Data acquisition System

ITS have two formats for instrument control. 

Process specific interfaces have also been designed where tomography is being used to monitor or manage a specific unit process.  These have been designed for simpler operation in a specified unit process:

• monitoring depth of a mixing vortex
• monitoring mixing / homogeneity
• monitoring position of a liquid –liquid or solid – liquid interface

The coreERT p2+,multi-modal m3000andhigh speed z8000platforms each have their own user interfaces.  These allow users to operate tomography platforms with a wide range of environments and sensor geometries.

The p2+ control utility allows users to manage data collection to suit their process:

• Data capture rates from 25 ms per frame to minutes or hours per frame for processes which evolve over milliseconds (such as mixing and flow) hours (such as settling or filtration)
• Injection current from 0.1mA  to 75mA.  This allows data to be taken from process environments from low conductivities such as ethanol to very high conductivities  
  Users are recommended to contact ITS technical support when operating in systems with particularly high or low conductivities
• Measurement frequency from 1,200 to 153,600 Hz, which can be of particular benefit for certain substrates

Different sensor geometries:

• standard circular sensor
• circular sensor for use with cross correlation flow measurement
• linear probe sensors (single or dual probe geometries)
• fully programmable sensor routine
• number of sensors (from 1 to 8 different probes or planes)
• U channel sensors
• Π sensors combining two linear probes
• Other features to user defined parameters to minimise noise and improve performance

Data can be analysed on-line to determine its quality and the level of process noise

The m3000 utility allows users to manage a number of different tomography modalities:

• Electrical resistance tomography
  ERT is used where the continuous medium is conducting (typically aqueous systems, although some polar solvents such as alcohols, acetonitrile are also suitable)
• Electrical capacitance tomography
  ECT is used where the continuous medium is non-conducting (typically organic solvents, oil, gas)
• Acoustic tomography (based on time of flight)
  Acoustic tomography is effective at identifying boundaries / interfaces
• Acoustic spectroscopy
  Acoustic spectroscopy can provide rheological information and particle characterisation

The m3000 utility enables users to drive combinations of the above where there is an interest in extracting additional data (such as ERT and acoustic spectroscopy) or where process conditions change from conducting to non-conducting (such as multi-phase flow, phase transitions or polymerisation).

The z8000 utility allows users to operate the high speed z8000 instrument, varying data capture rate, current and frequency (see note regarding p2+).

Data can be reviewed on line or exported to p2k file formats for review through the tomography toolsuite or other utilities such as cross correlation software. The z8000 provides the real and imaginary components of resistance, phase angle and also impedance.