A Multimodal Tomography System Based on ECT Sensors

A new noninvasive system for multimodal electrical tomography based on electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor hardware is proposed. Quasistatic electromagnetic fields are produced by ECT sensors and used for interrogating the sensing domain. The new system is noninvasive and based on capacitance measurements for permittivity and power balance measurements for conductivity (impedance) imaging. A dual sensitivity map of perturbations in permittivity and conductivity is constructed. The measured data along with the sensitivity matrix are used for the actual image reconstruction. The new multimodal tomography system has the advantage of using already established reconstruction techniques, and the potential for combination with new reconstruction techniques by taking advantage of combined conductivity/permittivity data. Moreover, it does not require direct contact between the sensor and the region of interest. The system performance has been tested on representative data, producing good results     

Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography

A dynamic volume imaging based on the principle of electrical capacitance tomography (ECT), namely, electrical capacitance volume tomography (ECVT), has been developed in this study. The technique generates, from the measured capacitance, a whole volumetric image of the region enclosed by the geometrically three-dimensional capacitance sensor. This development enables a real-time, 3-D imaging of a moving object or a real-time volume imaging (4-D) to be realized. Moreover, it allows total interrogation of the whole volume within the domain (vessel or conduit) of an arbitrary shape or geometry. The development of the ECVT imaging technique primarily encloses the 3-D capacitance sensor design and the volume image reconstruction technique. The electrical field variation in three-dimensional space forms a basis for volume imaging through different shapes and configurations of ECT sensor electrodes. The image reconstruction scheme is established by implementing the neural-network multicriterion optimization image reconstruction (NN-MOIRT), developed earlier by the authors for the 2-D ECT. The image reconstruction technique is modified by introducing into the algorithm a 3-D sensitivity matrix to replace the 2-D sensitivity matrix in conventional 2-D ECT, and providing additional network constraints including 3-to-2-D image matching function. The additional constraints further enhance the accuracy of the image reconstruction algorithm. The technique has been successfully verified over actual objects in the experimental conditions     

数字化电容层析成像系统

基于电容敏感原理设计的数字化电容层析成像（ECT）系统,利用有限元法,分析了阵列电极结构对敏感场分布的影响,通过优化设计和仿真试验,改善了敏感场分布的均匀性;构建了以数字信号处理器（DSP）为核心、现场可编程门阵列（眦）协同工作的12电极的数字化ECT系统,提出了由离线预迭代和在线一步成像所构成的新的图像重建算法——预迭代法,其成像速度及精度均明显得到提高。     

两相流电容层析成像系统

本文较系统地介绍了电容层析成像系统结构原理,包括抗杂散电容影响的微小检测技术,并行数据采集与处理单元设计以及基于总变差正则化的图像重建算法.与此同时,结合研制的双截面电容成像系统进行试验研究,结果表明该系统不仅可给出实时流型识别,同时能输出表征的特征参数.     

两相流电容层析成像系统

本文较系统地介绍了电容层析成像系统结构原理,包括抗杂散电容影响的微小检测技术,并行数据采集与处理单元设计以及基于总变差正则化的图像重建算法.与此同时,结合研制的双截面电容成像系统进行试验研究,结果表明该系统不仅可给出实时流型识别,同时能输出表征的特征参数.     

基于FCM优化的平面阵列电容成像算法

为提高平面阵列电容成像系统的成像精度,提出了一种基于FCM数据优化的成像算法。根据平面阵列电极电容数据的特点,为减小电容测量误差对介电常数的影响,利用FCM算法对测量电容值的不断收敛以实现数据优化的作用,在减弱噪声的同时提高电容值数据的稳定性。在此基础上,对一种隔热材料胶层进行缺陷检测实验,使重建图像的相关系数得到了提高,减小了图像重建误差。实验结果表明:图像重建结果的优化算法可获得更加稳定、有效的电容数据,胶层缺陷图像重建精度具有较大提升。     

Image reconstruction algorithm based on the extended regularised total least squares method for electrical capacitance tomography

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is a non-invasive imaging technology that aims at the visualisation of the cross-sectional permittivity distribution of a dielectric object based on the measured capacitance data. Successful applications of ECT depend greatly on the precision and speed of the image reconstruction algorithms. ECT image reconstruction is a typical ill-posed problem, and its solution is unstable, that is, the solution is sensitive to noises in the input data. Methods that ensure the stability of a solution while enhancing the quality of the reconstructed images should be used to obtain a meaningful reconstruction result. An image reconstruction algorithm based on the regularised total least squares (TLS) method that considers the errors in both the sensitivity field matrix and the capacitance data for ECT is presented. The regularised TLS method is extended using a combination robust estimation technique and an extended stabilising functional according to the ill-posed characteristics of ECT, which transforms the image reconstruction problem into an optimisation problem. In addition, the Newton algorithm is employed to solve the objective functional. Numerical simulations indicate that the algorithm is feasible and overcomes the numerical instability of ECT image reconstruction; for the cases of the reconstructed objects considered here, the spatial resolution of the reconstructed images obtained using the algorithm is enhanced; as a result, an efficient method for ECT image reconstruction is introduced.     

