Analysis and Metrological Determination of the Sensitivity Distribution for a 16 Electrode Electrical Capacitance Tomography System

A. Fuchs, D. Watzenig, H. Zangl, G. Steiner, H. Wegleiter, and G. Holler

Institute of Electrical Measurement and Measurement Signal Processing, Graz University of Technology, Kopernikusgasse 24/IV, A-8010 Graz, Austria, Email: Hubert.Zangl@tugraz.at

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the effects of the soft field character of an Electrical Capacitance Tomography system by means of determining the 3D sensitivity distribution of the pipe interior both on a metrological and on a Finite Element simulation base. Measurement and simulation results are compared to estimate the deviation between such models and real sensor data for impedance tomography applications. The aim of the determined sensitivity is to overcome the restrictions caused by the soft field without being forced to use (active) guarding strategies.

Keywords 3D sensitivity analysis, Electrical Capacitance Tomography, Finite Element Analysis