A NEW ELECTRODE-MESH TOMOGRAPH FOR GAS-LIQUID FLOWS

The paper presents an electrode-mesh tomograph for the high-speed visu alisation of transient gas fraction distributions in two-phase flows i n pipes. It is based on the measurement of the local instantaneous con ductivity of the two-phase mixture. The time resolution of the device is 1024 frames per second. The sensor consists of two electrode grids with 16 electrodes each. This results in 16 x 16 sensitive points, whi ch are equally distributed over the cross-section. The sensor is avail able in two designs: (1) wire-mesh sensor for lab applications and (2) sensor with enforced electrode rods for high mechanical loads. The de vice was recently tested in a vertical and a horizontal air-water flow in a pipe of 51.2 mm diameter. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.