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Abstract

In many industrial applications, non-intrusive measurements of visually opaque processes are key to understanding, optimization, and future development. X-ray imaging systems are commonly used to probe such applications, providing, with the correct interpretation, a snapshot of the density distribution. For dynamic multiphase processes such as fluidized beds, solids-laden gas jets, industrial tailings processing, and cavitation, it is imperative that this snapshot image is taken on a very short timescale, in order to capture the required intricacies and details.

In this article, we demonstrate the capabilities of our fast (50 ns pulse length) X-ray system, by testing it on different gas-solid fluidized beds consisting of sand and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) solids at various fluidization velocities. Using this X-ray system, we demonstrate the impact of various internals including sheds (chevron baffles) and intrusive probes on the gas holdup. The sheds were observed to considerably disrupt the emulsion phase, while circular tubes (i.e. probes) had little effect, matching their desired functionalities. These results show that X-ray imaging is an essential tool for providing insights and furthering the research and development of challenging industrial applications.