Impedance mapping of particulate multiphase flows

Abstract Multiphase flows occur in many operations in the chemical, petroleum and power generation industries, which cover both multi-component and multiphase situations, such air–water, solid–water, steam and air–oil–water as well as their combinations. Due to the correlation of the multiphase and independence of each phase, the correct measuring of multiphase flow, in terms of concentration, local velocity and mass flow rate, is an extremely challenging task. Electrical resistance tomography has been used for visualisation of the concentration profiles and characterisation of fluid dynamics in particulate two-phase systems that have impedance contract between the main fluid and the second phase fluid or component clusters. This paper reviews the author’s and his colleagues’ previous and current work on electrical resistance tomography, particularly on sensing strategies, data collection systems and image reconstruction algorithms. Recent applications on the characterisations of mixing processing, solid–water and the control of a bubble column are introduced.