Development of a 4D type industrial tomography: real time analysis of multiphase systems

• Grant number: 12/22705-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Nuclear Engineering - Applications of Radioisotopes
• Principal Investigator: Margarida Mizue Hamada
• Grantee: Margarida Mizue Hamada
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlos Henrique de Mesquita

Abstract

The physical integrity of distillation columns and the dynamics of the distillation parameters are important factors that lead to produce high quality material. Over the time, the distillation columns are degraded due to the appearance of soot crusts and polymers, causing the efficiency decrease of heat exchange in the column components. As a consequence, there are four implications, namely: (1) the decrease of the distillation efficiency in the production line, due to the reduction of the heat exchange coefficients, (2) followed by quality loss of the distillation products and as a corollary: (3) the inherent economic and (4) competitiveness losses of the products. In today's globalized world, (2) to (4) causes are fatal to the economy of any country that has the ambition to participate in the international market. Therefore, the continuous production quality control in an industry is the master key to ensure the competitiveness of its products. As it is known, in the consumer market, the acceptance of any product should meet two items: price and quality.The Radiation Technology Center (CTR) from the IPEN/CNEN-SP has successfully developed a third-generation industrial computed tomography (iCT) applicable to industrial static and dynamic systems, determining the structure and internal distribution of materials. This technology allows the analysis of multiphase systems (dynamic), however, when the image generation in real time ("online") is necessary, these types of iCT systems are not suitable, due to the time required for the rotation and movement of the detector array and radiation source. Furthermore, the difficult transport to industrial plants, due to their heavy weight, restricts their use. It should also be noted that in industrial processes, changes of the transients occur very quickly, requiring it to be detected instantly. To overcome this limitation, the development of a fourth-generation iCT scanner is proposed in this work, using an array composed of several radiation detectors mounted on a ring with a radioactive source assembly, without the need to move them around the column, as well as a system with high-speed acquisition. Thus, one can view the inside of the chemical column/reactor and monitor the process of obtaining the product in real time, without production disruption. The associated electronics and acquisition systems in hardware and software will also be developed to integrate the proposed iCT system. The implementation of this project will be of great importance to enable the construction of the proposed fourth-generation iCT scanner. The development of technology for building a tomographic system and its implementation in multiphase systems may be considered a major technological advance and innovation, since mastering this technology is still the research subject of important national and international centers. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

VELO, A. F.; HAMADA, M. M.; CARVALHO, D. V. S.; MARTINS, J. F. T.; MESQUITA, C. H.. A portable tomography system with seventy detectors and five gamma-ray sources in fan beam geometry simulated by Monte Carlo method. FLOW MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION, v. 53, n. A, p. 89-94, MAR 2017. (12/22705-3)

VELO, A. F.; CARVALHO, D. V. S.; HAMADA, M. M.. Liquid distribution and holdup in the random packed column. FLOW MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION, v. 62, p. 176-185, AUG 2018. (12/22705-3)

DE MESQUITA, C. H.; VELO, A. F.; CARVALHO, D. V. S.; MARTINS, J. F. T.; HAMADA, M. M.. Industrial tomography using three different gamma ray. FLOW MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION, v. 47, p. 1-9, MAR 2016. (12/22705-3)

VELO, A. F.; HAMADA, M. M.; CARVALHO, D. V. S.; MARTINS, J. F. T.; MESQUITA, C. H.. A portable tomography system with seventy detectors and five gamma-ray sources in fan beam geometry simulated by Monte Carlo method. FLOW MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION, v. 53, p. 6-pg., 2017-03-01. (12/22705-3)