Pneumatic Flow Characterization Using ECT Tomography Images Analysis

Abstract The control of dense phase pneumatic convening process is not a trivial task. The control of bulk solids flow phenomena requires detailed knowledge about the temporal and spatial changes of material concentration during flow. This paper describes application of electrical capacitance tomography for the characterization of the pneumatic conveying of solids. The level of concentration changes obtained with the aid of tomography imaging and calculated flow velocity allows monitoring flow behaviour during the granular material transport process. The cross-correlation technique applied for image processing as well as the calculated pixels-based flow velocity profile together with the proposed visualisation method of tomography images sequence provide information about flow conditions. The study of flow characterization, based on ECT data, was conducted for measurements gathered with different flow conditions, including flow blockage.