 212. In alternative configurations, the ICE 208 can be configured so that the reflected optically interacted light 214 can be related to the characteristic of interest (e.g., concentration of a microorganism) and the transmitted optically interacted light 210 can be related to other components or characteristics of the fluid 202.

[0050] In some embodiments, a second detector 216 may be present and arranged to detect reflected optically interacting light 214. In other embodiments, the second detector 216 may be arranged to detect electromagnetic radiation 204, 206 derived from of the fluid 202 or electromagnetic radiation directed towards or before the fluid 202. Without limitation, the second detector 216 can be used to detect deviations of radiation from a source of electromagnetic radiation (not shown), which provides the electromagnetic radiation (i.e. , light) to device 200. For example, radiation deviations may include such things as, but not limited to, fluctuations in intensity in electromagnetic radiation, interfering fluctuations (e.g., dust or other interferences passing in front of the source of light). electromagnetic radiation), window coverings included with the optical computing device 200, combinations thereof, etc. In some embodiments, a beam splitter (not shown) may be employed to split the electromagnetic radiation 204, 206 and the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation may then be directed to one or more ICE 208. That is, in such forms of realization, the ICE 208 does not function as a type of beam splitter, as shown in Fig. 2, and the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation simply passes through the ICE 208, being computationally processed there, before traveling to the detector 212.

[0051] The characteristic(s) of the fluid 202 being analyzed using the optical computing device 200 may be further processed computationally to provide additional characterization information about the fluid 202. In some ways In one embodiment, the identification and concentration of each analyte or microorganism in the fluid 202 can be used to predict certain physical characteristics of the fluid 202. For example, the mass characteristics of a fluid 202 can be estimated using a combination of properties imparted to the fluid 202. fluid 202 for each analyte or microorganism.

[0052] In some embodiments, the concentration of each microorganism or the magnitude of each characteristic determined using optical computing device 200 may be fed into an algorithm operating under computer control. The algorithm can be configured to make predictions about how the characteristics of the fluid 202 change if the concentrations of microorganisms or analytes are changed relative to each other. In some embodiments, the algorithm can produce output that is readable by an operator, who can manually take appropriate action, if necessary, based on the output. In some embodiments, the algorithm can take control of the proactive process, automatically adjusting the flow of a treatment substance (e.g., antibacterial or microbiological treatment) being introduced into a flow path or stopping the introduction of the treatment substance. , in response to an out of range condition.

[0053] The algorithm can be part of an artificial neural network, configured to use the concentration of each detected characteristic or microorganism, in order to evaluate the global characteristic(s) of the fluid 202 and predict how to modify the fluid 202, in order to change its properties in a desired way. Illustrative but non-limiting artificial neural networks are described in the U.S. Patent Application. commonly owned no. 11/986,763 (US Patent Application Publication No. 11/986,763 (US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0182693), which is incorporated herein by reference. It should be recognized that an artificial neural network can be trained using samples of traits or microorganisms having known concentrations, compositions and/or properties and thus generating a virtual library When the virtual library available to the artificial neural network becomes larger, the neural network may become more capable of accurately predicting the characteristics of a fluid having any number of microorganisms or analytes present in it. Furthermore, with sufficient training, the artificial neural network can more accurately predict fluid characteristics even in the presence of unknown microorganisms.

[0054] It is recognized that the various embodiments addressed herein to control computer and artificial neural networks, including various blocks, modules, elements, components, methods and algorithms, can be implemented using hardware, computer software and combinations. of the same etc. To illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various blocks, modules, elements, components, methods and algorithms have been generically described in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software will depend on the particular application and any design restrictions imposed. For at least this reason, it should be recognized that a person of ordinary skill in the art can implement the described functionality in a variety of ways for a particular application. Furthermore, various components and blocks may be arranged in a different order or divided differently, for example, without departing from the scope of the expressly described embodiments.

[0055] The computer hardware used to implement the various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods, and algorithms described herein may include a processor configured to execute one or more sequences of instructions, programming positions, or code stored in a non-transient computer-readable medium. The processor may be, for example, a general purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable circuitry, a programmable logic device, a controller, a state, a gate logic, discrete hardware components, an artificial neural network, or any similar suitable entity that can perform calculations or other data manipulations. In some embodiments, the computer hardware may further include elements such as, for example, a memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable read-only memory (EPROM)), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMS, DVDs, or any other similar suitable storage device or medium.

[0056] Executable sequences described here can be implemented with one or more code sequences contained in memory. In some embodiments, such code can be read into memory on another machine-readable medium. Executing sequences of instructions contained in memory can cause a processor to perform the process steps described here. One or more processors of a multiprocessing array may also be employed to execute instruction sequences in memory. In addition, built-in circuitry in a hardware system can be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the various embodiments described herein. Thus, the present embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and/or software.

