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
Parker DJ
(2017)
Positron emission particle tracking and its application to granular media.
in The Review of scientific instruments
Denissenko P
(2014)
Positron emission tracking of individual particles in particle-laden rimming flow
in Physics of Fluids
Leadbeater T
(2012)
Positron imaging systems for studying particulate, granular and multiphase flows
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
Windows-Yule C
(2015)
Resonance effects on the dynamics of dense granular beds: achieving optimal energy transfer in vibrated granular systems
in New Journal of Physics
Windows-Yule C
(2014)
Self-diffusion, local clustering and global segregation in binary granular systems: The role of system geometry
in Powder Technology
Mahmoudi S
(2012)
Solids flow diagram of a CFB riser using Geldart B-type powders
in Particuology
Tebianian S
(2016)
Solids flux measurements via alternate techniques in a gas-fluidized bed
in Chemical Engineering Journal
Chakravarty S
(2017)
Study of the particle motion induced by a vortex shaker
in Powder Technology
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 |