Application of Electrical Capacitance Tomography to the Concentration Measurement in a Cyclone Dipleg

Accurate solid concentration measurement plays a key role in the process industry. Measurements analyzed offline can be used to estimate process efficiencies, to identify problems in a flow, and to validate computational models. Online measurements can be used for active control. Electrical capacitance tomography （ECT） is a unique measuring technique with great potential in multiphase flow measurement. Experimental studies are carried out on a solid concentration measurement in a cyclone separator dipleg, using ECT. In this experiment eight electrodes are selected for the ECT sensor that is placed on the straight tube of the dipleg. The fluctuating characteristics according to the screw feeder and the effect of the airflow rate from the top of the cyclone are analyzed. The feasibility andreliability of the method are verified by the experimental results.

Void Fraction Measurement in Oil-Gas Transportation Pipeline Using an Improved Electrical Capacitance Tomography System

To measure the void fraction online in oil-gas pipeline, an improved electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system has been designed. The capacitance sensor with new structure has twelve internal electrodes and overcomes the influence of the pipe wall. The data collection system is improved by using high performance IC (integrated circuit). Static tests of bubble flow, stratified flow and annular flow regime are carried out. Measurements are taken on bubble flow, stratified flow and slug flow. Results show that the new ECT system performs well on void fraction measurement of bubble flow and stratified flow, but the error of measurement for slug flow is more than 10%.

Reconstruction of electrical capacitance tomography images based on fast linearized alternating direction method of multipliers for two-phase flow system

Electrical capacitance tomography(ECT)has been applied to two-phase flow measurement in recent years.Image reconstruction algorithms play an important role in the successful applications of ECT.To solve the ill-posed and nonlinear inverse problem of ECT image reconstruction,a new ECT image reconstruction method based on fast linearized alternating direction method of multipliers(FLADMM)is proposed in this paper.On the basis of theoretical analysis of compressed sensing(CS),the data acquisition of ECT is regarded as a linear measurement process of permittivity distribution signal of pipe section.A new measurement matrix is designed and L1 regularization method is used to convert ECT inverse problem to a convex relaxation problem which contains prior knowledge.A new fast alternating direction method of multipliers which contained linearized idea is employed to minimize the objective function.Simulation data and experimental results indicate that compared with other methods,the quality and speed of reconstructed images are markedly improved.Also,the dynamic experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm can ful fill the real-time requirement of ECT systems in the application.

Voidage measurement based on genetic algorithm and electrical capacitance tomography

A new voidage measurement method based on electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) technique, Genetic Algo- rithm (GA) and Partial Least Square (PLS) method was proposed. The voidage measurement model, linear capacitance combi- nation, was developed to measure on-line voidage. GA and PLS method were used to determine the coefficients of the voidage measurement model. GA was used to explore the optimal capacitance combination which gave significant contribution to the voidage measurement. PLS method was applied to determine the weight coefficient of the contribution of each capacitance to the voidage measurement. Flow pattern identification result was introduced to improve the voidage measurement accuracy. Experi- mental results showed that the proposed voidage measurement method is effective and that the measurement accuracy is satis- factory.

Dynamic Visualization Approach of the Multiphase Flow Using Electrical Capacitance Tomography

Identifying the flow patterns is vital for understanding the complicated physical mechanisms in multiphase flows.For this purpose,electrical capacitance tomography(ECT) technique is considered as a promising visualization method for the flow pattern identification,in which image reconstruction algorithms play an important role.In this paper,a generalized dynamic reconstruction model,which integrates ECT measurement information and physical evolution information of the objects of interest,was presented.A generalized objective functional that simultaneously considers the spatial constraints,temporal constraints and dynamic evolution information of the objects of interest was proposed.Numerical simulations and experiments were implemented to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.For the cases considered in this paper,the proposed algorithm can well reconstruct the flow patterns,and the quality of the reconstructed images is improved,which indicates that the proposed algorithm is competent to reconstruct the flow patterns in the visualization of multiphase flows.

Damage Detection for CFRP Based on Planar Electrical Capacitance Tomography

Due to the widespread use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer/plastic(CFRP),the nondestructive structural health monitoring for CFRP is playing an increasingly essential role.As a nonrad iative,noninvasive and nondestructive detection technique,planar electrical capacitance tomography(PECT)electrodes array is employed in this paper to reconstruct the damage image according to the calculated dielectric constant changes.The shape and duty ratio of PECT electro-des are optimized according to the relations between sensitivity distribution and the dielectric constant of different anisotropic degrees.The sensitivity matrix of optimized PECT sensor is more uniform as the result shows,because the sensitiv-ity of insensitivity area can be increased by adding rotation of optimized electro-des.The reconstructed image qualities due to different PECT arrays and different damage locations are investigated at last.The simulation results indicate that:PECT can be used to detect the surface damage of CFRP;the sensitivity matrix of PECT for CFRP is highly relevant with the degree of anisotropic dielectric con-stant;the rotatable PECT sensor with rotation has better performance in unifor-mity of sensitivity;for different damage locations,the rotatable sensor with rotation has better image quality in most cases.

