SBIR Phase I: Electromagnetic Flowmeter with Built-in Electrical Impedance Tomography for Multiphase Flow

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will evaluate the feasibility of developing an electromagnetic flowmeter with electrical impedance tomography (EMFEIT), which will meet the need for multiphase flow measurements. Three major tasks are planned to demonstrate the feasibility of this development: (1) design a preliminary assembly of an electromagnetic flowmeter with an electrical impedance tomography based on theoretical analysis, (2) build the flowmeter hardware and develop its data acquisition and processing algorithm in a PC environment, (3) validate the performance of the novel flowmeter in a two-phase flow loop. The success of the proposed study will provide a useful tool for multiphase flow research and a reliable instrument for industrial process monitoring. If successful, the proposed flowmeter will be utilized in the petroleum, nuclear, wastewater treatment, chemical, food, and biochemical process industries.