Improved magnetic particle tracking technique in dense gas fluidized beds

Noninvasive monitoring of multiphase flow is rapidly gaining increased interest. More specifically noninvasive particle tracking techniques have received a lot of attention in recent years to study dense granular flow. However, these techniques are usually quite expensive and require strict safety measures. An improved magnetic particle tracking (MPT) technique for dense granular flow will be presented in this article. The improvements of the analysis technique for MPT will be demonstrated and rigorously tested with a three-dimensional system and two-dimensional sensor system. The strengths and limitations of the MPT technique will also be reported. Finally, the results of the MPT are compared with data obtained from a combined particle image velocimetry and digital image analysis technique.