Visualization detection of slurry transportation pipeline based on electrical capacitance tomography in mining filling

In the long distance transportation of slurry filled for mining filling,there exist complex variation rules of pressure and flow velocity,pipe distribution location and other influencing factors.Electrical capacitance tomography(ECT)is a technique for visualizing two-phase flow in a pipe or closed container.In this paper,a visual detection method was proposed by image reconstruction of core,laminar,bubble and annular flow based on ECT technology,which reflects distribution of slurry in deep filling pipeline and measures the degree of blockage.There is an error between the measured and the real two-phase flow distribution due to two factors,which are immature image reconstruction algorithm of ECT and difference of flow patterns leading to degrees of error.In this paper,convolutional neural networks(CNN)is used to recognize flow patterns,and then the optimal image is calculated by the improved particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm with weights using simulated annealing strategy,and the fitness function is improved based on the results of the shallow neural network.Finally,the reconstructed binary image is further processed to obtain the position,size and direction of the blocked pipe.The realization of this method provides technical support for pipeline detection technology.

Visualization Detection of Solid-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Filling Pipeline by Electrical Capacitance Tomography Technology

During mine filling,the caking in the pipeline and the waste rock in the filling slurry may cause serious safety accidents such as pipe blocking or explosion.Therefore,the visualization of the innermine filling of the solid-liquid two-phase flow in the pipeline is important.This paper proposes a method based on capacitance tomography for the visualization of the solid-liquid distribution on the section of a filling pipe.A feedback network is used for electrical capacitance tomography reconstruction.This reconstruction method uses radial basis function neural network fitting to determine the relationship between the capacitance vector and medium distribution error.In the reconstruction process,the error in the linear back projection is removed;thus,the reconstruction problem becomes an accurate linear problem.The simulation results showthat the reconstruction accuracy of this algorithm is better than that of many traditional algorithms;furthermore,the reconstructed image artifacts are fewer,and the phase distribution boundary is clearer.This method can help determine the location and size of the caking and waste rock in the cross section of the pipeline more accurately and has great application prospects in the visualization of filling pipelines in mines.

A Multiresolution Reconstructive Algorithm Based on Network Theory for Electrical Capacitance Tomography

Electrical capacitance tomography technique reconstructs dielectric constant distribution in an object by measuring the capacitances between the eletrode pairs which are mounted around this object. Because of the limitation of measurement condition, the measured data are imcomplet. This paper describes a multiresolution reconstructive algorithm which is based on network theory for electrical capacitance tomography technique. The dielectric constant distribution of flow of two components in a pipeline is reconstructed. The algorithm is as follows: Firstly, construct a rough, first level system model, and assume the dielectric constant distribution of the region to be reconstructed. After iteration, the dielectic constant of each unit can be reconstructed. Secondly, construct a finer, second level the system model and determine the initial dielectric constant of each unit in the region to be reconstructed according to related information between two levels. After iteration, the image of the pipeline's cross section can be reconstructed. The results of simulated experiments about different kinds of medium distributions show that this algorithm is effective and can converge.

Modeling and Implementation of AC Electrical Capacitance Tomography

Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) determines the dielectric permittivity of the interior object depending on the measurements of exterior capacitance. Generally, the electrodes are placed outside the PVC cylinder where the medium to be imaged is present;but in ECT using inter-electrode capacitance measurements can be achieved by placing inside of the dielectric medium. In the proposed ECT system, the ECT sensor is modeled using ANSYS software and the model is implemented in real ECT system. For each step of measurement, a stable AC signal is applied to a pair of electrodes that form a capacitor. The novel system is to measure the capacitance range variation in picofarad and the corresponding voltage ranges from 1 volt to 4 volts. The switching speed of all combinational electrodes is implemented using embedded system to achieve higher speed performance of AC ECT system which eliminates the drift and stray capacitance error. This is yielding the original image of unknown multiphase medium inside the electrodes using Lab VIEW. This paper investigates several advantages such as improved overall system performance;simple structure, avoids stray capacitance effect, reduces the drift problem and achieves high signal to noise ratio.