[0057] As used herein, a machine-readable medium shall refer to any medium that directly or indirectly provides instructions to a processor for execution. A machine-readable medium can take many forms, including, for example, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical and magnetic disks. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic memory. The transmission media may include, for example, coaxial cables, wire, fiber optics and wires forming a bus. Common forms of machine-readable media may include, for example, floppy disks, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, other similar magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, other similar optical media, punch cards, paper tapes and similar physical media with standard holes, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM and flash EPROM.

[0058] In some embodiments, data collected using optical computing devices may be archived along with data associated with operational parameters being recorded at a job site. Work performance assessment can then be made and improved for future operations or such information can be used to design subsequent operations. In addition, data and information can be transmitted (wired or wirelessly) to a remote location by a communication system (eg satellite communication or wide air network communication) for further analysis. The communication system may also allow remote monitoring and operation of a process to take place. Automated control with a long-range communication system can even facilitate the performance of remote work operations. In particular, an artificial neural network can be used in some embodiments to facilitate the performance of remote works operations. That is, remote work operations can be conducted automatically in some embodiments. In other embodiments, however, remote works operations may take place under direct operator control, where the operator is not on site.

[0059] Referring now to Fig. 3, an exemplary system 300 is illustrated for monitoring a fluid 302 containing one or more microorganisms, in accordance with one or more embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid 302 may be contained or otherwise flowing within an exemplary flow path 304. The flow path 304 may be a flow line or a pipeline, and the fluid 302 present therein may be flowing in the direction indicated by arrows A (ie from upstream to downstream). As will be appreciated, however, flow path 304 can be any other type of flow path, as generally described or otherwise defined herein. For example, flow path 304 may be a containment or storage vessel and fluid 302 may not necessarily be flowing (i.e., moving) in the A direction while fluid 302 is being monitored.

[0060] In at least one embodiment, however, the flow path 304 may form part of an oil/gas pipeline and may be part of a wellhead or a plurality of interconnecting flow lines or tubes underwater and/or above of land, which interconnect multiple underground hydrocarbon reservoirs with one or more receiving/accumulation platforms or processing facilities. In some embodiments, portions of the flow path 304 may be employed in the hole below and fluidly connect, for example, a formation and a wellhead. As such, portions of the flow path 304 may be arranged substantially vertically, substantially horizontally, or any directional configuration in between, without departing from the scope of the description.

[0061] System 300 may include at least one optical computing device 306, which may be similar in some respects to the optical computing device 200 of Fig. 2, and therefore may be better understood with reference to it. Although not shown, the optical computing device 306 may be housed within a box or enclosure configured to substantially protect the internal components of the device 306 from damage or contamination by the external environment. The enclosure may operate to mechanically couple device 306 to flow path 304 with, for example, mechanical fasteners, brazing or soldering techniques, adhesives, magnets, combinations thereof, or the like. In operation, the enclosure may be designed to withstand pressure that may be experienced within or outside the flow path 304 and, from that egg, provide a fluid-tight seal against external contamination. As described in greater detail below, optical computing device 306 can be useful in determining a particular characteristic of fluid 302 within flow path 304, such as determining a concentration of a microorganism (viable or non-viable) present within the flow path 304. fluid 302. Knowledge of the concentration of microorganisms can help determine the overall quality of fluid 302 and provide an opportunity to correct potentially undesirable levels of microorganisms in fluid 302.

[0062] Device 306 may include a source of electromagnetic radiation 308 configured to emit or otherwise generate electromagnetic radiation 310. Source of electromagnetic radiation 308 may be any device capable of emitting or generating electromagnetic radiation, as defined herein. For example, the source of electromagnetic radiation 308 can be an electric lamp, a light-emitting device (LED), a laser, a blackbody, a blackbody simulator, a photonic crystal, an X-ray source, combinations of the same or similar. In some embodiments, a lens 312 may be configured to collect or otherwise receive electromagnetic radiation 310 and direct a beam 314 of electromagnetic radiation 310 into the fluid 302. Lens 312 may be any type of optical device configured to transmit or otherwise carry electromagnetic radiation 310 as desired. For example, lens 312 can be a normal lens, a Fresnel lens, a diffractive optical element, a holographic graphic element, a mirror (e.g., a focusing mirror), a type of collimator, or any other imaging device. transmission of electromagnetic radiation known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, lens 312 may be omitted from device 306 and electromagnetic radiation 310 may instead be directed into fluid 302 directly from source of electromagnetic radiation 308.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, device 306 may also include a sampling window 316 disposed adjacent or otherwise in contact with fluid 302 for detection purposes. The sampling window 316 may be made of a variety of transparent, rigid or semi-rigid materials, which are configured to allow transmission of electromagnetic radiation 310 therethrough. For example, sampling window 316 may be made of, but is not limited to, glass, plastics, semiconductors, crystalline materials, polycrystalline materials. hot or cold compressed powders, combinations thereof or similar. In order to remove ghosting or other imaging problems resulting from reflectance in the sampling window 316, the system 300 may employ one or more reflectance elements (IRE), such as those described in the co-occlusive U.S. patent. At the. 7,697,141, and/or one or more imaging systems, such as those described in co-possible U.S. Patent Application. At the. No. 13/456,467, the contents of each being hereby incorporated by reference.

