Image reconstruction of electrical capacitance tomography based on optimal simulated annealing algorithm using orthogonal test method

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is a visualization measurement method for two-phase flow. Imaging permittivity distributions using electrical capacitance tomography has always been one of the most significant issues studied by scholars, and the algorithm will have a great impact on the accuracy of image reconstruction result. This paper applies simulated annealing (SA) algorithm to image reconstruction in ECT. However, some parameters of SA algorithm need to be optimized in order to obtain better reconstructed images in ECT. The influence of different parameter values in SA algorithm for image reconstruction in ECT is studied, and a set of optimal parameters of the SA algorithm is obtained based on the orthogonal experimental design method in this paper. At the same time, simulation and static experiments are conducted. Reconstructed images by SA algorithm with optimized parameter are compared with the linear back projection (LBP) and Landweber iterative algorithms. The results show that better images can be obtained for typical oil-gas two-phase flow using SA algorithm. The quality and shape fidelity of reconstructed image for the central object are obviously improved.     

Total fractional-order variation regularization based image reconstruction method for capacitively coupled electrical resistance tomography

Compared with electrical resistance tomography, capacitively coupled electrical resistance tomography (CCERT) is preferred since it avoids problems of electrode corrosion and electrode polarization. However, reconstruction of conductivity distribution is still a great challenge for CCERT. To improve reconstruction quality, this work proposes a novel image reconstruction method based on total fractional-order variation regularization. Simulation work is conducted and reconstruction of several typical models is studied. Robustness of the proposed method to noise is also conducted. Additionally, the performance of the proposed reconstruction method is quantitatively evaluated. We have also carried out phantom experiment to further verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the quality of reconstruction has been largely improved when compared with the images reconstructed by Landweber, Newton-Raphson and Tikhonov methods. The inclusion is more accurately reconstructed and the background is much clearer even under the impact of noise.     

Nonlinear image reconstruction using a GA-ECT technique in electrical capacitance tomography

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is a non-invasive measurement technique that estimates the dielectric permittivity distribution of an inhomogeneous object from the boundary potentials at floating electrodes or mutual capacitances. In this paper, a stochastic inverse technique based on genetic algorithm (GA-ECT) is developed, which is adapted to the two different methods, i.e. potential measurement and capacitance measurement. Numerical simulation results are presented to evaluate the inverse technique both for noise free and noisy data and the results show that quantitative image can be reconstructed not only with the low permittivity contrast but also with the high contrast. Furthermore, the influence of a priori knowledge to image reconstruction is discussed.     

Split Bregman iteration based image reconstruction algorithm for electrical capacitance tomography

Practical applications of the electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) rely mainly on the effectiveness of reconstruction algorithms. In this paper the solution of the inverse problem with the focus on the ECT imaging is reformulated to be an optimization problem by introducing a new loss function with regularizes encoding multiple features of solution. An iterative scheme that decomposes a complex optimization problem into several simpler sub-problems is developed to solve the proposed loss function, in which the linearization approximation and the acceleration strategy are introduced to improve numerical performances. Numerical experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed imaging method in tackling the ECT inverse problem.     

A non-convex regularization method combined with Landweber method for image reconstruction in electrical resistance tomography

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is a promising technique with which the conductivity distribution in the detected region can be visualized. Mathematically, the reconstruction of conductivity distribution is a seriously ill-posed inverse problem which poses a great challenge for the ERT sensing technique. The regularization method has been found to be an effective approach in coping with the inverse problem. In this work, a novel reconstruction strategy which combines the non-convex regularization method with Landweber method is proposed for the image reconstruction in ERT. At each iteration, the non-convex regularization is used to constrain the conductivity calculated with the Landweber method. A simple and efficient generalized iterated shrinkage algorithm is developed to solve the proposed method. To validate the performance of the proposed method, a series of numerical simulation is conducted and comparative analysis with other methods is performed. From the results, it can be observed that images with high quality are obtained when reconstructing with the proposed method. The impact of noise on the reconstruction is also investigated which shows that the images reconstructed by the proposed method are the least sensitive to the noise. The performance of the proposed method in the image reconstruction is also verified by experimental data. The results demonstrate that the inclusion is accurately reconstructed and the background is clear when the proposed method is adopted for the image reconstruction.     

