Optical tomography for concentration and velocity profiles in two component flows

Abstract

Optical tomography involves the use of non-invasive optical sensors to obtain information in order to produce images of the dynamic internal characteristics of process systems. This paper presents an investigation using optical tomography suitable for determining concentration and velocity profiles in two component flows in a fluid conveying pipe. The system is capable of detecting and measuring the amount of undissolved gas in waster, or gas in oil, where the mixture is flowing in a pipe. The system employs four projections consisting of a combination of two orthogonal and two rectilinear projections. The light transmitters consists of four halogen bulbs. Each orthogonal receiver projection employs 8 sensors and each rectilinear receiver projection uses 11 sensors making a total of 38 receiver sensors. The voltage profile from the sensors gives spatial information of the flow regime. Signal processing provides time-averaged signals which will generate peripheral concentration profiles. To observe the velocity profile via cross- correlation, a second identical measurement system has been constructed. One array of sensors is positioned upstream and the other downstream in the process measurement. Cross-correlograms provide mean velocities of velocity profiles over the measurement section.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.