Facilities
Particle Image Velocimetry
- 2- and 3-dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry (consisting of a high-speed (480 fields/sec), high resolution (765 pixels by 240 lines) CCD camera and recorder; a frame grabber with 40 MHz pixel clock and 256 MB on-board memory)
- Micro PIV (high speed, high resolution visualization system)
HOT and COLD MODELS: TEN FLUIDIZED MODELS
- Various sizes including one pilot scale circulating fluidized bed of 16" ID and 13' in height are available. The examples of them are:
- High temperature and pressure gas-solid fluidized beds
- High pressure and temperature flow visualization apparatus (2" and 4" ID slurry bubble columns designed for 21 MPa and 180 °C
- Large scale (16" ID and 13' in height) draft-tube cold flow reactor
- High pressure gas (Nitrogen) source
Instrumentation and Measurement Probe Developed for Multiphase Flow Systems
- Optical fibers for image carrier with visible light
- Optical fibers for densiometer (with laser beam)
- Optical fiber velocity measurements (with laser beam)
- Optical fiber probe for bubble dynamics measurement
- A fiber optic probe has been designed to measure solid holdup, bubble size, bubble rising velocity, particle rising velocity in both gas-solid and three-phase systems. The probe utilizes the difference in refractive index of gas and liquid to distinguish the gas phase from the liquid-solid suspension. The probe is of U-shape and there are variations in the tip designs for U-shaped probes to obtain maximum internal light reflection intensity for multiphase flow measurements. In the present probe, the fiber cladding in the tip portion is partially removed in such a manner that it yields the most distinctive signals for gas void detection. The output of the photomultiplier is interfaced with a computer data acquisition system, which samples the signal for four seconds at a frequency of 2,000 Hz. The probe is calibrated against the bubble rise velocity measured with a video camera. The probe is movable in the radial direction under high pressure conditions, so that the tip and the orifice can be precisely aligned. This feature also permits observation of the influence of the tip on the bubble flow or jetting phenomena. Based on visualization, the probe is found to impose negligible disturbances on the bubble formation process and the bubbling-jetting transition, although it would alter the trajectories of bubbles.
- Capacitance electric probe
- Laser correlation and pitot tube
- Industrial video system (Sony camera (Model DSC-M3) video monitor (PVM-1271Z, 1Q) and video cassette recorder (VO-5800))
- Dual conductivity probe and data acquisition system
- VA 8550 minicomputer, DEC VA stations, and IBM-XT
- Image analysis facility (Eikonix N8/99 high resolution camera, Dipix Aries III image processing workstation and a MicroVAX II)
- Pressure transducers
- Microfoil heat sensor probe
- Electrostatic probe and detection system
POWDER FLOW AND MECHANICS
- Evaluation of the mechanical properties of powders is needed to characterize the flow behavior of powders during handling and transport. Cohesion, effective angle of internal friction, angle of repose, compressibility, and dispersibility are some of these mechanical properties that have been measured on the powder testing equipment available in our laboratories. Effects of time consolidation, moisture content, and other handling parameters on the flow properties of powders have also been examined.
- Jenike translatory shear tester
- Peschl rotational shear tester
- Hosokawa Powder characteristics tester
- Ajax cohesion and tensile strength tester
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH EQUIPMENT
- Fluidized bed bioreactions
- Mass spectrophotometer
- Incubator
- D.O. meter and probe
- pH meter and probe
- Microbalance
- Oxygen analyzer and carbon dioxide analyzer
- Microscope
- NIComp Model 2100 Laser Submicron Particle Sizer
RHEOLOGY RESEARCH EQUIPMENT (available through the Department Polymer Program)
- 3 Weissenberg rheogoniometers (R16, R17, and R18)
- Haake viscometer
- Digital Brookfield viscometer
- Instron Capillary rheometer
POWDER REACTION ENGINEERING EQUIPMENTS
- Specially designed High-temperature Entrained Flow Reactor for studying fast gas-solid reactions, capable of accurately measuring the solid residence time in 10-100 milliseconds time scale. Ultrafast reaction engineering involving powder/gas interaction at high temperature has wide applications stretching from ceramic powder formation to emission control problems. Focus of this laboratory is studying the interaction between sorbent powder (e.g. activated carbon and other mineral sorbents) with SO2/H2S/NOx and other toxic substances such as selenium and arsenic. The maximum operating temperature and pressure are 1000 ºC and 30 atm, respectively.
- Sedigraph 5100 particle size analyzer for measuring particle size distribution (ranging from 300 - 0.1 mm equivalent spherical diameter
- NOVA 2000 BET apparatus for measuring structural properties of solids using low temperature nitrogen adsorption
- Ambient pressure TGA with in-house design automated gas feeding system
- High pressure TGA
- Flame-Atomic Absorption Spectrometer and furnace-Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
- FT-IR
- Chemiluminescence NOx analyzer
- Total Carbon Analyzer (for both organic and inorganic carbon)
- Gilsonic AutoSeiver (effectively sieve fine particles)
- Spex Centiprep Mixer/Mill (grind and mix solid samples)
- Two autoclave reactors (rated for 6000 psig and 450 ºC)
- Differential bed reactor
- Moving bed reactor
- Ion Chromatography, Gas Chromatography, Mass spectrometer and various gas analyzers for quantitative analysis of reactions.
ADDITIONAL POWDER REACTION ENGINEERING EQUIPMENTS (available through the Department of Materials Science and Engineering)
- X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD)
- Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
- Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)