Abstract: Fluid sampling device comprising a sampling cell (1) provided with a thermal control valve having a plug (21) made from a solid low-melting temperature material that is made permeable to the fluid by temporary heating. The device comprises an intermediate cell (6) with a central channel (7) provided with a plug made from the solid material, which communicates an inlet with a first end and an outlet with the opposite end, and suited to tightly fit into the inlet hole of the sampling cell, a device (12, 13) for connecting the two cells (1, 6) to each other and an element (14) associated with a seal (20) for connecting, at the inlet of intermediate cell (6), a linking tube (15) to a reactor (17) producing the fluid to be sampled.

Abstract: Fluid sampling device comprising a sampling cell provided with a thermal control valve consisting of a plug made from a solid low-melting temperature alloy that is made permeable to the fluid by heating the metal alloy to its melting temperature. The device mainly comprises an intermediate cell with a central channel provided with a plug made from a low-melting temperature alloy which fits into the inlet hole of the sampling cell. A connecting device for connecting the two cells together and an element which connects the intermediate cell via a fine linking tube to a reactor producing the fluid to be sampled.

Abstract: The fluids to be studied are placed in a chamber (13) of variable volume delimited by a piston (5) that can be moved by hydraulic device (24) in a cavity of a body (1). An endoscope (18) allowing to view the inside of the chamber and notably to see the orifices of two diametrically opposite pipes (14, 15) that communicate the cell with the outside is placed behind a transparent porthole (8) closing the end of the chamber opposite the piston. The body (1) can swivel about a pin (26), which allows achievement of equilibrium and also to draw off a particular phase of a stratified multiphase fluid by placing the orifice of one of pipes (14, 15) within this phase. A pressure detector (19) is included in the wall of the piston so as to decrease practically any dead volume likely to distort the measurements. A single body can contain two cells placed side by side, at least one having a transparent wall. The device can be used for studying fluids, notably petroleum fluids.

Abstract: A containment cell with two chambers (7) in a thermostat-controlled enclosure (3) is used to measure separately, at determined pressure levels, the volumes occupied separately by fluid phases, prior to measuring at the same pressures the volume occupied by the mixture thereof, so as to deduce therefrom the excess volume (v.sup.E) and the density of the mixture. By minimizing an error function (F) that takes account of volume quantities, such as the excess volume (v.sup.E) or the density of the mixture, and of phase equilibrium data of the mixture such as the saturation pressures (Psat), these data being determined from said cell, it is possible to determine with precision the coefficients of the equation of state relating the thermodynamic parameters of the mixture (P, V, T) and thereby to fine down for example reservoir models. The method can be applied for study of petroleum fluids for example.

Abstract: A cyclone separating device includes a transparent and tapered separator flask, with an upper outlet where a tube provided with seal means and a tubular extension is fastened, and a lateral inlet through a lateral appendix communicating with the inside of the flask through a fine channel offset in order to generate a cyclone effect promoting the separation of the phases and lined with an insert made of a plastic material. The fluid sample is injected, for example, through a septum by means of a hollow needle guided through the insert. The device can be used for processing geologic fluid samples.

Abstract: Fluids kept under high pressure in one or several balancing cells (C1, C2) inside a thermostat-controlled enclosure (14) at about 200.degree. C. are extracted by introducing into the enclosure a sampling cell (1) capable of withstanding pressures of the order of 150 MPa, fastening cell (1) to a connection element (24) linked to balancing cells, taking samples and removing the cell from the thermostat-controlled enclosure, with all of these operations being easily conducted from outside. After possible weighing of the sampling cell, a transfer device thereafter allows the sampling cell to be communicated with measuring and analysis devices such as a gasometer associated with a separating bottle, a solvent injection means, etc. Operations are synchronized by a programmed microcomputer (MC). The preferred application is processing geological samples.

Abstract: A method for obtaining information relating to material contained in geological formations. According to this method; these geological formations are subjected to at least one flow of so called incident neutrons having a substantially well defined energy, the incoherent inelastic diffusion spectrum of the diffused neutrons resulting from the interaction of the incident neutrons with the material contained in the geological formations is established at least partially, and from this spectrum are inferred certain of the energy amounts frequently transferred between the incident neutrons and molecules of the materials contained in the formations, or vice versa.