Multiphase flow measurement techniques in industrial safety analysis

Multiphase flows play a major role in many industrial fields, such as in chemical and mineral oil industry and energy power production. Industrial processes run at high pressures and temperatures and involve hazardous materials, such as toxic chemicals or radioactive products. Hence, they must be operated in a safe way under all circumstances, not only in the operational plant mode but also for accident scenarios. Therefore the Institute of Safety Research at Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (FZD) spends great effort in the investigation of multiphase flow behavior in industrial plants under such conditions. Understanding the physics of multiphase processes and flows requires special instrumentation of industrial plant components as well as dedicated test facilities.

The expertise at FZD covers the identification of different phases and temperatures employing measurement techniques for permittivity and conductivity as well as ultrafast electron beam X-ray tomography. Many measurement systems, like wire-mesh sensors, needle probes and flow microscopes have been developed and are continuously improved. Especially the existing expertise is the basis for the research on new multiphase measurement technologies, for example autonomous sensors but also a multi-phase flow meter and a filling level sensor.

The poster describes some of the available measurement technologies and outlines future developments.