In this work, an ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) system was employed to investigate the fast-kinetic reactive crystallization process of calcium carbonate. USCT measurements and reconstruction provided key insights into the bulk particle distribution inside the stirred tank reactor and could be used to estimate the settling rate and settling time of the particles. To establish the utility of the USCT system for dynamical crystallization processes, first, the experimental imaging tasks were carried out with the stirred solid beads, as well as the feeding and stirring of the CaCO3 crystals. The feeding region, the mixing process, and the particles settling time could be detected from USCT data. Reactive crystallization experiments for CO2 capture were then conducted. Moreover, there was further potential for quantitative characterization of the suspension density in this process. USCT-based reconstructions were investigated for several experimental scenarios and operating conditions. This study demonstrates a real-time monitoring and fault detection application of USCT for reactive crystallization processes. As a robust noninvasive and nonintrusive tool, real-time signal analysis and reconstruction can be beneficial in the development of monitoring and control systems with real-world applications for crystallization processes. A diverse range of experimental studies shown here demonstrate the versatility of the USCT system in process application, hoping to unlock the commercial and industrial utility of the USCT devices.
Keywords: CO2 capturing via crystallization; crystallization process; mixing process; time-of-flight transmission imaging; travel-time imaging; ultrasound computed tomography.