Flame Imaging in Meso-scale Porous Media Burner Using Electrical Capacitance Tomography

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of meso-scale combustion.The technique of electrical capacitance tomography(ECT) was used to locate flame position and monitor the effect corresponding to varied air/fuel ratio in a meso-scale combustor.Combustion phenomena including igniting,quenching and unsteady combustion have been visualized using ECT.The method of metallization protecting ECT sensor from high temperature damage and the novel calibration method adapted to ECT monitoring of unknown permittivity flame have been shown to be successful.At the same time,electrical nature of combustion and dielectric characteristics of hy-drocarbon flame were studied.The relationship between flame permittivity and state parameters of combustion gas was demonstrated preliminarily.

Image Reconstruction Using a Genetic Algorithm for Electrical Capacitance Tomography

Electrical capacitance tomography （ECT） has been used for more than a decade for imaging dielectric processes. However, because of its ill-posedness and non-linearity, ECT image reconstruction has always been a challenge. A new genetic algorithm （GA） developed for ECT image reconstruction uses initial results from a linear back-projection, which is widely used for ECT image reconstruction to optimize the threshold and the maximum and minimum gray values for the image. The procedure avoids optimizing the gray values pixel by pixel and significantly reduces the search space dimension. Both simulations and static experimental results show that the method is efficient and capable of reconstructing high quality images. Evaluation criteria show that the GA-based method has smaller image error and greater correlation coefficients. In addition, the GA-based method converges quickly with a small number of iterations.

Electrical Capacitance Tomography Measurement of Flow Patterns and Film Thickness in a Thermosyphon

An experimental study was performed to evaluate the suitability of using an electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system to visualize the flow patterns, and to measure the film thickness of the annular flow in a two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT). The performance of the ECT system was examined over a range of flow conditions.The experimental data were compared with the visual observations and existing correlations. Results indicated that the ECT system, with the linear back projection (LBP) algorithm, could be used to give an on-line qualitative image of the flow patterns. The Landweber iteration algorithm with optimal step length was implemented off-line to reconstruct high-resolution images. Then, the images were analyzed to obtain the film thickness of the annular flow. The experimental data compared well with the Nusselt's equation in low vapor velocity range, but showed an increasing deficiency with the increase of vapor velocity.

Investigation of gas-solids flow hydrodynamics in a cold model of a dual fluidised bed gasifier using electrical capacitance tomography sensors

The flow characteristics of a dual fluidised bed gasifier(DFBG)are more complex than those of a single fluidised bed gasifier.For stable operation and appropriate control,a cold DFBG test facility with both an upper and a lower U-valve was built,and electrical capacitance tomography(ECT)sensors were installed with pressure transducers to investigate the effects of operating conditions on gas-solids flow hydrodynamics.The operating parameters included gas velocities in the riser and in the bubbling fluidised bed,aeration velocity in the lower U-valve,bed material inventory,and particle size.This is the first time that ECT was applied in different flow zones of a dual fluidised bed gasifier system.The experimental results indicated that ECT in the recycle chamber could monitor the performance of the lower U-valve under different operating conditions for early detection of gas shortcut from the riser to the bubbling bed.Three main flow regimes in the riser and the differences between the reactors were identified by two sets of ECT sensors with pressure transducers.Finally,the effects of the operating conditions on the pressure drop in different parts of the DFBG was investigated.

Measurement of Ice Movement in Water Using Electrical Capacitance Tomography

The permafrost with the highest altitude and largest area in the mid and low latitude is located in the Qinghad-Tibet Plateau. As most frozen soils contain ice particles which are very sensitive to temperature and other external parameters, thus influencing the stability of the embankment in permafrost regions, it is very important to develop techniques to prevent damages to railway embankments due to thaw settlement. In this paper, the electrical capacitance sensors are designed to study the freezing front movement in a vessel and ice movement in water, which is the first step to apply the ECT system to the study of frozen soil. Two sensor arrangements are put into use. First, the traditional closed electrode sensors are put into use. In this arrangement, the electrodes are attached to the outside of the pipe or vessel, and the cross-sectional distribution of ice and water could be reconstructed from the capacitances measured. Also, the ice moving track at the cross section could be reflected thoroughly.Since the traditional closed electrode sensors can not meet the needs of measuring the ice freezing front move- ment, a new electrode sensors structure, that is, the unclosed electrode sensors are designed to satisfy the specific test of frozen soil. In this arrangement, several pairs of electrodes are arranged along the height of the vessel. A sudden decrease in the measured capacitance is observed when the freezing front advances past the electrodes.Therefore, according to the capacitance variation, the ice movement can be reflected. In summary, electrical capacitance tomography has the advantages of being non-intrusive. With different electrode sensor arrangement, ice movement and ice freezing front can be obtained. The electrical capacitance sensor system can be applied to investigate the complicated phenomena in frozen soil.

