Electrical resistance tomography for real-time mapping of the solid-liquid interface in tanks containing optically opaque fluids

摘要

The visualization of settled solid layers in vessels have many applications, of interest here is for facilitating the efficient retrieval of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) from underground storage tanks at Department of Energy sites. Visualization of the solids interface with opaque liquid above can't be accomplished by regular optical imaging methods and hence our interest in using Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT). The ideal arrangement for 3-D ERT imaging inside tanks is to use a multiple ring electrode system, which is complex and expensive. This research describes ERT imaging done with a single linear array as a benchmark study to ascertain the viability of its imaging of the interface. Experiments focused upon systematic analysis of many ERT tomograms of two simple settled solids layers (horizontal, 30°) using pulverized kaolin clay (10μdia) and water. Visualization was done using commercial ERT software. Injection current and electrode orientation were the two system parameters varied and analyzed. Reproducibility, accuracy and reliability of this ERT system will be presented.