Multiphase flow imaging for process engineering

Multiphase flows are to be found in many production processes in the process industry. Examples are bubble column reactors, distillation columns, fluidized beds and many more. Measuring process parameters in such systems is very difficult because most sensors are disturbed in their fundamental measuring principles by the presence of particles and interfaces. Especially in fundamental fluid mechanics science, there is a growing need for imaging techniques for studying multiphase flows. There, the derivation of so-called CFD-grade data from fluid dynamics experiments requires imaging techniques with high spatial resolution, non-intrusiveness and ability to deal with the opacity of multiphase mixtures, walls and inserts in process vessels and their mock-ups. The presentation will give an overview of the state of the art of selected tomographic imaging techniques and discuss their application in solving process engineering problems.