Improved dynamic imaging of multiphase flow by constrained tomographic reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Image Reconstruction

Background:

• Dynamic tomography is crucial for studying fluid flow in porous media.
• Laboratory X-ray tomography faces limitations due to low X-ray brilliance, leading to prolonged exposure times and poor temporal resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tomographic reconstruction algorithm that maintains high image quality with reduced exposure times and fewer projections.
• To enable the study of faster fluid flow processes using laboratory tomography.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel tomographic reconstruction algorithm based on the Simultaneous Iterative Reconstruction Technique (SIRT).
• Utilized a high-quality static scan to initialize the first time step of dynamic reconstruction.
• Constrained dynamic reconstructions using segmentation of the static system.

Main Results:

• The algorithm successfully reconstructed fluid separation dynamics in a multiphase system.
• Achieved high image quality with significantly fewer projections and higher noise tolerance compared to other methods.
• Demonstrated the ability to study faster flow dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The developed algorithm overcomes limitations of laboratory X-ray tomography, allowing for improved temporal resolution.
• This method enhances the study of dynamic processes in porous media and can benefit synchrotron-based experiments.