A new data processing approach to study particle motion using ultrafast X-ray tomography scanner: case study of gravitational mass flow


A new data processing approach to study particle motion using ultrafast X-ray tomography scanner: case study of gravitational mass flow

Waktola, S.; Bieberle, A.; Barthel, F.; Bieberle, M.; Hampel, U.; Grudzień, K.; Babout, L.

In most industrial products, granular materials are often required to flow under gravity in various kinds of silo shapes and usually through an outlet in the bottom. There are several interrelated parameters which affect the flow, such as internal friction, bulk and packing density, hopper geometry, and material type. Due to the low spatial resolution of electrical capacitance tomography or scanning speed limitation of standard X-ray CT systems, it is extremely challenging to measure the flow velocity and possible centrifugal effects of granular materials flow effectively. However, the ultrafast electron beam X-ray CT scanner (ROFEX) opens new avenues of granular flow investigation due to its very high temporal resolution. This paper aims to track particles movements and evaluate the local grain velocity during silo discharging process in the case of mass flow. The study has considered the use of the Seramis material, which can also serve as a type of tracer particles after impregnation, due to its porous nature. The presented image processing and analysis approach allows satisfyingly measuring individual particle velocities but also tracking their movements.

Keywords: mass flow; ultrafast X-ray CT; particle tracking; matrix of inertia

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-26630
Publ.-Id: 26630