{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,6]],"date-time":"2026-04-06T13:23:09Z","timestamp":1775481789016,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,12]],"date-time":"2022-06-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1654992000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000780","name":"European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["764902"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["764902"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000780","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The performance of multiphase flow processes is often determined by the distribution of phases inside the equipment. However, controllers in the field are typically implemented based on flow variables, which are simpler to measure, but indirectly connected to performance (e.g., pressure). Tomography has been used in the study of the distribution of phases of multiphase flows for decades, but only recently, the temporal resolution of the technique was sufficient for real-time reconstructions of the flow. Due to the strong connection between the performance and distribution of phases, it is expected that the introduction of tomography to the real-time control of multiphase flows will lead to substantial improvements in the system performance in relation to the current controllers in the field. This paper uses a gas\u2013liquid inline swirl separator to analyze the possibilities and limitations of tomography-based real-time control of multiphase flow processes. Experiments were performed in the separator using a wire-mesh sensor (WMS) and a high-speed camera to show that multiphase flows have two components in their dynamics: one intrinsic to its nonlinear physics, occurring independent of external process disturbances, and one due to process disturbances (e.g., changes in the flow rates of the installation). Moreover, it is shown that the intrinsic dynamics propagate from upstream to inside the separator and can be used in predictive and feedforward control strategies. In addition to the WMS experiments, a proportional\u2013integral feedback controller based on electrical resistance tomography (ERT) was implemented in the separator, with successful results in relation to the control of the distribution of phases and impact on the performance of the process: the capture of gas was increased from 76% to 93% of the total gas with the tomography-based controller. The results obtained with the inline swirl separator are extended in the perspective of the tomography-based control of quasi-1D multiphase flows.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s22124443","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,13]],"date-time":"2022-06-13T02:01:44Z","timestamp":1655085704000},"page":"4443","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Towards Tomography-Based Real-Time Control of Multiphase Flows: A Proof of Concept in Inline Fluid Separation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9135-811X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matheus M.","family":"Garcia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2431-8182","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammad A.","family":"Sattar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Computer Science, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 18\/22, 90-924 Lodz, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hanane","family":"Atmani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institut de M\u00e9canique des Fluides de Toulouse, Universit\u00e9 de Toulouse, 2 All\u00e9e du Professeur Camille Soula, 31400 Toulouse, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dominique","family":"Legendre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institut de M\u00e9canique des Fluides de Toulouse, Universit\u00e9 de Toulouse, 2 All\u00e9e du Professeur Camille Soula, 31400 Toulouse, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3048-6924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laurent","family":"Babout","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Computer Science, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 18\/22, 90-924 Lodz, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eckhard","family":"Schleicher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Fluid Dynamics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstra\u00dfe 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7371-0148","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Uwe","family":"Hampel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Fluid Dynamics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstra\u00dfe 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany"},{"name":"Institute of Power Engineering, Technische Universit\u00e4t Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luis M.","family":"Portela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2017.01.012","article-title":"Experimental investigation of the flow pattern, pressure drop and void fraction of two-phase flow in the corrugated gap of a plate heat exchanger","volume":"91","author":"Grabenstein","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijrefrig.2015.07.010","article-title":"Flow boiling and frictional pressure gradients in plate heat exchangers. Part 1: Review and experimental database","volume":"61","author":"Amalfi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Refrig."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Besagni, G., Inzoli, F., and Ziegenhein, T. (2018). Two-Phase Bubble Columns: A Comprehensive Review. ChemEngineering, 2.","DOI":"10.3390\/chemengineering2020013"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21177","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.iecr.0c03913","article-title":"Experimental Study on a Novel Axial Separator for Oil\u2013Water Separation","volume":"59","author":"Zeng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ind. Eng. Chem. Res."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"370","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tsep.2018.08.011","article-title":"Optimization of geometry parameters with separation efficiency and flow split ratio for downhole oil-water hydrocyclone","volume":"8","author":"Liu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"091301","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4030198","article-title":"Study on the Air Core Formation of a Gas\u2013Liquid Separator","volume":"137","author":"Yin","year":"2015","journal-title":"ASME J. Fluids Eng."