[0064] After passing through the sampling window 316, the electromagnetic radiation 310 impinges on and optically interacts with the fluid 302, including any microorganisms present within the fluid 302. As a result, the optically interacted radiation 318 is generated by and reflected from the fluid 302. Those skilled in the art, however, will readily recognize that alternative variations of device 306 may allow optically interacted radiation 318 to be generated by being transmitted, dispersed, diffracted, absorbed, emitted, or re-radiated by and/or fluid 302, or a or more microorganisms present within the fluid 302, without departing from the scope of the description.

[0065] Optically interacting radiation 318, generated by interaction with fluid 302, and/or at least one microorganism present therein, may be directed to or otherwise received by an ICE 320 arranged within the device 306. The ICE 320 may be a spectral component substantially similar to the ICE 100 described above with reference to Fig. 1. Therefore, in operation, the ICE 320 may be configured to receive optically interacted radiation 328 and produce modified electromagnetic radiation 322, corresponding to a particular characteristic of interest in the fluid 302, including any microorganisms that may be present therein. In particular, the modified electromagnetic radiation 322 is electromagnetic radiation that has optically interacted with the ICE 320, whereby a close imitation of the regression vector, corresponding to the characteristic or microorganism in the fluid 30, is obtained.

[0066] It should be noted that although Fig. 3 represents the ICE 320 as receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation from the fluid 302, the ICE 320 can be arranged at any point along the optical train of the device 306, without departing from the scope of the description. For example, in one or more embodiments, the ICE 320 (as shown in dashed lines) can be arranged within the optical train before the sampling window 316 and also obtain substantially the same results. In other embodiments, the sampling window 316 may serve a dual purpose, as both a transmission window and ICE 320 (i.e., a spectral component). In still other embodiments, the ICE 320 can optically interact with fluid 302 or electromagnetic radiation 310 to generate modified electromagnetic radiation 322 through reflection rather than transmission therethrough.

[0067] In addition, although only one ICE 320 is shown in the device 306, embodiments contemplated herein include the use of at least two ICE components in the device 306 configured to cooperatively determine the characteristic of interest in the fluid 302 or a microorganism present. in him. For example, two or more ICEs may be arranged in series or parallel within device 306 and configured to receive optically interacted radiation 318 and thereby increase the sensitivities and detector limits of device 306. In other embodiments, two or more ICE may be arranged in a mobile unit, such as a rotating disk or an oscillating linear assembly, which moves so that the individual ICE components are capable of being exposed to or otherwise optically interacting with electromagnetic radiation by a distinct short period of time. The two or more ICE components of any of these embodiments can be configured to be associated or disassociated with the fluid 302 characteristic of interest or a microorganism present therein. In other embodiments, the two or more ICEs may be configured to be positively or negatively correlated with the characteristic of interest of the flido 302 or a microorganism present therein. These optional embodiments employing two or more ICE components are further described in co-pending U.S. Pat. US US. 13/456,264, 13/456,405, 13/456,302 and 13/456,327, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0068] In such embodiments, it may be desirable to monitor more than one feature of interest or microorganism at a time using device 306. In such embodiments, various configurations for multiple ICE components may be used, where each component ICE is configured to detect a characteristic or microorganism of particular and/or distinct interest. In some embodiments, the feature or umco can be analyzed sequentially using multiple ICE components that are provided, a single beam of electromagnetic radiation being reflected from or transmitted through the fluid 302. In some embodiments, as briefly mentioned above, multiple ICE components can be arranged on a rotating disk, where the individual ICE components are only exposed to the beam of electromagnetic radiation for a short time. Advantages of this approach may include the ability to analyze multiple features or microorganisms within fluid 302 using a single optical computing device and the opportunity to assay additional microorganisms simply by adding additional ICE components to the rotating disk.

[0069] In other embodiments, multiple optical computing devices may be placed at a single location along the flow path 304, where each optical computing device contains a single ICE that is configured to detect a particular feature of interest in the fluid 302 or a microorganism present therein. In such embodiments, a beam splitter can deflect a portion of the electromagnetic radiation being reflected by, emitted from, or transmitted through fluid 302 and into each optical computing device. Each optical computing device, in turn, can be coupled to a corresponding detector or detector array that is configured to detect and analyze an electromagnetic radiation output from the respective optical computing device. Parallel configurations of optical computing devices can be particularly beneficial for applications that require low power inputs and/or non-moving parts.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the foregoing configurations can still be used in combination with a number of configurations in any of the present embodiments. For example, two optical computing devices, having a rotating disk with a plurality of ICE components arranged thereon, can be placed in series to perform an analysis at a single location along the length of the flow path 304. Likewise, multiple stations detection devices, each containing parallel optical computing devices, can be placed in series to perform a similar analysis.

