Volume fraction detection in multiphase systems using neutron activation analysis and artificial neural network

This study presents an application of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to detect fluids in an annular flow regime using Prompt-Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA). The ANN was trained using gamma-ray spectra resulting from neutron interactions with chemical elements found in fluids typical of multiphase flow in oil exploration. These spectra were generated through mathematical simulation using the MCNP6 Monte Carlo computer code to model nuclear particle transport. A241Am-Be polyenergetic neutron source was simulated for these calculations. Several combinations of fluid fractions were developed to create a dataset used for both training and evaluation of the ANN. The ANN demonstrated robust generalization capabilities by accurately predicting the volume fraction of the three investigated fluids (saltwater, oil, and gas), even for cases not included in the training phase. The combination of ANN and PGNAA proved effective for analyzing multiphase systems, with over 92% of all showing errors of less than 5%. •ANN applied to determine the presence of fluids in annular flow regime using Prompt-Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis.•ANN on gamma spectra from neutron nuclear reactions with fluids elements found in multiphase flow in oil exploration.•Spectra obtained via MCNP6 simulations of the transport of a241Am-Be polyenergetic neutron source.