Air‐Core Size Measurement of Operating Hydrocyclone by Electrical Resistance Tomography

Abstract

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) allows to measure hydrocyclone internal flow dynamics in situ. A dual‐plane high‐speed ERT system is proposed to map two‐phase distributions with varying operational parameters. Experimental results are presented in terms of air‐core diameter and its size variation for various feed flow rates and design variables. The total variation algorithm provides the best results compared to Tikhonov and Gauss‐Newton algorithms. The influence of finite element method mesh size on air‐core resolution is evaluated. High‐speed video imaging and a volume‐of‐fluid‐based two‐phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model are adopted to determine the air‐core size. Cross validation of air‐core size and shape is performed by ERT measurements with CFD simulations and high‐speed video imaging.

Introduction – an overview of process applications of tomographic techniques

“…Other features such as the dimensions of the air-core present in the device can be deduced. Such methods can be used to verify outcome predictions of computational fluid simulations (Cullivan, Williams, & Cross, 2003;Rakesh, Vakamalla, Reddy, & Narasimha, 2014). Figure 2 shows the concept of fitting three parameters to describe the radial concentration of solids, expressed by the local slurry conductivity, s(r), across the diameter of a separator.…”

Impact of bubble coalescence on separation performance of a degassing hydrocyclone

“…Mousavian [15] used the Reynolds stress turbulence model (RSM) with the volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase model to simulate the air core in a gas-solid-liquid hydrocyclone, and predicted the experimental data more closely than was possible with the k-e model or the RSM that do not consider the air core. Rakesh et al [20] used a VOF two-phase model coupled with a large eddy simulation turbulence model to simulate the air core in a hydrocyclone. A series of CFD simulations were run together with electrical resistance tomography (ERT) measurements.…”

Effects of Solids Concentration and Underflow Diameter on the Performance of a Newly Designed Hydrocyclone

“…Besides the geometric configuration, operating conditions, such as feed concentration, can also affect a hydrocyclone's performance . Studies have confirmed , , that dilute feed is preferred when a high recovery of solids is intended .…”