Engineering Tomography Laboratory (ETL), Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
Research & Development Centre Netrix S.A., Wojciechowska 31, 20-704 Lublin, Poland.
Sensors (Basel). 2021 Oct 21;21(21):6995. doi: 10.3390/s21216995.
In this work, an ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) system was employed to investigate the fast-kinetic reactive crystallization process of calcium carbonate. USCT measurements and reconstruction provided key insights into the bulk particle distribution inside the stirred tank reactor and could be used to estimate the settling rate and settling time of the particles. To establish the utility of the USCT system for dynamical crystallization processes, first, the experimental imaging tasks were carried out with the stirred solid beads, as well as the feeding and stirring of the CaCO crystals. The feeding region, the mixing process, and the particles settling time could be detected from USCT data. Reactive crystallization experiments for CO capture were then conducted. Moreover, there was further potential for quantitative characterization of the suspension density in this process. USCT-based reconstructions were investigated for several experimental scenarios and operating conditions. This study demonstrates a real-time monitoring and fault detection application of USCT for reactive crystallization processes. As a robust noninvasive and nonintrusive tool, real-time signal analysis and reconstruction can be beneficial in the development of monitoring and control systems with real-world applications for crystallization processes. A diverse range of experimental studies shown here demonstrate the versatility of the USCT system in process application, hoping to unlock the commercial and industrial utility of the USCT devices.
在这项工作中，我们采用超声计算机层析成像（USCT）系统研究了碳酸钙的快速动力学反应结晶过程。USCT 测量和重建为搅拌槽反应器内部的整体颗粒分布提供了重要的见解，并可用于估计颗粒的沉降速率和沉降时间。为了证明 USCT 系统在动力学结晶过程中的实用性，首先，我们使用搅拌固体珠进行了实验成像任务，以及碳酸钙晶体的进料和搅拌。从 USCT 数据中可以检测到进料区、混合过程和颗粒沉降时间。然后进行了 CO 捕集的反应结晶实验。此外，该过程中悬浮密度的定量表征还有进一步的潜力。针对几种实验场景和操作条件对基于 USCT 的重建进行了研究。本研究展示了 USCT 在反应结晶过程中的实时监测和故障检测应用。作为一种强大的非侵入式工具，实时信号分析和重建对于开发具有实际应用的结晶过程监测和控制系统具有重要意义。这里展示的各种实验研究表明了 USCT 系统在过程应用中的多功能性，希望为 USCT 设备的商业化和工业化应用开辟道路。
