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
Chan C
(2010)
PEPT study of particle motion for different riser exit geometries
in Particuology
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
W. Chan C
(2010)
Particle velocities and their residence time distribution in the riser of a CFB
in Powder Technology
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
Cole K
(2010)
PEPT combined with high speed digital imaging for particle tracking in dynamic foams
in Chemical Engineering Science
Leadbeater T
(2011)
Characterization of the latest Birmingham modular positron camera
in Measurement Science and Technology
Burnard D
(2011)
The Application of Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) to Study Inclusions in the Casting Process
in Materials Science Forum
Mahmoudi S
(2011)
The solids flow in the CFB-riser quantified by single radioactive particle tracking
in Powder Technology
Saito Y
(2011)
Three-Dimensional Visualization of Powder Motion in a High Shear Mixer
in MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS
Griffiths W
(2011)
The Use of Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) to Study the Movement of Inclusions in Low-Melting-Point Alloy Castings
in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B
Van Buijtenen M
(2011)
Numerical and experimental study on multiple-spout fluidized beds
in Chemical Engineering Science
Fan X
(2011)
Impact of solid sizes on flow structure and particle motions in bubbling fluidization
in Powder Technology
Diemer J
(2011)
Flow Visualisation in Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruders: Positron Emission Particle Tracking and Numerical Particle Trajectories
in International Polymer Processing
Leadbeater T
(2011)
A modular positron camera for the study of industrial processes
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Van Buijtenen M
(2011)
Numerical and experimental study on spout elevation in spout-fluidized beds
in AIChE Journal
Saito Y
(2011)
A new approach to high-shear mixer granulation using positron emission particle tracking
in Chemical Engineering Science
Brems A
(2011)
Modelling the transport disengagement height in fluidized beds
in Advanced Powder Technology
Bickell M
(2012)
A new line density tracking algorithm for PEPT and its application to multiple tracers
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Mahmoudi S
(2012)
Solids flow diagram of a CFB riser using Geldart B-type powders
in Particuology
Lee KT
(2012)
Twin screw wet granulation: the study of a continuous twin screw granulator using Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) technique.
in European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics : official journal of Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Pharmazeutische Verfahrenstechnik e.V
Leadbeater T
(2012)
Positron imaging systems for studying particulate, granular and multiphase flows
in Particuology
Simmons M
(2012)
Development of a hydrodynamic model for the UV-C treatment of turbid food fluids in a novel 'SurePure turbulator™' swirl-tube reactor
in Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies
Wildman R
(2012)
Experimental determination of temperature profiles in a sheared granular bed containing two and three sizes of particles
in Granular Matter
Windows-Yule CR
(2013)
Boltzmann statistics in a three-dimensional vibrofluidized granular bed: idealizing the experimental system.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Habib M
(2013)
PEPT Investigation of Particle Separation in a Novel Vertically Vibrated Particle Separator
in Particulate Science and Technology
Windows-Yule CR
(2013)
Thermal convection and temperature inhomogeneity in a vibrofluidized granular bed: the influence of sidewall dissipation.
in Physical review letters
Rafiee M
(2013)
Development of positron emission particle tracking for studying laminar mixing in Kenics static mixer
in Chemical Engineering Research and Design
Griffiths W
(2013)
Tracking inclusions in aluminium alloy castings using positron emission particle tracking (PEPT)
in Materials Science and Technology
Marigo M
(2013)
Application of Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) to validate a Discrete Element Method (DEM) model of granular flow and mixing in the Turbula mixer.
in International journal of pharmaceutics
Windows-Yule CR
(2014)
Center of mass scaling in three-dimensional binary granular systems.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Windows-Yule C
(2014)
Inelasticity-induced segregation: Why it matters, when it matters
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Windows-Yule C
(2014)
The role of rotational inertia in the dynamics of vibrofluidised granular gases
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Windows-Yule C
(2014)
Influence of initial conditions on granular dynamics near the jamming transition
in New Journal of Physics
Yang Z
(2014)
Study on solids translational and rotational motions in rotating cans
in LWT - Food Science and Technology
Denissenko P
(2014)
Positron emission tracking of individual particles in particle-laden rimming flow
in Physics of Fluids
Windows-Yule CR
(2014)
Energy non-equipartition in strongly convective granular systems.
in The European physical journal. E, Soft matter
Windows-Yule CR
(2014)
Effects of packing density on the segregative behaviors of granular systems.
in Physical review letters
Windows-Yule CR
(2014)
Influence of thermal convection on density segregation in a vibrated binary granular system.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Cole K
(2014)
A surface coating method to modify tracers for positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) measurements of froth flotation
in Powder Technology
Windows-Yule C
(2014)
Self-diffusion, local clustering and global segregation in binary granular systems: The role of system geometry
in Powder Technology
Windows-Yule CR
(2014)
Low-frequency oscillations and convective phenomena in a density-inverted vibrofluidized granular system.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Windows-Yule CR
(2015)
Maximizing energy transfer in vibrofluidized granular systems.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Yu S
(2015)
The use of positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) to study milling of roll-compacted microcystalline cellulose ribbons
in Powder Technology
Pore M
(2015)
A comparison of magnetic resonance, X-ray and positron emission particle tracking measurements of a single jet of gas entering a bed of particles
in Chemical Engineering Science
Rosato A
(2015)
Tapped granular column dynamics: simulations, experiments and modeling
in Computational Particle Mechanics
Windows-Yule C
(2015)
Numerical modelling of granular flows: a reality check
in Computational Particle Mechanics
Kinugasa T
(2015)
Three-dimensional dynamic imaging of sand particles under wheel via gamma-ray camera system
in Journal of Terramechanics
Windows-Yule Kit
(2015)
Density-Driven Segregation in Binary and Ternary Granular Systems
in KONA POWDER AND PARTICLE JOURNAL
Windows-Yule CR
(2015)
Competition between geometrically induced and density-driven segregation mechanisms in vibrofluidized granular systems.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
| 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 |