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nucengdes.2016.08.030","article-title":"Study on two-phase swirling flows in a gas\u2013liquid separator with three pick-off rings","volume":"308","author":"Funahashi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nucl. Eng. Des."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1002\/aic.690280302","article-title":"Design parameters estimations for bubble column reactors","volume":"28","author":"Shah","year":"1982","journal-title":"AICHE J."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2017.03.043","article-title":"The effect of liquid phase properties on bubble column fluid dynamics: Gas holdup, flow regime transition, bubble size distributions and shapes, interfacial areas and foaming phenomena","volume":"170","author":"Besagni","year":"2017","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1016\/j.petrol.2018.02.026","article-title":"Slug flow induced oscillations on subsea petroleum pipelines","volume":"165","author":"Bordalo","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Pet. Sci. Eng."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103778","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2021.103778","article-title":"Stochastic mechanistic modelling of two-phase slug flow forces on bends in horizontal piping","volume":"144","author":"Klinkenberg","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1016\/j.flowmeasinst.2013.04.007","article-title":"Investigation of upward cocurrent gas\u2013liquid pipe flow using ultrafast X-ray tomography and wire-mesh sensor","volume":"32","author":"Zhang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Flow Meas. Instrum."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121301","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4027799","article-title":"Experimental Investigation of Horizontal Gas\u2013Liquid Stratified and Annular Flow Using Wire-Mesh Sensor","volume":"136","author":"Vieira","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Fluids Eng."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104020","DOI":"10.1088\/0957-0233\/22\/10\/104020","article-title":"Phase fraction distribution measurement of oil\u2013water flow using a capacitance wire-mesh sensor","volume":"22","author":"Silva","year":"2011","journal-title":"Meas. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2014.11.011","article-title":"Experiments with a Wire-Mesh Sensor for stratified and dispersed oil-brine pipe flow","volume":"70","author":"Rodriguez","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105302","DOI":"10.1088\/0957-0233\/26\/10\/105302","article-title":"Dual-modality wire-mesh sensor for the visualization of three-phase flows","volume":"26","author":"Vendruscolo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Meas. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1016\/j.flowmeasinst.2015.06.024","article-title":"Applications of wire-mesh sensors in multiphase flows","volume":"45","author":"Rodriguez","year":"2015","journal-title":"Flow Meas. Instrum."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2018.05.025","article-title":"Separation characteristics of the gas and liquid phases in a vane-type swirling flow field","volume":"107","author":"Liu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1625","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cherd.2013.05.026","article-title":"Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) applications to chemical engineering","volume":"91","author":"Sharifi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Res. Des."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Almutairi, Z., Al-Alweet, F.M., Alghamdi, Y.A., Almisned, O.A., and Alothman, O.Y. (2020). Investigating the Characteristics of Two-Phase Flow Using Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) for Three Pipe Orientations. Processes, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/pr8010051"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2013.07.003","article-title":"Study on two-phase flow regime visualization and identification using 3D electrical capacitance tomography and fuzzy-logic classification","volume":"58","author":"Banasiak","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1109\/TIM.2021.3056736","article-title":"Improving EIT-Based Visualizations of Two-Phase Flows Using an Eigenvalue Correlation Method","volume":"70","author":"Dang","year":"2021","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nucengdes.2005.02.024","article-title":"Gas\u2013liquid phase distribution and void fraction measurements using MRI","volume":"235","author":"Daidzic","year":"2005","journal-title":"Nucl. Eng. Des."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmr.2012.11.022","article-title":"Recent advances in Flow MRI","volume":"229","author":"Gladden","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Magn. Reson."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2016.04.004","article-title":"Characterising gas behaviour during gas\u2013liquid co-current up-flow in packed beds using magnetic resonance imaging","volume":"157","author":"Collins","year":"2017","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103811","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2021.103811","article-title":"Ultrasonic Doppler Technique for Application to Multiphase Flows: A Review","volume":"144","author":"Tan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2348","DOI":"10.1002\/aic.15570","article-title":"Investigating the liquid film characteristics of gas\u2013liquid swirling flow using ultrasound doppler velocimetry","volume":"63","author":"Liang","year":"2017","journal-title":"AIChE J."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"291","article-title":"Control Oriented Modeling of a De-oiling Hydrocyclone","volume":"48","author":"Durdevic","year":"2015","journal-title":"IFAC Pap."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jprocont.2004.07.002","article-title":"Observer design for multiphase flow in vertical pipes with gas-lift\u2014Theory and experiments","volume":"15","author":"Aamo","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Process. Control"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100204","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ceja.2021.100204","article-title":"Slug flow control using topside measurements: A review","volume":"9","author":"Nnabuife","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. J. Adv."