Application of electrical capacitance tomography in particulate process measurement – A review

•Application of electrical capacitance tomography for particulate process measurements.•Characterization of flow regimes, measurements for solids concentration and velocity distributions.•Gas–solids pneumatic conveying, fluidized beds, and fluidized bed dryers.•Electrostatic phenomena and the effect of electrostatics.

Particulate process measurement presents challenges because it often involves multiphase flow. Due to its advantages over other tomography modalities, electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is widely applied in monitoring and measuring particulate processes. This paper presents a review on the application of ECT in particulate process measurement, including the monitoring of flow regime and solids distribution, solids flow velocity measurement, and fluidized bed dryers. The electrostatic phenomenon and the effect of electrostatics on the performance of ECT systems are also addressed. Finally, the challenges to ECT for particulate process measurement are given.

Graphical abstractECT for particulate flow measurements – fundamentals and applications.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide