Platform Grant for the University of Birmingham Positron Imaging Centre
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
The Positron Imaging Centre uses radioactive tracers to study flows of interest to engineers, in a variant of the medical imaging technique of positron emission tomography (PET). Most of our studies use the alternative technique of positron emission particle tracking (PEPT), developed at Birmingham, in which a single radioactive particle is tracked at high speed inside a flow system. The short-lived radioisotopes used for this work are produced using the Birmingham cyclotron, and various novel techniques have been developed for labelling individual particles (as small as 100 micrometres diameter) with suitable radioactivity. Standard medical PET scanners have been adapted to perform these studies, and in addition to various in-house measurement systems a transportable detector system has recently been developed allowing PEPT measurements to be carried out on large scale industrial plant. The Positron Imaging Centre operates as a national resource where academic and industrial groups can study the systems of specific interest to them, and welcomes collaborators from many institutions around the world and from a diverse range of academic disciplines. Applications range from fundamental studies of simple flow situations involving granular materials or liquids to measurements on the actual equipment used in industry for processing foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, etc. An important role for these studies is testing the accuracy of computer codes used for predicting complex flows. In future PET and PEPT will be increasingly used in conjunction with other complementary measurement techniques to reveal more complex properties of the behaviour of systems. While individual research projects are funded from appropriate sources, our Platform Grant is used to foster collaborations, to retain key staff and to develop the infrastructure (in particular the tracer labelling techniques) in order that we can apply our unique techniques to the widest possible range of problems.
Organisations
Publications
W. Chan C
(2010)
Particle velocities and their residence time distribution in the riser of a CFB
in Powder Technology
Chan C
(2010)
PEPT study of particle motion for different riser exit geometries
in Particuology
Wu C
(2010)
Quantitative investigation of powder flow during die filling using positron emission particle tracking
in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering
Portillo P
(2010)
Investigation of the effect of impeller rotation rate, powder flow rate, and cohesion on powder flow behavior in a continuous blender using PEPT
in Chemical Engineering Science
Cole K
(2010)
PEPT combined with high speed digital imaging for particle tracking in dynamic foams
in Chemical Engineering Science
Griffiths W
(2010)
Tracking inclusions in aluminium alloy castings using positron emission particle tracking (PEPT)
in Materials Science and Technology
Diemer J
(2011)
Flow Visualisation in Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruders: Positron Emission Particle Tracking and Numerical Particle Trajectories
in International Polymer Processing
Mahmoudi S
(2011)
The solids flow in the CFB-riser quantified by single radioactive particle tracking
in Powder Technology
Fan X
(2011)
Impact of solid sizes on flow structure and particle motions in bubbling fluidization
in Powder Technology
Burnard D
(2011)
The Application of Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) to Study Inclusions in the Casting Process
in Materials Science Forum
Description | This grant enabled the Positron Imaging Centre to further develop capabilities for PEPT and diversify the portfolio of applications, including into new fields such as liquid metal casting. |
Exploitation Route | The value of PEPT has been appreciated by several groups worldwide, who are developing their own capabilities. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |