Current Research | Equipment & Facilities
electrostatic phenomenon in multiphase flow systems & electrostatic tomography
Research in energy and environment areas, particularly alternative liquid fuel research, deals with the flow of dielectric liquids and/or particulate flows. During the operation of multiphase systems such as fluidized beds or high velocity transport systems, electrostatic charges are generated via frictional charging when the materials involved are dielectric in nature. The accumulation of electrostatic charges within the system can be operationally hazardous. Thus, in-depth knowledge in electrostatic phenomena occurring in multiphase flows is important in studying such technologies.
Unfortunately, the dynamic electrostatic phenomena are highly complex, and as a result, the currently available measurement techniques cannot provide a full range of information of the charging effects in a flow system. The objectives of this study are to develop an electrostatic sensor, a measurement technique providing a real time charge density function, and a mathematical model of the charge generation and dissipation processes in a dynamic multiphase flow. Once developed, this novel electrostatic measurement technique will greatly advance fundamental understanding of particle-particle interaction and interparticle forces, and in turn, improve the industrial operation of various multiphase reactors. Furthermore, the incorporation of this charge density function into the existing CFD code will also immensely advance the field of computational fluid dynamics.
The results from this study will provide a tool to study various systems ranging from electrostatic-aided fluidization of nanoparticles in small channels to separation of fine catalysts in synthetic liquid fuel flow. Pharmaceutical systems involving powder mixing, device filling, and drug delivery can also be investigated using the EST system. Investigation of electrostatic charging of the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Rover is another interesting application of the EST system.
Charge effect on the electrical-based Image Reconstruction techniques
