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
Brems A
(2011)
Modelling the transport disengagement height in fluidized beds
in Advanced Powder Technology
Van Buijtenen M
(2011)
Numerical and experimental study on spout elevation in spout-fluidized beds
in AIChE Journal
Tebianian S
(2016)
Solids flux measurements via alternate techniques in a gas-fluidized bed
in Chemical Engineering Journal
Rafiee M
(2013)
Development of positron emission particle tracking for studying laminar mixing in Kenics static mixer
in Chemical Engineering Research and Design
García-Triñanes P
(2016)
Hydrodynamics and particle motion in upward flowing dense particle suspensions: Application in solar receivers
in Chemical Engineering Science
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
Morrison A
(2016)
The shape and behaviour of a granular bed in a rotating drum using Eulerian flow fields obtained from PEPT
in Chemical Engineering Science
Tebianian S
(2015)
Investigation of particle velocity in FCC gas-fluidized beds based on different measurement techniques
in Chemical Engineering Science
Van Buijtenen M
(2011)
Numerical and experimental study on multiple-spout fluidized beds
in Chemical Engineering Science
García-Triñanes P
(2018)
Particle motion and heat transfer in an upward-flowing dense particle suspension: Application in solar receivers
in Chemical Engineering Science
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 |