Application of Electrical Capacitance Tomography for Bulk Solids Flow Analysis in Silos

The paper presents application of electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) for imaging solids distribution in a laboratory scale silo. The data were obtained for both non-cohesive (dry) and cohesive (wet) sand particles. The static tests show how the local material compression zone influences the distribution of dielectric permittivity in the whole volume of a silo. The images obtained during the dynamic tests show the formation of different flow patterns. Particularly the influence of the roughness of the silo wall, the initial bulk density and the outlet silo's diameter on the changes of the solid concentration profiles have been derived. These results provide useful information for controlling the silo discharging and structural safety.