[0071] The modified electromagnetic radiation 322, generated by the ICE 320, can subsequently be converted into a detector 324 for signal quantification. Detector 324 can be any device capable of detecting electromagnetic radiation and can be generally characterized as an optical transducer. In some embodiments, detector324 may be, but is not limited to, a thermal detector, such as a thermopile or photoacoustic detector, a semiconductor detector, a piezoelectric detector, a charge-coupled device (CCD), a detector, a video detector or array detector, a split detector, a photon detector (such as a photomultiplier tube), photodiodes, combinations thereof or the like, or other detectors known to those skilled in the art.

[0072] In some embodiments, the detector 324 may be configured to produce a real-time or near-real-time output signal 326 in the form of a voltage (or current) that corresponds to the particular characteristic of interest of the fluid 302 or a microorganism present in it. The voltage returned by the detector 324 is essentially the dot product of the optical interaction of the optically interacting radiation 318 with the respective ICE 320, as a function of the concentration of the characteristic or microorganism of interest in the fluid 302. As such, the output signal 326, produced by the detector 324, and the concentration of the fluid characteristic of interest 302 or a microorganism present therein can be related, for example, directly proportional. In other embodiments, however, the relationship may correspond to a polygonal function, an exponential function, a logarithmic function and/or a combination thereof.

[0073] In some embodiments, the device 306 may include a second detector 328, which may be similar to the first detector 324, in that it may be any device capable of detecting electromagnetic radiation. Similar to the second detector 216 of Fig. 2, the second detector 328 of Fig. 3 can be used to detect deviations of radiation originating from the source of electromagnetic radiation 308. Unwanted radiation deviations can occur in the intensity of electromagnetic radiation 310, due to a wide variety of reasons and potentially causing various negative effects on the device 306. These Negative effects can be particularly detrimental to measurements taken over a period of time. In some embodiments, radiation deviations can occur as a result of a buildup of film or material in the sampling window 316, which has the effect of reducing the quantity and quality of light finally reaching the first detector 324. Without proper compensation, such radiation deviations could result in false readings and the output signal 326 would no longer be primarily or precisely related to the characteristic or microorganism of interest.

[0074] To compensate for these types of undesirable effects, the second detector 328 can be configured to generate a compensation signal 330, generally indicative of radiation deviations from the electromagnetic radiation source 308, and thereby normalize the output signal 326 generated by the first detector 324. As illustrated, the second detector 328 may be configured to receive a portion of the optically interacted radiation 318 via a beamsplitter 332 in order to detect radiation deviations. In other embodiments, however, the second detector 328 can be arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation from any part of the optical train of the device 306, in order to detect the radiation deviations, without deviation from the scope of the description.

[0075] In some applications, the output signal 326 and the compensation signal 330 may be carried to or otherwise received by a signal processor 334, communicably coupled to both detectors 320, 328. The signal processor 334 may be a computer including non-transient machine-readable medium and can be configured to computationally combine the offset signal 330 with the output signal 326 in order to normalize the output signal 326 in view of any radiation deviations detected by the second detector 328. In some embodiments, computationally combining the output and offset signals 320, 328 may require computing a ratio of the two signals 320, 328. For example, the concentration of each microorganism or the magnitude of each characteristic determined using the optical computing device 306 may be fed into an algorithm operated by the signal processor 334. The algorithm may be configured to make predictions. s of how the characteristics of the fluid 302 change if the concentrations of microorganisms are changed relative to each other.

[0076] In real time or near real time, the signal processor 334 can be configured to provide a resultant output signal 336, corresponding to a concentration of the characteristic of interest in the fluid 302 or a microorganism present therein. The resulting output signal 336 may be readable by an operator who can consider the results and make appropriate adjustments or take appropriate action, if necessary, based on the measured concentration of microorganisms in the fluid 302. In some embodiments, the signal output resulting 328 can be transported, wired or wireless, to the user for consideration. In other embodiments, the resulting output signal 336 may be recognized by signal processor 334 as being within or outside a predetermined or preprogrammed suitable operating range.