Mechanical and electrical behaviors of polymer particles. Experimental study of the contact area between two particles. Experimental validation of a numerical model

The present paper is devoted to the analysis of mechanical and electrical behaviors observed on particulate polymer granular materials. The constituting particles obtained these physical properties by coating the polymer spherical substrate with a conducting polymer: polypyrrole (PPy) which confers electrical conducting properties to the particle, while preserving its mechanical properties. Particle contacts dominate the behavior of the granular media and, consequently, size, morphology, roughness and plasticity of the particles play a crucial role in this behavior. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) were used to study the surface state and the contact area between neighbors. An experimental set up, based on the measurement of the displacement of contacting particles subjected to a normal force and of the variation of the electrical resistance of the packing, allowed the study of both the mechanical and electrical behaviors of the particle system. The experimental results took into account the plastic deformation under varying loading and unloading conditions; they were consistent with theories of contact mechanics, thus validating the existing models.     

Helmholtz-Type Regularization Method for Permittivity Reconstruction Using Experimental Phantom Data of Electrical Capacitance Tomography

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) attempts to image the permittivity distribution of an object by measuring the electrical capacitance between sets of electrodes placed around its periphery. Image reconstruction in ECT is a nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem, and regularization methods are needed to stabilize this inverse problem. The reconstruction of complex shapes (sharp edges) and absolute permittivity values is a more difficult task in ECT, and the commonly used regularization methods in Tikhonov minimization are unable to solve these problems. In the standard Tikhonov regularization method, the regularization matrix has a Laplacian-type structure, which encourages smoothing reconstruction. A Helmholtz-type regularization scheme has been implemented to solve the inverse problem with complicated-shape objects and the absolute permittivity values. The Helmholtz-type regularization has a wavelike property and encourages variations of permittivity. The results from experimental data demonstrate the advantage of the Helmholtz-type regularization for recovering sharp edges over the popular Laplacian-type regularization in the framework of Tikhonov minimization. Furthermore, this paper presents examples of the reconstructed absolute value permittivity map in ECT using experimental phantom data.      

基于深度信念网络的ECT图像重建算法

为提高图像重建质量,针对电容层析成像技术(ECT)中的电容数据复杂多样且与介电常数呈非线性关系的特点,提出一种基于深度信念网络(DBN)的重建算法,利用DBN的深层非线性网络结构来实现电容值与重建图像灰度值非线性关系.并对DBN进行了改进,将自适应步长(AS)引入到对比散度(CD)算法中,解决固定步长寻找全局最优困难的...     

基于梯度投影稀疏重建算法的电容层析成像图像重建

为解决两相流中存在中心物体、物体比较小或存在多个物体且相距较近时电容层析成像(ECT)重建图像精度较差的问题,基于稀疏分布的流型其介电常数分布满足稀疏性的先验条件,采用梯度投影稀疏重建(GPSR-BB)算法进行ECT图像重建。仿真及实验测试结果表明:GPSR-BB算法对于流体中小目标以及复杂流型的图像重建质量较好,重建图像的形状保真度高。     

基于BP神经网络的ECT图像重建算法

针对电容层析成像图像重建问题的病态性,利用COMSOL软件建立系统模型,并结合MATLAB实现正问题的求解。依据BP神经网络所具有的理想的非线性映射和联想记忆功能实现了由检测电容值到重建图像灰度值之间的非线性映射,避免了传统算法中对灵敏度矩阵求解的繁琐,克服了因线性化处理所导致的成像精度低的缺点。在MATLAB平台下,采用2种滤波方法进行滤波,对图像增强修复,提高了图像质量。     

Influence of temperature on the electrical conductivity of leachate from municipal solid waste

A bioreactor landfill is designed to manage municipal solid waste, through accelerated waste biodegradation, and stabilisation of the process by means of the controlled addition of liquid, i.e. leachate recirculation. The measurement of electrical resistivity by Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) allows to monitor water content present in the bioreactors. Variations in electrical resistivity are linked to variations in moisture content and temperature. In order to overcome this ambiguity, two laboratory experiments were carried out to establish a relationship between temperature and electrical conductivity: the first set of measurements was made for leachate alone, whereas the second set was made with two different granular media saturated with leachate. Both experiments confirm a well known increase in conductivity of about 2% degrees C(-1). However, higher suspended matter concentrations lead to a lower dependence of electrical conductivity on temperature. Furthermore, for various porous media saturated with an identical leachate, the higher the specific surface of the granular matrix, the lower the effective bulk electrical conductivity. These observations show that a correct understanding of the electrical properties of liquids requires the nature and (in particular) the size of the electrical charge carriers to be taken into account.     

