Process Tomography and Particle Tracking: Research and Commercial Diagnostic Tool

E H Stitt1 and K James2

1 Johnson Matthey Catalysts, PO Box 1, Billingham, Cleveland, TS23 1LB, UK hugh.stitt@matthey.com

2 Tracerco, Pavilion 11, Belasis Hall Technology Park, Billingham, Cleveland, UK

ABSTRACT

Recent developments in tomography and velocimetry are generating high quality data, at high temporal and spatial resolution, and facilitating improved understanding of many multiphase reactors and contacting systems. For field operation, freedom to operate is often severely limited by physical constraints. The needs of field process measurement and diagnostics do not however always require the same precision, and the drivers for modality selection differ significantly. In many cases, a severely reduced measurement portfolio can be used to infer the necessary or critical information via model estimations. This approach however requires well-founded models; models based on a level of information that techniques such as tomography and velocimetry are almost uniquely able to provide.

Keywords Process diagnostics, Tomography, Velocimetry