[0077] For example, the 334 signal processor may be programmed with an impurity profile corresponding to one or more microorganisms. The impurity profile may be a measure of a concentration or percentage of microorganism within the fluid 302. In some embodiments, the impurity profile may be measured in the parts per million range, but in other embodiments, the impurity profile may be measured in the parts per million range. Impurity can be measured in the range of parts per thousand or billion. If the resulting 336 output signal exceeds or otherwise falls outside a predetermined or preprogrammed operating range for the impurity profile, the 334 signal processor may be configured to alert the user of an excessive amount or percentage. of microorganism(s) so that appropriate correction or corrective action can be taken. In other embodiments, signal processor 334 may be configured to autonomously take appropriate corrective action such that the resulting output signal 336 returns to a value falling within the predetermined or preprogrammed range of proper operation. In some embodiments, the corrective action may include, but is not limited to, adding a treatment substance (i.e., a biocidal, antibacterial, or microbiological treatment) to the flow path 302, increasing or decreasing the flow of fluid within the flow path. flow 302, interrupting the flow of fluid within the flow path 302, combinations thereof or the like.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the many and numerous applications with which system 300, and its alternative configurations, can be suitably used. For example, in one or more embodiments, the fluid 302 may be a hydrocarbon corresponding to the oil and gas industry and transported through a flow path 304, such as a pipeline or a flow line. Optical computing device 306 may be advantageous in monitoring or otherwise quantifying the concentration of one or more microorganisms present within fluid 302. As recognized by those skilled in the art, the most problematic microorganisms in hydrocarbon transport are those that attack the pipeline infrastructure giving a corrosive effect on the pipeline, such as bacteria resulting from sulfate, which create an extremely corrosive environment in the pipelines. In some cases, microorganisms within fluid 302 might not adversely affect the actual flow of live fluid, but could have the potential to infect other flowline systems or vessels if proper corrective care is not taken. In such cases, system 300 can be useful in preventing the onset of pipeline degradation in downstream parts of the flow path 304.

[0079] In operation, the optical computing device 306 can optically interact with the fluid 302 and/or the microorganisms present therein to provide accurate real-time data with respect to the microbiological status within the flow path 304, so that corrective actions can be taken. or more specific remedies can be taken to avoid unnecessary plumbing damage or reservoir contamination. Knowing how infected the pipes or pipelines are with a particular microorganism, a dosage of antibacterial or microbiological treatment can be administered that is tailored to the specific need. For example, device 306 may be configured to detect or otherwise monitor the amounts of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the flow path 304 or the amount of acid-producing bacteria in the flow path 304. When the concentration of such microorganisms exceeds a predetermined impurity profile or operating safety limit, the 300 system can alert the operator of the need for microbiological treatment. Following microbiological treatment (i.e., any corrective or remedial action), the optical computing device 306 may be useful in determining the effectiveness of the treatment, such as providing the concentration of viable, non-viable, or inactivated microorganisms remaining within the fluid. 302. As will be appreciated, this may have the effect of reducing the damage effects of certain chemicals on the environment, and pipeline operators will experience reduced chemical procurement costs and chemical remediation costs.

[0080] In other embodiments, the fluid 302 can be a fuel, such as diesel or jet fuel, contained in a flow path 304, such as a pipeline or a storage vessel. Optical computing device 306 may be advantageous in monitoring or otherwise the microbiological degree present within fluid 302. Some microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, live in fuels such as diesel and jet fuel. Some of these organisms create a sticky film which, in turn, can potentially clog fuel systems. There are some factors that accelerate microbiological formation, especially water in the fuel and temperature fluctuations. The length of time the fuel is stored can also be an important factor in the severity of the problem, as microorganisms need time to establish a problematic colony. In some cases it can take several months for colonies to reach a problematic size.

[0081] System 300 can be useful in quantifying the level of bacterial contamination of fuel in real time. For example, optical computing device 306 can be configured to quantify a specific microbiological species and/or strain that optically lives in the fuel to determine whether corrective/remedial actions (i.e., cleaning or dosing) are required or otherwise. if the fuel is usable or remains viable. In some embodiments, system 300 may be installed in a portable detection apparatus that may be configured to optically interact with the fuel to determine whether or not the fuel is usable. Such a portable device is described in the U.S. Patent Application. copendant No. XX/XXX.XXX (Attorney's Folder No. 2012-IP-058393u1; 086108-0657), entitled “Handheld Characteristic Analyzer and Methods of Using the Same”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present description. In other embodiments, system 300 may be permanently installed in flow path 304 (e.g., a pipeline or storage vessel) to provide real-time, constant fuel monitoring capabilities.

[0082] In still other embodiments, the fluid 302 may be water and the system 300 may be advantageous in monitoring or otherwise quantifying the microbiological present therein. For example, water used in underground operations in the oil and gas industry can sometimes be obtained from numerous sources of “dirty” water, having varying levels of bacterial contamination or other types of microorganisms. Although contamination by microorganisms may sometimes not be particularly problematic at ambient temperatures on the Earth's surface, once water is introduced into a more favorable growth environment, levels of microorganisms and their harmful effects can rapidly increase. For example, when introduced into a warm underground environment, even low levels of microorganisms can rapidly multiply and potentially lead to the breakdown of an underground formation. Likewise, favorable growth conditions can sometimes be found in a pipeline or similar fluid flow path.

[0083] Microorganisms can lead to bio-obstruction of an underground surface or pipeline surfaces (internal and external). Anaerobic bacteria can be particularly harmful when introduced into an underground formation or a pipeline, due to the hydrogen sulfide that is commonly produced by them. Rapidly multiplying, microorganisms and their metabolic by-products can rapidly clog and corrode production pipelines, clog formation fractures, and/or produce hydrogen sulfide, which poses a health hazard and can result in completion failure and loss. of production. Therefore, it may be highly desirable to monitor levels of microorganisms before and/or while transporting water to and from an underground formation.

