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Advancing multiphase flow imaging with high-density receiver arrays: MRI velocity measurements in structured packing with Schwarz-Diamond-TPSf design
Publikationstyp
Conference Poster
Date Issued
2025-03
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Citation
Jahrestreffen der DECHEMA/VDI-Fachgruppen Mischvorgänge, Hochdruckverfahrenstechnik und Mehrphasenströmungen 2025
Effective mixing is fundamental to optimizing process performance in the chemical and biochemical industries. The mixing efficiency is predominantly governed by the fluid flow within these systems [1]. Understanding such mixing processes significantly benefits from precise velocity measurements and high-resolution imaging techniques. Nonetheless, obtaining detailed three-dimensional insights into their mixing states continues to present a substantial challenge.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one of the most versatile among the various tomographic techniques suitable for process engineering applications. It leverages the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) phenomenon [2,3] to measure flow, diffusion, chemical composition, and temperature with high spatial and temporal resolution. Recent advancements have expanded its use in process engineering [4,5], enabling investigations into phase distributions, microreactor flows, and packed bed dynamics.
To improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and temporal resolution of MRI systems, multiple receiver coils can be placed around the object to acquire the signal in parallel. Since MRI has been primarily applied in medical domain, the existing coil arrays are developed for human anatomies. In this work, we build custom coil arrays tailored to chemical reactors and investigate the impact of receiver coil density on MRI-based velocity measurements using the world’s largest vertical 3 Tesla MRI scanner. We compare 5-channel and 15-channel receive arrays to evaluate their performance in capturing flow behavior within structured packings with Schwarz-Diamond-Triply Periodic Surface (TPSf) designs, relevant to chemical engineering. Initial velocity measurements in water phantoms reveal that the 15-channel array significantly improves spatial resolution and SNR over the 5-channel configuration. These enhancements enable detailed mapping of velocity fields, finer resolution of flow dynamics, and improved visualization of mixing and bubble interactions within complex geometries.
References
[1] Weiland, C., Steuwe, E., Fitschen, J., Hoffmann, M., Schlüter, M., Padberg-Gehle, K., & von Kameke, A.
Computational study of three-dimensional Lagrangian transport and mixing in a stirred tank reactor.
Chemical engineering journal advances. 2023, 14. Jg., S. 100448 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2023.100448
[2] Rabi, I. I.; Zacharias, J. R.; Millman, S.; Kusch, P. A New Method of Measuring Nuclear Magnetic Moment.
Phys. Rev. 1938, 53 (4), 318–318. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.53.318.
[3] Bloch, F. Nuclear Induction. Phys. Rev. 1946, 70 (7–8), 460–474. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.70.460.
[4] Benders, S.; Blümich, B. Applications of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Chemical Engineering. Phys. Sci.
Rev. 2019, 4 (10). https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2018-0177.
[5] Gladden, L. F.; Sederman, A. J. Recent Advances in Flow MRI. J. Magn. Reson. 2013, 229, 2–11.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmr.2012.11.022.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one of the most versatile among the various tomographic techniques suitable for process engineering applications. It leverages the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) phenomenon [2,3] to measure flow, diffusion, chemical composition, and temperature with high spatial and temporal resolution. Recent advancements have expanded its use in process engineering [4,5], enabling investigations into phase distributions, microreactor flows, and packed bed dynamics.
To improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and temporal resolution of MRI systems, multiple receiver coils can be placed around the object to acquire the signal in parallel. Since MRI has been primarily applied in medical domain, the existing coil arrays are developed for human anatomies. In this work, we build custom coil arrays tailored to chemical reactors and investigate the impact of receiver coil density on MRI-based velocity measurements using the world’s largest vertical 3 Tesla MRI scanner. We compare 5-channel and 15-channel receive arrays to evaluate their performance in capturing flow behavior within structured packings with Schwarz-Diamond-Triply Periodic Surface (TPSf) designs, relevant to chemical engineering. Initial velocity measurements in water phantoms reveal that the 15-channel array significantly improves spatial resolution and SNR over the 5-channel configuration. These enhancements enable detailed mapping of velocity fields, finer resolution of flow dynamics, and improved visualization of mixing and bubble interactions within complex geometries.
References
[1] Weiland, C., Steuwe, E., Fitschen, J., Hoffmann, M., Schlüter, M., Padberg-Gehle, K., & von Kameke, A.
Computational study of three-dimensional Lagrangian transport and mixing in a stirred tank reactor.
Chemical engineering journal advances. 2023, 14. Jg., S. 100448 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2023.100448
[2] Rabi, I. I.; Zacharias, J. R.; Millman, S.; Kusch, P. A New Method of Measuring Nuclear Magnetic Moment.
Phys. Rev. 1938, 53 (4), 318–318. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.53.318.
[3] Bloch, F. Nuclear Induction. Phys. Rev. 1946, 70 (7–8), 460–474. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.70.460.
[4] Benders, S.; Blümich, B. Applications of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Chemical Engineering. Phys. Sci.
Rev. 2019, 4 (10). https://doi.org/10.1515/psr-2018-0177.
[5] Gladden, L. F.; Sederman, A. J. Recent Advances in Flow MRI. J. Magn. Reson. 2013, 229, 2–11.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmr.2012.11.022.
DDC Class
600: Technology