Ultrasonic Method for Online Tracking of Interface and Dispersion Band in Gravity Settlers

Abstract

Liquid−liquid solvent extraction process consists of dispersion of one phase into another in the form of fine drops and allowing the solute of interest to migrate from one phase into the other. Subsequently, it is essential to separate the two phases for further processing. In this regard, it is critical to continuously monitor the interface of two liquid phases as entrainment of one phase with another will lead to severe issues in downstream equipment and processes to follow. In this regard, an ultrasonic (UT) based online interface tracking device is developed which can detect the top layer of liquid−liquid interface (30% TBP/DD and water containing trace amounts of uranium) as well as estimate its dispersion thickness. This has been achieved using a single minimally invasive sensor. A novel signal-processing algorithm is developed to denoise and extract meaningful parameters for this estimation from the reflected and highly scattered/attenuated UT signal. The paper reports development of a mathematical model of the algorithm, experimental setup, and validation of the proposed system in a batch gravity settler.

Ultrasound Based Noninvasive Estimation of Mixing Time in a Vortex Reactor

“…A 2.25 MHz contact type transducer (in pulse-echo mode) is used. Choice of the said frequency is based on our previous experience of application of UT sensors . The sensor transducer (enclosed in SS-316 casing) is energized with negative spike voltage of 120 V with pulse duration of 200 ns.…”

“…Choice of the said frequency is based on our previous experience of application of UT sensors. 23 The sensor transducer (enclosed in SS-316 casing) is energized with negative spike voltage of 120 V with pulse duration of 200 ns. The same sensor is thereafter used as receiver for the reflected echo, which is amplified using a low noise amplifier (LNA) and digitized at 80 million samples per second (MSPS) at 12-bit resolution.…”

“…In this work, we report for the first time, an ultrasound-based technique to determine mixing time in an unbaffled vortex mixer incorporating a magnetic needle coupled to an external magnetic drive. Ultrasound technique (UT) has been widely used in process applications spanning a wide range of applications like determination of bubble size and density in bubble columns, , liquid hold up in solvent extraction contactors, , estimation of solid concentration in stirred tanks, estimation of liquid levels in a multiphase system, − estimation of solution concentrations, and determination of physical properties of fluids , to name a few. In a few manifestations, UT has been used to determine residence time distribution in the flow of polymer melt through an extruder. , However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no report on application of UT in determining mixing time in vortex reactors.…”

Non‐invasive mixing time estimation in unbaffled stirred tank: An ultrasonic approach

“…Ultrasound technique has been widely used in process applications encompassing a wide range of applications. For example, ultrasonic technology (UT) has been used to determine bubble size and density in bubble columns, 19,20 liquid hold up in solvent extraction contactors, 21,22 to determine solid concentration in stirred tanks, 23 to determine liquid levels in multiphase system, [24][25][26] to determine physical properties of fluids 27,28 to name a few. In a few manifestations, UT has been used to determine residence time distribution in flow of polymer melt through an extruder.…”

Sistema de Monitoramento Versátil de Conteúdo Líquido Aplicado em Separadores Primários

“…No entanto, um dos métodos que atendem os requisitos restritivos devidoà aplicação na indústria do petróleo utiliza propagação de ondas ultrassônicas empregando sensores montados externamente (Lee et al, 2005;Sakharov et al, 2003;Subhash and Balasubramaniam, 2014;Zhao et al, 2016). A aplicação do ultrassom em reservatórios de armazenamento e vasos de separaçãoóleoagua por segregação gravitacional para caracterização das interfaces entre os diversos fluídos no interior deles e identificação de suas propriedadesé um desafio que não foi totalmente superado pelas tecnologias existentes (Mukherjee et al, 2020;Alshaafi et al, 2020;Leal-Junior et al, 2018) Sensores de ultrassom são largamente utilizados na indústria de processos e as suas diversas técnicas atualmente empregadas em monitoramento fazem dessa uma aplicação promissora (Hauptmann et al, 2001). Métodos de monitoramento de nível por ultrassom feita fora de um recipiente de metal com espessuras entre 2 e 30 mm utilizando o sinal de eco da parede interna, podem fornecer o nível de líquido com precisão de medida inferiores a 5 mm para muitos líquidos comuns encontrados na indústria (Zhang et al, 2018(Zhang et al, , 2017.…”