[0084] Water treatment equipment such as Halliburton's CLEANSTREAM® service can be used to treat water before it is pumped into one or more flow paths 304 (e.g. pipelines, flow lines etc.). In operation, system 300 can be useful in documenting the effectiveness of water treatment or otherwise determining the need for additional water treatment. In particular, optical computing device 306 may be configured to monitor and/or quantify a specific microbiological species and/or strain in the water. In some embodiments, ICE 320 can be configured to detect and quantify viable microorganisms in fluid 302. In other embodiments, ICE 320 can be configured to detect and quantify non-viable or inactivated microorganisms in fluid 302. In still other embodiments In one embodiment, there may be multiple ICE 320 components configured to detect and quantify viable, non-viable and/or inactivated microorganisms in the fluid 302. This may prove advantageous in applications such as flooding operations or water injection into pipes. In other applications, as will be noted, this 300 system may still be useful in determining the quality of drinking water at sites exhibiting sub-premium water sources.

[0085] Even in other embodiments, the system 300 can be used to determine or otherwise quantify microbiological content on solid surfaces. As recognized by those skilled in the art, solid surfaces are often susceptible to the growth of microorganisms. A person skilled in the art will further recognize that microbial contamination of a surface can result in numerous deleterious effects, including, for example, biofouling, reduced permeability, structural failure, corrosion, health hazards, and any combination thereof. Contamination by microorganisms can be particularly problematic in a pipeline or similar fluid conduit or flow path, as noted above. In a pipeline or similar fluid conduit, microorganisms can sometimes aggregate at joints, welds, seams, and the like, where they can significantly increase the risk of structural failure. As discussed above, anaerobic bacteria can be particularly problematic in this regard, due to the hydrogen sulfide they produce as a metabolic by-product. The 300 system described here, however, and its multiple variations, can be used to monitor or detect contamination by microorganisms on such solid surfaces in order to proactively reduce their deleterious effects. For example, optical computing device 306 can be configured to monitor and/or quantify a specific and/or microbiological species and/or strain that commonly grows on solid surfaces.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that microorganisms are typically nested in a habitat, meaning that they are often found in association with certain environmental characteristics, including limitations of temperature, chemicals, and biological conditions. Such microorganisms typically form symbiotic relationships with other micro and macro organisms. Additionally, they tend to alter or control their environment so that they experience favorable reproductive conditions. For example, yeast will exude identifiable traces, such as alcohols, which may be indicative of the presence of yeast. Therefore, when a species or genus, or other related offshoot of microorganism is identified, it can often be inferred that there are others of the same species, genus, or other related offshoot present. Likewise, it can also be inferred that there are microorganisms of similar habitat, especially of a symbiotic nature. For example, the presence of some sulfur-reducing bacteria may be indicative of the presence of a larger class of sulfur-reducing bacteria or anaerobic bacteria. Such presence of sulfur-reducing bacteria can, in fact, be inferred from the presence of sulfur products, such as H2S, which they are known to produce. Consequently, the analysis of the presence, destruction and inactivity of certain microorganisms can be deterministically representative of the presence, destruction and inactivity of other related microorganisms.

[0087] Accordingly, in even other embodiments, system 300 may be used to determine or otherwise quantify a particular microorganism by monitoring or analyzing trace chemicals or microorganisms associated with the microorganism of interest. In some embodiments, the microorganism of interest may be associated with a monitored/analyzed chemical or microorganism, by virtue of habitat, including limitations in temperature, chemical, and biological conditions. In other embodiments, the microorganism of interest may be associated with a monitored/analyzed chemical or microorganism, by virtue of symbiosis, where the presence, destruction, and/or inactivity of monitored microorganisms may be deterministically representative of the presence, destruction, and inactivity. of the microorganism of interest.

[0088] Referring now to Fig. 4, another exemplary system 400 for monitoring a fluid 302 is illustrated, in accordance with one or more embodiments. System 400 may be similar in some respects to system 300 of Fig. 3, and therefore may best be understood with reference to it, where like numerals denote like elements which will not be re-described. As illustrated, the optical computing device 306 can again be configured to determine the concentration of a characteristic of interest in the fluid 302 or a microorganism present therein, as contained within the flow path 304. Unlike the system 300 of Fig. 3, however, the optical computing device 306 of Fig. 4 may be configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation through fluid 302 via a first sampling window 402a and a second sampling window 402b arranged radially opposite the first sampling window 402a. The first and second sampling windows 402 a, b may be similar to the sampling window 316 described above in Fig. 3.