UWB Short-Range Bifocusing Tomographic Imaging

In this paper, the capability of ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor arrays for tomographic imaging of electrically large objects in 2-D and 3-D environments is presented. One of the main concerns when imaging extended real objects is the capability of the system to correctly reconstruct the object cross-section electric properties. An imaging method using a UWB multifrequency bifocusing (UWB-MFBF) operator with good tomographic imaging capabilities is presented, and numerical simulations are conducted to obtain the basic geometry and sampling parameters for a good-quality image reconstruction for geometrical and electrical parameters. Canonical-shape experimental reconstructions are performed to validate the established criteria.     

Application of electrical capacitance tomography to the void fraction measurement of two-phase flow

Based on the electrical capacitance tomography technique, a new method for the void fraction measurement of two-phase flow is proposed. A 12-electrode void fraction measurement system is established. A mathematical model of image reconstruction of electrical capacitance tomography is developed. To obtain the quantitative information of two-phase flow, combining the Tikhonov regularization principle and the algebraic reconstruction technique algorithm, a new image reconstruction algorithm is presented. The experimental results show that the accuracy of void fraction measurement is satisfactory. The proposed method is suitable for the void fraction measurement of many kinds of two-phase flow.     

Application of magnetic resonance imaging techniques to particulate systems

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established technique in the medical field, typically for imaging liquid water in the human body, but it is increasingly being used in the field of engineering and materials science. A particular section of this is in the area of particulate systems and granular material flows. MRI is being used to provide a unique insight into particle distribution and motion with in situ measurements. In this paper we discuss how judicious choice and development of imaging technique applied to various different granular systems can provide us with valuable new data on the processes occurring in granular flows. Experimental results focus on rotating bed segregation, velocity imaging in vertical fluidized beds and phase-resolved velocity distributions within vertical vibro-fluidized beds. A discussion of the various imaging techniques used to acquire these data is also given.     

Complex electrical (impedance/dielectric) properties of electroceramic thin films by impedance spectroscopy with interdigital electrodes

The complex electrical properties of isotropic, electroceramic thin films can be measured with interdigital electrodes, analyzed by impedance spectroscopy (IS). A periodic two-dimensional film/interdigital electrode (IDE) structure was simulated by finite-difference numerical method and a generalized model was developed to characterize the electrical properties of thin films. Variable frequency simulations showed that the film/IDE system can be modeled as a parallel resistor-capacitor equivalent circuit. Equations were developed to extract from the equivalent circuit's fitted resistance and capacitance, the materials properties of the thin film, both conductivity and permittivity. The electrical properties of a polydomain BaTiO₃ film grown on a MgO substrate were measured with an IDE structure by IS to demonstrate how the methodology can be readily used.     

基于旋转电极的电容层析成像技术图像融合算法

针对固定电极的电容层析成像技术独立测量值较少,且由于电极位置的影响而导致重建图像失真等问题,提出了一种基于16旋转电极的电容层析成像技术系统模型及对应的图像融合方法。模型对16电极的电容层析成像技术模型进行4次旋转,得出的数据分别采用线性反投影算法和修正共轭梯度法算法进行图像重建,再将重建的5张图像进行小波变换,变换得到的低频和高频成分分别采用加权平均和主分量分析的融合准则进行图像融合。实验结果表明:提出的电容层析成像技术旋转模型通过增加测量电容数,结合图像融合方法可明显提高重构图像质量,降低成像误差。     

Imaging of temperature-change distribution in the brain phantom bymeans of capacitance measurement

The final purpose of this study is to realise a noninvasive imaging system of temperature-change distribution in the human head. Human tissue can be generally electrically characterized using resistance and capacitance measurement. Capacitance is related to permittivity with the temperature characteristic. In our method, capacitance is measured using many small electrodes arranged on the surface of the human head. Using their values, the permittivity distribution is reconstructed, and then, the change of their images is replaced by temperature-change distribution using the permittivity-temperature characteristic. In this paper, the reconstruction of temperature-change distribution in the brain phantom by means of the capacitance measurement method has been obtained with the phantom. As a result, although improvement in the measurement system and reconstruction algorithm is needed, the pattern of temperature-change could be presented     

电容层析成像系统中电容传感器参数优化设计

电容层析成像系统中,图像重建的质量主要依赖于电容敏感场分布的均匀性,这一性质又由传感器的几何和材料参数决定,因此传感器的设计尤为重要．根据敏感场颁上的均匀性,灵敏程度和电容测量技术,确定了传感器的优化参数;在多因素轮换的基础上,采用正交设计法进行电容传感器参数的计算机辅助设计,从而快速地获得一组最优参数．在实际应用中,概据此优化参数制造的电容传感器获得了较为理想的重建图像．