基于预优化变换的电容层析成像图像重建算法

本文提出了一种新型快速电容层析成像的图像重建算法。该方法首先将图像重建的病态问题转化为泛函极小化问题，然后采用Fletcher-Reeves算法（FR）有效地求解该泛函，并在求解的过程中引入物理意义上的约束使获得的解更符合实际情况。数值实验表明该算法的图像重建效果优于线性反投影法、Tikhonov正则法和Landweber迭代法，而且该算法具有较强的抗噪声能力。     

A deep neural networks-based image reconstruction algorithm for a reduced sensor model in large-scale tomography system

Image reconstruction for soft-field tomography is a highly nonlinear and ill-posed inverse problem. Owing to the highly complicated nature of soft-field, the reconstructed images are always poor in quality. One of the factors that affect image quality is the number of sensors in a tomography system. It is commonly assumed that increasing the number of sensors in a tomography system will improve the ill-posed condition in image reconstruction and hence improve image quality. However, as the number of sensors increases, challenges such as more complicated and expensive hardware, slower data acquisition rates, longer image reconstruction times, and larger sensitivity matrices will arise, resulting in a greater ill-posed condition. Since deep learning (DL) is capable of expressing complex nonlinear functions, the majority of research efforts have been directed toward developing a robust DL-based inverse solver for image reconstruction. However, no study has been conducted to solve the inverse problem and improve the quality of the reconstructed image using a reduced sensor model for a large-scale tomography system. This paper proposed an image reconstruction algorithm based on Deep Neural Networks (DNN) to investigate its feasibility in solving the ill-posed inverse problem caused by the reduced sensor model for a large-scale tomography system. The proposed DNN model is based on a supervised, feed-forward, fully connected, backpropagation network. It comprises an input layer, three hidden layers and an output layer. Also, it was trained using large data samples obtained from COMSOL simulation. The relationship between the scattered electromagnetic field measurement and the corresponding true electromagnetic field distribution vector is determined. During the image reconstruction process, the untrained scattered electromagnetic field measurement samples are used as inputs to the trained DNN model, and the model output is an estimate of the electromagnetic field distribution. The results show that the proposed DNN can accurately describe the distribution of electromagnetic field and boundary shape of phantom compared to traditional algorithms (LBP, FBP, Noser and Tikhonov), regardless of the size and number of phantoms within the monitoring area. Hence, the proposed DNN is more robust and has a high degree of generalization.     

一个基于Quantile估计的电容层析成像图像重建算法

电容层析成像图像重建是一个典型的病态问题,它的解是不稳定的。为了获得有意义的重建结果,能够保证解的稳定性而又能提高重建图像质量的方法应该被采用。本文提出了一个新的电容层析成像图像重建算法。在分析标准Tikhonov正则法的基础上,针对ECT逆问题的病态特点利用Quantile估计和加权l_p范数构建扩展的目标泛函,将图像重建问题转化为一个最优化问题;在此基础上用Newton法求解该泛函。数值实验表明该算法是可行的,能够有效克服ECT图像重建的数值不稳定性。就本文所考察的重建对象而言,该法所重建图像的空间分辨率得到了提高。而且该算法计算直接、无需任何复杂的技巧,从而为ECT图像重建提供了一种有效的方法。     

Regularization parameter optimization based on the constraint of Landweber algorithm for electrical capacitance tomography

Image reconstruction algorithms play an important role in practical applications of electrical capacitance tomography. In the present paper, a combined image reconstruction method is proposed, which takes the results of Landweber algorithm as the constraint condition of Tikhonov algorithm's regularization parameter, calculates the regular parameter, inverts the inverse matrix of sensitivity matrix, and finally obtains the dielectric constant distribution; thus, reconstructed images with improved clarity were obtained. Simulation test are carried out to evaluate and analyze the proposed method from image error, correlation coefficient, image reconstruction time, and anti-noise ability. The results revealed that the Tikhonov regularization algorithm had excellent anti-noise ability; thus, it significantly improved the clarity of reconstructed images and clearly distinguished the multi-phase flow pattern and distribution.     

Window function-based regularization for electrical capacitance tomography image reconstruction

Image reconstruction for electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is to retrieve the permittivity distribution of materials inside the sensor from the capacitance measurements outside. It is a typical inverse problem and has long been a challenge for its nonlinearity and ill-posedness. This paper discusses the application of Tikhonov regularization, widely used for ill-posed problems, to the image reconstruction for electrical capacitance tomography. Two methods using different regularizations are investigated, which are the standard Tikhonov regularization and the Tikhonov regularization based on the second order derivative operator. Particularly, a combined method using the linear back projection (LBP) result as the prior constraint for the Tikhonov regularization with the second order derivative operator is suggested. Simulation and experiment results show that this combined method takes advantages from both the linear back projection and the Tikhonov regularization and provides reconstructions better than those from the LBP and the Tikhonov regularization. In addition, considering the essence that the Tikhonov regularization can be described as a spectral filter characterized by its corresponding window function, we propose the possibility of applying other window functions to the ECT image reconstruction, which include the Gauss window, the Hanning window, the Blackman window, and the cosine window. Results also show the feasibility of using window functions as regularization, which presents a new strategy for the regularization of ECT image reconstruction.     