[0089] When electromagnetic radiation 310 passes through fluid 302 via first and second sampling windows 402 a, b, it optically interacts with fluid 302 and at least one microorganism present therein. Optically interacted radiation 318 is subsequently directed to or otherwise received by ICE 320 as arranged within device 306. It is again noted that although Fig. 4 depicts the ICE 320 as receiving the optically interacted radiation 318 as transmitted through the sampling windows 402 a, b, the ICE 320 may likewise be arranged at any point along the optical train of the device 306, without deviation from the scope of the description. For example, in one or more embodiments, the ICE 320 can be arranged within the optical train before the first sampling window 402a and also obtain substantially the same results. In other embodiments, one or each of the first or second sampling windows 402 a, b can serve a dual purpose, as both a transmission window and the ICE 320 (i.e., a spectral component). In still other embodiments, the ICE 320 can generate the modified electromagnetic radiation 322 through reflection, rather than transmission therethrough. Furthermore, as with the system 300 of Fig. 3 , the embodiments are contemplated herein, embodiments that include the use of at least two ICE components in the device 306, configured to cooperatively determine the characteristic of interest in the fluid 302 or a microorganism present therein.

[0090] The modified electromagnetic radiation 322, generated by the ICE 320, is subsequently transported to the detector 324 for signal quantification and generation of the output signal 326, which corresponds to the particular characteristic of interest of the fluid 302 or a microorganism present therein. As with the system 300 of Fig. 3, system 400 may also include second detector 328 for detecting deviations of radiation originating from source of electromagnetic radiation 308. As illustrated, second detector 328 may be configured to receive a portion of optically interacted radiation 318 via the beam 332, in order to detect the radiation deviations. In other embodiments, however, the second detector 328 can be arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation from any part of the optical train of the device 306, in order to detect the radiation deviations, without deviation from the scope of the description. Output signal 326 and offset signal 330 can then be conveyed to or otherwise received by signal processor 334, which can computationally combine the two signals 330, 326 and provide real-time or near-real-time signal. resulting output 336, corresponding to the concentration of the feature of interest in the fluid 302 or a microorganism present therein.

[0091] With reference still to Fig. 4, with additional reference to Fig. 3, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, in one or more embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation may be derived from the fluid 302 itself and, on the other hand, derived independently of the source of electromagnetic radiation 308. For example, various substances naturally radiate electromagnetic radiation that is capable of optically interacting with the ICE 320. In some embodiments, for example, the fluid 302 or the microorganism within the fluid 302 may be a blackbody radiating substance configured to radiate heat that can optically interact with the ICE 320. In other embodiments, the fluid 302 or the microorganism within the fluid 302 may be radioactive or chemiluminescent and therefore radiate electromagnetic radiation that is capable of optically interacting with the ICE 320. In still other embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation may be induced by the fluid 302 or the microorganism within the fluid 302 by being driven mechanically, magnetically or electrically, combinations of the same or similar. For example, in at least one embodiment, a voltage may be placed across the fluid 302 or the microorganism within the fluid 302 in order to induce electromagnetic radiation. As a result, embodiments are contemplated herein where the electromagnetic radiation source 308 is omitted from the optical computing device 306.

[0092] It should also be noted that the various drawings provided here are not necessarily drawn to scale nor are they, strictly speaking, represented as optically correct, as understood by those skilled in optics. Rather, the drawings are merely illustrative in nature and used generally herein to supplement understanding of the systems and methods provided herein. In fact, while the drawings may not be optically accurate, the conceptual interpretations represented therein accurately reflect the exemplary nature of the various embodiments described.

[0093] Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to achieve the aforementioned purposes and advantages, as well as those inherent thereto. The particular embodiments described above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent ways, evident to those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended on the construction or design details shown herein, except as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments described above may be altered, combined or modified and all such variations are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The invention illustratively described herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element not specifically described herein and/or any optional element described herein. While compositions and methods are described in terms of "comprising", "containing" or "including" various components or steps, compositions and methods may also "consist essentially of" or "consist of" various components and steps. All numbers and ranges described above may vary by some amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is described, any number and any included range falling within the range are specifically described. In particular, each range of values (of the form “from about aa about b”, or, equivalently, “from approximately aab”, or, equivalently “from approximately ab”) described herein is to be understood by exposing each number and range covered within the widest range of values. Also the terms of the claims have their plain, common meaning, unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Furthermore, the indefinite articles "a" or "an" as used in the claims are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element it introduces. If there is any conflict in the uses of a word or term in the report and one or more patents or other documents that may be incorporated by reference, definitions that are consistent with this report should be adopted.