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"431","DOI":"10.1016\/S0301-9322(97)00067-0","article-title":"A study of the bubble-to-slug transition in vertical gas\u2013liquid flow in columns of different diameter","volume":"24","author":"Cheng","year":"1998","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2009.01.004","article-title":"Investigation of flow development of co-current gas\u2013liquid vertical slug flow","volume":"35","author":"Kaji","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Multiph. Flow"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hampel, U., Babout, L., Banasiak, R., Schleicher, E., Soleimani, M., Wondrak, T., Vauhkonen, M., L\u00e4hivaara, T., Tan, C., and Hoyle, B. (2022). A Review on Fast Tomographic Imaging Techniques and Their Potential Application in Industrial Process Control. Sensors, 22.","DOI":"10.3390\/s22062309"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"332","DOI":"10.1515\/phys-2018-0046","article-title":"Applying industrial tomography to control and optimization flow systems","volume":"16","author":"Rymarczyk","year":"2018","journal-title":"Open Phys."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sattar, M.A., Garcia, M.M., Banasiak, R., Portela, L.M., and Babout, L. (2020). Electrical Resistance Tomography for Control Applications: Quantitative Study of the Gas\u2013Liquid Distribution inside A Cyclone. Sensors, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/s20216069"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sattar, M.A., Garcia, M.M., Portela, L.M., and Babout, L. (2022). A Fast Electrical Resistivity-Based Algorithm to Measure and Visualize Two-Phase Swirling Flows. Sensors, 22.","DOI":"10.3390\/s22051834"},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Slot, J. (2013). Development of a Centrifugal in-Line Separator for Oil-Water Flows. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Twente]."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nucengdes.2017.05.015","article-title":"Experimental study on the bubble trajectory in an axial gas\u2013liquid separator applied for tritium removal for molten salt reactors","volume":"320","author":"Yin","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nucl. Eng. Des."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2016.12.023","article-title":"The modified swirl sedimentation tanks for water purification","volume":"189","author":"Ochowiak","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"554","DOI":"10.1002\/cite.201900172","article-title":"Controlled Inline Fluid Separation Based on Smart Process Tomography Sensors","volume":"92","author":"Sahovic","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chem. Ing. Tech."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1016\/S0955-5986(98)00015-6","article-title":"A new electrode-mesh tomograph for gas\u2013liquid flows","volume":"9","author":"Prasser","year":"1998","journal-title":"Flow Meas. Instrum."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022112098003772","article-title":"Helical vortices in swirl flow","volume":"382","author":"Alekseenko","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Fluid Mech."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1109\/TSMC.1979.4310076","article-title":"A threshold selection method from gray-level histograms","volume":"9","author":"Otsu","year":"1979","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1002\/aic.690260304","article-title":"Modelling flow pattern transitions for steady upward gas\u2013liquid flow in vertical tubes","volume":"26","author":"Taitel","year":"1980","journal-title":"AIChE J."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"588","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2019.01.037","article-title":"Flow regime identification of swirling gas\u2013liquid flow with image processing technique and neural networks","volume":"199","author":"Liu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_46","unstructured":"Ammerlaan, D. (2021). Swirl Effects on Vertical Gas\u2013Liquid Flow Regimes: Experiments and Modelling. [Master\u2019s Thesis, Delft University of Technology]."},{"key":"ref_47","unstructured":"Atmani, H., Zamansky, R., Climent, E., and Legendre, D. (2020, January 12\u201314). CFD approach to simulate two phase flow inline-separator coupling IBM, LES, Lagrangian tracking and VoF methods. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on CFD in 6 Oil & Gas, Metallurgical and Process Industries SINTEF, Trondheim, Norway."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"043304","DOI":"10.1063\/1.4871728","article-title":"Numerical simulations of bubble dispersion in turbulent Taylor Couette flow","volume":"26","author":"Chouippe","year":"2014","journal-title":"Phys. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_49","unstructured":"Atmani, H. (2022). Hybrid CFD Simulations of Two-Phase Flows in Inline Flow Splitters. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Toulouse]."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compfluid.2014.03.030","article-title":"A simple immersed boundary method for solid fluid interaction in constant and stratified density flows","volume":"97","author":"Bigot","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Comput. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"438","DOI":"10.1063\/1.869138","article-title":"Large eddy simulation of high Schmidt number mass transfer in a turbulent channel flow","volume":"9","author":"Calmet","year":"1997","journal-title":"Phys. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105419","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compfluid.2022.105419","article-title":"Stochastic wall model for turbulent pipe flow using Immersed Boundary Method and Large Eddy Simulation","volume":"239","author":"Atmani","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Comput. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_53","first-page":"11483","article-title":"Control of a Gas\u2013Liquid Inline Swirl Separator Based on Tomographic Measurements","volume":"53","author":"Garcia","year":"2020","journal-title":"IFAC-Pap."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/12\/4443\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T23:28:21Z","timestamp":1760138901000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/12\/4443"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,12]]},"references-count":53,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6]]}},"alternative-id":["s22124443"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s22124443","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,12]]}}}