Review of applications of electrical resistance tomography to chemical engineering

Abstract

Abstract In spite of decades of study and investigation, the research on tomography and electrical resistance tomography (ERT) in particular, remains to be focus of immense scientific significance. ERT provides the ability to measure conductivity distribution inside a process plant and delivers time evolving multidimensional information. Such important and otherwise inaccessible information enhances critical process knowledge whilst improving the design and function of the process equipment. ERT has been employed in a variety of fields including chemical engineering. This paper reviews previous research carried out on the application of ERT within the chemical engineering arena. The applications are classified based on the objective of ERT measurements, the unit operations ERT has been utilized on, the media under examination, and also other technologies and data processing techniques used in combination with ERT. The objective of this taxonomy is to offer the reader with a broad insight into the current situation of ERT related research and developed applications in the chemical engineering field and to assist in the identification of research gaps for future investigation.