TY - JOUR
T1 - Single-photon emission radioactive particle tracking method for hydrodynamic evaluation of multi-phase flows
AU - van der Sande, P. Christian
AU - de Mooij, Jack
AU - Wagner, Evert C.
AU - Meesters, Gabrie M.H.
AU - van Ommen, J. Ruud
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Evaluation of the hydrodynamics of opaque multi-phase flows remains a challenging task, with implications for various industrial processes such as chemical processing, pharmaceutical, and mineral processing. Understanding how design and operational variables affect the complex behavior of multi-phase flow systems is essential for optimizing processing conditions and improving efficiency. Radioactive particle tracking (RPT) has been a proven measurement technique to evaluate hydrodynamics in multi-phase flow systems. However, a limitation of the classical RPT technique exists in the assumptions made in the simulation of the count rate received by the detectors in correcting for varying flow-induced fluctuations in the volume fraction of the dispersed phase, often encountered in industrial multi-phase flow systems. In this paper, we introduce a fundamentally novel experimental RPT method that directly uses detected incident photon hit locations for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional radioactive tracer particle position. We argue that this approach is inherently more robust as varying attenuation does not affect the reconstruction. The RPT setup consists of three identical γ-radiation slit collimator detectors that are placed equidistantly at 120° intervals. A subsequent calibration-experimentation procedure is established that allows reconstruction of the tracer particle position with spatial accuracy and precision in the order of 1 mm. We demonstrate the applications of this technique in evaluating hydrodynamics in multi-phase systems by characterizing the flow field of industrial-grade polypropylene reactor powder in a laboratory-scale horizontal stirred bed reactor.
AB - Evaluation of the hydrodynamics of opaque multi-phase flows remains a challenging task, with implications for various industrial processes such as chemical processing, pharmaceutical, and mineral processing. Understanding how design and operational variables affect the complex behavior of multi-phase flow systems is essential for optimizing processing conditions and improving efficiency. Radioactive particle tracking (RPT) has been a proven measurement technique to evaluate hydrodynamics in multi-phase flow systems. However, a limitation of the classical RPT technique exists in the assumptions made in the simulation of the count rate received by the detectors in correcting for varying flow-induced fluctuations in the volume fraction of the dispersed phase, often encountered in industrial multi-phase flow systems. In this paper, we introduce a fundamentally novel experimental RPT method that directly uses detected incident photon hit locations for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional radioactive tracer particle position. We argue that this approach is inherently more robust as varying attenuation does not affect the reconstruction. The RPT setup consists of three identical γ-radiation slit collimator detectors that are placed equidistantly at 120° intervals. A subsequent calibration-experimentation procedure is established that allows reconstruction of the tracer particle position with spatial accuracy and precision in the order of 1 mm. We demonstrate the applications of this technique in evaluating hydrodynamics in multi-phase systems by characterizing the flow field of industrial-grade polypropylene reactor powder in a laboratory-scale horizontal stirred bed reactor.
KW - Granular flows
KW - Horizontal stirred bed reactors
KW - Hydrodynamics
KW - Non-invasive monitoring
KW - Radioactive particle tracking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85176930233&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.partic.2023.10.001
DO - 10.1016/j.partic.2023.10.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85176930233
SN - 1674-2001
VL - 101
SP - 43
EP - 56
JO - Particuology
JF - Particuology
ER -