Ultrasound process tomography system for hydrocyclones

Area of Science:

• Process Engineering
• Non-invasive Imaging
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Hydrocyclones are vital for slurry separation, with efficiency dependent on the air core's size and position.
• Deviations in air core size, due to spigot wear or altered throughput, negatively impact separation efficiency and slurry quality.
• Monitoring hydrocyclone performance is essential for process optimization and preventing contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and implement a laboratory ultrasound tomography system for industrial hydrocyclone applications.
• To visualize and monitor the air core's size, position, and dynamics within an industrial hydrocyclone.
• To explore the potential of ultrasound tomography for process control and equipment wear detection.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a 16-transducer ultrasound tomography system to a 50 mm industrial hydrocyclone.
• Acquisition of time-of-flight data using a dedicated system with Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
• Reconstruction of air core images within the hydrocyclone using captured data.

Main Results:

• Successful visualization of the air core's size and position within the industrial hydrocyclone.
• Demonstration of ultrasound tomography's capability to capture dynamic air core behavior.
• Presentation of reconstructed images illustrating the air core under operational conditions.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound tomography is a viable tool for visualizing and monitoring the air core in industrial hydrocyclones.
• The technology offers potential for real-time process control, including flow rate adjustment based on air core size.
• Ultrasound tomography can aid in detecting critical equipment wear, such as spigot degradation.