An Advanced Algorithm of Electrical Capacitance Tomography

We describe a new two phase flow electrical capacitance tomography algorithm of image reconstruction which is based on 12 electrode capacitance transducers. According to the result of computer simulation, this algorithm is able to greatly increase the imaging fidelity without decreasing the imaging velocity.

Electrical capacitance volume tomography for measurement soil water infiltration in vessel experiments

Electrical capacitance volume tomography(ECVT) is a recently-developed technique for real-time,non-invasive 3D monitoring of processes involving materials with strong contrasts in dielectric permittivity.This work is first application of the method to visualization of water flow in soil.We describe the principles behind the method,and then demonstrate its use with a simple laboratory infiltration experiment.32 ECVT sensors were installed on the sides of an empty PVC column.Water was poured into the column at a constant rate,and ECVT data were collected every second.The column was then packed with dry sand and again supplied with water at a constant rate with data collected every second.Data were analyzed to give bulk average water contents,which proved consistent with the water supply rates.Data were also analyzed to give 3D images(216 voxels) allowing visualization of the water distribution during the experiments.Result of this work shows that water infiltration into the soil,wall flow,progress of the unstable wetting front and the final water distribution are clearly visible.

Investigation of oil-air two-phase mass flow rate measurement using Venturi and void fraction sensor

Oil-air two-phase flow measurement was investigated with a Venturi and void fraction meters in this work. This paper proposes a new flow rate measurement correlation in which the effect of the velocity ratio between gas and liquid was considered. With the pressure drop across the Venturi and the void fraction that was measured by electrical capacitance tomography apparatus, both mixture flow rate and oil flow rate could be obtained by the correlation. Experiments included bubble-, slug-, wave and annular flow with the void fraction ranging from 15% to 83%, the oil flow rate ranging from 0.97 kg/s to 1.78 kg/s, the gas flow rate ranging up to 0.018 kg/s and quality ranging nearly up to 2.0%. The root-mean-square errors of mixture mass flow rate and that of oil mass flow rate were less than 5%. Furthermore, coefficients of the correlation were modified based on flow regimes, with the results showing reduced root-mean-square errors.

Flow pattern visualization and nonlinear analysis of gas-liquid mixing process with top-blowing gas stirring

The evaluation of the mixing effect of gas-liquid two-phase flow during the top-blown gas agitation mixing is one of the difficulties in the testing field, especially in the process of using the model method to study the metallurgical top-blowing process. In order to evaluate the effect of gas-liquid two-phase flow mixing, a gas chromatography simulation based on capacitance tomography was used to visualize the flow pattern and analyze the mixed characteristics. A gas top-blown agitation test rig was set up, the gas phase was air-selected, and the liquid phase was selected from synthetic heat-conducting oil. The top-blown stirring test process was measured and imaged by electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) equipment from ECT Instruments Ltd (UK). The MATLAB program was used to identify the mixing areas of the images to obtain the distribution of gas-liquid two-phase. The flow pattern of the gas-liquid mixing region was obtained. The chaotic detection of the gas-liquid mixing process was performed by the three-state test method;the images were processed by the counting box dimension-corrosion method to obtain the mixing uniformity time of gas-liquid flow. Results show that it is feasible to use the capacitance tomography technique to visualize the gas-liquid two-phase distribution. The uniformity time quantification of the gas-liquid mixing process is also achieved.

An ECT System Based on Improved RBF Network and Adaptive Wavelet Image Enhancement for Solid/Gas Two-phase Flow

Electrical capacitance tomography(ECT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that aims at visualizing the cross-sectional permittivity distribution and phase distribution of solid/gas two-phase flow based on the measured capacitance.To solve the nonlinear and ill-posed inverse problem:image reconstruction of ECT system,this paper proposed a new image reconstruction method based on improved radial basis function(RBF) neural network combined with adaptive wavelet image enhancement.Firstly,an improved RBF network was applied to establish the mapping model between the reconstruction image pixels and the capacitance values measured.Then,for better image quality,adaptive wavelet image enhancement technique was emphatically analyzed and studied,which belongs to a space-frequency analysis method and is suitable for image feature-enhanced.Through multi-level wavelet decomposition,edge points of the image produced from RBF network can be determined based on the neighborhood property of each sub-band;noise distribution in the space-frequency domain can be estimated based on statistical characteristics;after that a self-adaptive edge enhancement gain can be constructed.Finally,the image is reconstructed with adjusting wavelet coefficients.In this paper,a 12-electrode ECT system and a pneumatic conveying platform were built up to verify this image reconstruction algorithm.Experimental results demonstrated that adaptive wavelet image enhancement technique effectively implemented edge detection and image enhancement,and the improved RBF network and adaptive wavelet image enhancement hybrid algorithm greatly improved the quality of reconstructed image of solid/gas two-phase flow [pulverized coal(PC)/air].