Claims (26)

1. System for monitoring a fluid, characterized in that it comprises: a flow path (304) containing a fluid; at least one integrated computational element (208), which is configured to optically interact with the fluid (302) and at least a microorganism in it, thereby generating optically interacting light (210, 214); and at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328) arranged to receive the optically interacted light (210, 214) and generate an output signal (326) corresponding to a fluid characteristic, the fluid characteristic comprising a property relating to at least one a microorganism, wherein the integrated computational element (208) comprises a plurality of alternative layers of two materials having different refractive indices, one of the two materials is selected from the group consisting of silicon, silica, quartz, niobium, niobium, germanium, germanium , magnesium fluoride (MgF) and silicon oxide (SiO), and wherein a portion of the optically interacted light (210, 214) is transmitted through the at least one integrated computational element (208). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the property relating to the at least one microorganism is a concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid (302). System according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one integrated computational element (208) is configured to analyze the fluid (302) for viable microorganisms within the fluid (302). System according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one integrated computational element (208) is configured to analyze the fluid (302) for non-viable microorganisms within the fluid (302). A system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the fluid (302) comprises a fluid selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon, jet fuel, diesel fuel, water and any combinations thereof. A system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flow path (304) comprises a flow path which is selected from the group consisting of a flow line, a pipeline, a hose, a processing facility, a storage vessel, an oil tanker, a railroad tank car, a ship or transport vessel, a depot, a chain, a pipeline, an underground formation and any combination thereof. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one microorganism comprises a microorganism which is selected from the group consisting of bacteria, protobacteria, protozoa, phytoplankton, viruses, fungi, algae, microbiological substances and any combination of the same. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the bacterium is a sulfate-reducing bacterium. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the bacterium is aerobic or anaerobic. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation (308), which is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation (204) that optically interacts with the fluid (302). 11. System according to claim 10, characterized in that the at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328) is a first detector (324, 328) and the system further comprises a second detector (328) arranged to detect electromagnetic radiation (204) from that source of electromagnetic radiation (308), and thereby generate a compensation signal (330), which is indicative of deviations of electromagnetic radiation (204). 12. System according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises a signal processor (334) communicatively coupled with the first and second detectors (212, 216, 324,328), the signal processor (334) being configured to receive and computationally combining the output and for compensating signals to normalize the output signal (326). A system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid (302) is a trace of that at least one microorganism associated with a microorganism of interest. 14. Method for monitoring a fluid (302), characterized in that it comprises: containing the fluid (302) within a flow path (304); optically interacting with at least one integrated computational element (208) with the fluid (302) and at least one microorganism present within the fluid (302), thereby generating optically interacted light (210, 214); receive with at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328) the optically interacted light (210, 214); generate with the at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328) an output signal (326) corresponding to a characteristic of the fluid (302), said characteristic of the fluid (302) being a property relative to the at least one microorganism within the fluid (302), wherein the integrated computational element (208) comprises a plurality of alternative layers of two materials having different refractive indices, one of the two materials is selected from the group consisting of silicon, silica, quartz, niobium, niobium, germanium, germanium, magnesium fluoride (MgF) and silicon oxide (SiO), and wherein a portion of the optically interacted light (210, 214) is transmitted through the at least one integrated computational element (208). 15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that it further comprises analyzing the fluid (302) for viable microorganisms within the fluid (302) with at least one integrated computational element (208). 16. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that it further comprises analyzing the fluid (302) for unviable microorganisms within the fluid (302) with at least one integrated computational element (208). 17. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the property relating to the at least one microorganism is a concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid (302). 18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that the concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid (302) is a trace of the at least one microorganism associated with a microorganism of interest. 19. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that it further comprises: receiving the output signal (326) with a signal processor (334) communicatively coupled to the at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328); and determining the characteristic of the fluid (302) with the signal processor (334). 20. Method for quality control for a fluid (302), characterized in that it comprises: optically interacting with at least one integrated computational element (208) with the fluid (302) contained within a flow path (304), and with this generates optically interacting light (210, 214), the fluid (302) having at least one microorganism present therein; receiving with at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328) the optically interacting light (210, 214); measuring a characteristic of fluid (302) with the at least one detector (212, 216, 324, 328), said fluid characteristic (302) being a property relative to the at least one microorganism; generating an output signal (326) corresponding to the fluid characteristic ( 302); and perform at least one corrective step when the fluid characteristic (302) exceeds a predetermined suitable operating range, wherein the integrated computational element (208) comprises a plurality of alternative layers of two materials having different refractive indices, one of the two materials is selected at from the group consisting of silicon, silica, quartz, niobium, niobium, germanium, germanium, magnesium fluoride (MgF) and silicon oxide (SiO), and in which a portion of the optically interacted light (210, 214) is transmitted through the at least one integrated computing element (208). 21. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that the property relating to the at least one microorganism is a concentration of the at least one microorganism within the fluid (302). 22. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that it further comprises analyzing the fluid (302) for viable microorganisms within the fluid (302) with at least one integrated computational element (208). 23. Method according to claim 22, characterized in that performing the at least one corrective step comprises adding an antibacterial or microbiological treatment to the flow path (304) to reduce the concentration of viable microorganisms. 24. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that it further comprises analyzing the fluid (302) for unviable microorganisms within the fluid (302) with at least one integrated computational element (208). 25. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that generating an output signal (326) corresponding to the fluid characteristic (302) further comprises determining the effectiveness of an antibacterial or microbiological treatment. 26. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that generating an output signal (326) corresponding to the fluid characteristic (302) further comprises determining the need for an antibacterial or microbiological treatment.

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