An investigation on using electrical resistance tomography (ERT) to monitor the removal of a non-Newtonian soil by water from a cleaning-in-place (CIP) circuit containing different pipe geometries

• Published in: Chemical engineering research & design Vol. 111; pp. 332 - 341
• Main Authors: Hou, Ruozhou, Martin, Peter J., Uppal, Hasan J., Kowalski, Adam J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2016
• Subjects: Cleaning; Electrical resistance tomography (ERT); Pipe geometry; Process monitoring; Shampoo; Process monitoring; Shampoo; Pipe geometry; Electrical resistance tomography (ERT); Cleaning
• ISSN: 0263-8762
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2016.05.027

[Display omitted] •ERT is a highly effective tool for monitoring water-based CIP processes.•The maximum pixel conductivity is a sound cleaning process monitoring indicator.•An algorithm is formulated to identify cleaning end point and site of worst fouling.•Good agreement of ERT and visual identified end point for range of geometries. This paper presents a feasibility study of employing electrical resistance tomography (ERT) technology for monitoring water based cleaning-in-place (CIP) processes. Specially designed 1.5″ transparent Perspex pipes of different geometries, fitted with multiple planes of inline ERT probes, were filled with a non-Newtonian shampoo product, and then cleaned by flushing fresh tap water through at different flow rates ranging from 4000 to 8000kg/h. The maximum pixel conductivity, defined as the maximum of the reconstructed 316 pixel conductivities in each ERT frame, was proved to be a sound and robust cleaning process monitoring indicator. The investigation demonstrated that the ERT technology is capable of shedding more detailed insights into the CIP process than any other monitoring technologies currently being employed.