Validation of 3-D ECVT Velocimetry in Multi-Phase Flow Systems

Real-time 3-D imaging of multi-phase flow systems and velocimetry tracking play an important role in understanding hydrodynamics phenomena, reaction modeling, and CFD verification in such systems. Electrical capacitance volume tomography (ECVT) is a three-dimensional real-time non-intrusive technique for fast volume imaging of multi-phase flow systems that provides three-dimensional real-time phase concentrations (solids, liquid, and gas). In this study, an ECVT system is applied to provide 3-D images of a multi-phase flow system. The real-time ECVT volume images contain quantitative information of solids concentration distribution of the flow. A velocity extraction method based on the 3-D ECVT quantitative images is applied to track local average volume velocities of solids in the multi-phase flow system. The ECVT velocimetry calculations are verified using fiber optic probe system, which is used to measure the local solids concentration and solids velocity.