Dimensionality reduced simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique for electrical resistance tomography

With the advantages of non-invasion, non-radiation, low-cost and high-speed, electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is suitable for online measurement of multiphase flow inside a pipeline. However, due to the highly non-linear and ill-posed characters of the inverse problem, its spatial resolution is low. As a kind of promising solutions for the issue, the iterative methods are always with low computational efficiency. In the paper, a Dimensional Reduction Simultaneous Iterative Reconstruction technique (DR-SIRT) is proposed to solve the two and three dimensional ERT problems. Scalar of the algebraic system for the solution of the inverse problem is significantly reduced by the orthogonal projection operator. The over-smoothing character of the iterative regularization method is mitigated by the non-negative constraint. The results from the numerical testes and the statistic experiments proved that the usage of the DR-SIRT can save the computational resources both in 2D and 3D cases. The discussions on the factors influencing the imaging speedy and quality, such as the number of electrodes and the truncation coefficient in the projection operator, provide some guidelines for the practical applications of the DR-SIRT algorithm.     

An adaptive Tikhonov regularization parameter choice method for electrical resistance tomography

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) reconstructs the conductivity distribution from the boundary changes of electrical measurements. The inverse problem of ERT is seriously ill-posed where regularization methods are needed to treat this ill-posedness. A proper choice of regularization parameter which controls the degree of smoothing is very important for these regularization methods. Although have been a variety of methods, such as L-curve method, to choose a reasonable parameter for the problem, these methods usually result in a scalar parameter which cannot distinctly express the spatial characteristic of the conductivity distribution. So a spatially adaptive regularization parameter choice method is proposed for regularizing the inverse problem of ERT based on Tikhonov regularization. Since large regularization parameters can stabilize and smoothen the solution, while small regularization parameters can approximate and sharpen the solution, the proposed method adaptively updates the regularization parameters during the iteration process and provides spatially varying parameter for each pixel of the reconstructed image. When the iteration is stopped, large regularization parameters for the smooth background region and small regularization parameters for the object region can be obtained. The method is discussed using simulated data for some typical conductivity distributions, and further applied to the analysis of real measurement data acquiring from the practical system. The results demonstrate that flexible regularization parameter vectors can be achieved for different distributions and the strength of regularization is adaptively provided for different regions in a specific distribution. The adaptive method achieves an efficient and reliable regularization solution and has outstanding performance in noise immunity especially in smooth background regions.     

A new hierarchical reconstruction algorithm for electrical capacitance tomography using a relaxation region-based approach

This paper presents a new two-dimensional tomography algorithm to reconstruct the internal image of a multiphase fluid passing through a section of a pipe. The embedded sensing module consists of an array of electrodes placed around the pipe to measure all possible combinations of capacitances between these electrodes. The algorithm is hierarchical and consists to confine progressively the regions of interest which hold the inhomogeneous phase by refining the finite element mesh size around their boundaries. Experimental results done on various images clearly indicate that the proposed algorithm improves the quality of the reconstructed images while keeping the computation time significantly lower than other traditional methods.     

基于加权奇异值分解截断共轭梯度的电容层析图像重建

针对电容层析成像技术(ECT)中的软场效应和病态问题,提出了一种基于加权奇异值分解(SVD)截断共轭梯度的电容层析(ECT)图像重建算法。阐述了电容层析成像工作原理,提出了12电极ECT系统的测量方法。在分析灵敏度矩阵的奇异值分解理论的基础上,推导出了加权SVD截断共轭梯度的数学模型,并利用Tikhonov方法进行正则化加权处理。最后,分析了算法的收敛性,并将其应用于电容层析成像系统的图像重建中。实验结果表明,对于层流,截断共轭梯度算法的平均误差能达到27.54%,全部流型平均迭代步数达到13步,与LBP、Landweber和CG算法比较,该算法具有成像效果好,成像速度快,易于实现等特点。     

基于自适应模拟退火及LM联合反演算法的ECT图像重建

为解决电容层析成像技术(ECT)中图像重建的非线性和病态性问题,提出了一种自适应模拟退火-Levenberg Marquardt(ASA-LM)联合反演算法.改进了标准模拟退火(SA)算法的新解生成策略、能量函数的定义及退火策略,并结合LM的直接局部搜索方法联合反演ECT图像重建问题.同时,利用Savitzky-Gol...     

