In oil fields, multiphase flow meters (MPFMs) yield important data for proper reservoir management to maximize the oil-gas production throughput. MPFMs are also required in downstream industries such as refineries to monitor the quality of the end product and in power generation to estimate the amount of wet steam, which if its flow rate is high may damage the blade’s turbines. For decades, radioactive γ-ray-based MPFM remains the most widely used and reliable device, especially for a high gas void fraction (GVF), which is however not safe and hazardous. This has prompted researchers to suggest other alternative technologies, among which some were successfully assessed either in multiphase flow loops or even in oil-gas fields. Most of these technologies still can’t operate for all flow conditions and are relatively expensive hindering their wide industrial deployment. This review paper presents the most recent findings in multiphase flow metering and the main research challenges encountered in each of them. Important and significant research works are cited in an attempt to provide a reasonable cross-section of various techniques. The paper can be useful for either a fresh researcher in the area or for a skilled R&D engineer involved in the design of a MPFM.

在油田中，多相流量计（MPFM）可提供重要数据，以进行适当的储层管理，从而最大程度地提高油气产量。在下游行业（例如精炼厂）中还需要MPFM来监控最终产品的质量，在发电中还需要MPFM来估算湿蒸汽的量，如果湿蒸汽的流量高，可能会损坏叶片的涡轮机。几十年来，基于放射性γ射线的MPFM仍然是使用最广泛且最可靠的设备，尤其是对于高气体空隙率（GVF）而言，这种方法并不安全且危险。这促使研究人员提出其他替代技术，其中一些已在多相流回路或什至在油气田中得到了成功评估。这些技术中的大多数仍不能在所有流量条件下运行，并且相对昂贵，阻碍了其广泛的工业应用。这篇综述文章介绍了多相流量计的最新发现以及它们中遇到的主要研究挑战。为了提供各种技术的合理横截面，引用了重要而重要的研究工作。该论文对于该领域的新研究人员或参与MPFM设计的熟练研发工程师都可能有用。