Visualization of flow pattern in thermosyphon by ECT

Visualization of the liquid flow in a two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT) is studied using electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) with optimal step lengths for iterative image reconstruction algorithm. Measurements are made under a range of heating rates. Experimental results demonstrated ECT’s capability of reconstructing images of thin films of the order of μm in thickness. Results are compared with the established theory and agreements and discrepancies are observed for different thresholds. ECT images of the liquid distributions in the TPCT show clear dependence on the variation of working conditions, which reveals the potential of ECT as an advanced technique for monitoring the operation of TPCT.