An adaptive non-convex hybrid total variation regularization method for image reconstruction in electrical impedance tomography

The image reconstruction of conductivity distribution in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a seriously ill-posed inverse problem. To cope with the problem, it is recognized that the regularization method is an effective approach. In this paper, an adaptive non-convex hybrid total variation (ANHTV) regularization method is proposed to reconstruct the conductivity distribution in EIT. The iterative reweighted least squares algorithm and the iterative alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm are developed to solve the ANHTV-based inverse model in the image reconstruction. Besides, all the parameters utilized in the inverse model are adaptively selected. To validate the advantage of the proposed method, extensive numerical simulation and experimental work have been carried out. Also, qualitative and quantitative comparisons with two convex TV-based regularization methods are conducted. The results show that the proposed method is more advantageous in terms of staircase effect suppression, edge information preservation and noise resisting in the image reconstruction.     

A hybrid regularization method combining Tikhonov with total variation for electrical resistance tomography

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is a promising measurement technique in industrial process imaging. However, image reconstruction in ERT is an ill-posed inverse problem. Regularization methods have been developed to solve the ill-posed inverse problem. Since the penalty term is a form of L2-norm, Tikhonov regularization method guarantees the stability of the solution, but it always makes the image edge oversmoothed. Total variation (TV) regularization method has good ability of preserving image edges. A hybrid regularization method, which combines Tikhonov with TV regularization method, is proposed to get better reconstructed images. The choice of the adaptive weighted parameter between TV and Tikhonov penalty term has been discussed in detail. In the proposed hybrid regularization method, the function of conductivity gradients is used as the adaptive weighted parameter to control automatically the weighting between the penalty terms from TV and Tikhonov regularization. For the model with sharp edges, the proportion of the penalty term from TV regularization is increased to preserve the edges, while for the model with smooth edges, the proportion of penalty term from Tikhonov regularization is increased to make the solution stable and robust to noise. Both simulation and experimental results of Tikhonov, TV and hybrid regularization method are shown respectively, which indicates that the hybrid regularization method can improve the reconstruction quality with sharp edges and is more robust to noise, and it is applicable for models with different edge characteristic.     

Robust dynamic inversion algorithm for the visualization in electrical capacitance tomography

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is considered as a promising visualization measurement technique, in which reconstructing high-quality images is crucial for real applications. In this paper, a robust dynamic reconstruction model, which incorporates the ECT measurement information and the dynamic evolution information of a dynamic object, is presented. Under the considerations of the low rank property of an ECT image and the inaccuracies on the sensitivity matrix, the reconstruction model and the measurement data, an objective functional that fuses the ECT measurement information, the dynamic evolution information of a dynamic object, the spatial constraint, the temporal constraint and the low rank constraint is proposed. An iteration scheme that integrates the advantages of the fast composite splitting (FCS) algorithm is developed for solving the proposed objective functional. Numerical simulations are implemented to validate the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.     

Sparsity-inspired image reconstruction for electrical capacitance tomography

We present a new image reconstruction method for Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT). ECT image reconstruction is generally ill-posed because the number of measurements is small whereas the image dimensions are large. Here, we present a sparsity-inspired approach to achieve better ECT image reconstruction from the small number of measurements. Our approach for ECT image reconstruction is based on Total Variation (TV) regularization. We apply an efficient Split-Bregman Iteration (SBI) approach to solve the problem. We also propose three metrics to evaluate image reconstruction performance, i.e., a joint metric of positive reconstruction rate (PRR) and false reconstruction rate (FRR), correlation coefficient, and a shape and location metric. The results on both synthetic and real data show that the proposed TV-SBI method can better preserve the edges of images and better resolve different objects within reconstructed images, as compared to a representative state-of-the-art ECT image reconstruction algorithm, Projected Landweber Iteration with Linear Back Projection initialization (LBP-PLI).     

动态电容层析成像图像重建算法

提出了融合ECT测量信息和被测对象动态演化信息的新型图像重建模型;基于Tikhonov正则化方法,建立一个同时考虑了ECT测量信息、被测对象动态演化信息、时间与空间约束的新型图像重建目标泛涵,将图像重建问题转化为最优化问题;提出了集成分裂Bregman迭代法优势的新型算法求解该目标泛涵。数值仿真结果表明,所提出的图像重建算法其图像重建质量均优于OIOR算法、STR算法及PLI算法;同时由于所提出的图像重建算法同时考虑了测量数据和重建模型的不精确性,其抵抗测量噪声的能力得以提高。