Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S70517/01
Title:	The Application Of Positron Emission Tomography To Unsolved Mixing Problems In Solid-Liquid Systems
Principal Investigator:	Barigou, Professor M
Other Investigators:	Nienow, Professor A
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	CFX International Procter & Gamble Rhodia Syngenta
Department:	Chemical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Birmingham
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2004	Ends:	30 June 2008	Value (£):	252,594
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Multiphase Flow Reactor Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing Chemicals Food and Drink Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 11 Sep 2003 Engineering Prioritisation Panel (C) 11/09/03 Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Solid particle suspensions in stirred vessels are usually visually opaque and often rheologically complex. Though ubiquitous, such systems are still very poorly understood because of the lack of suitable measurement techniques. Improving this understanding is crucial as many expensive industrial problems remain unresolved. This research will use for the first time the novel techniques of PET and PEPT to enable an in-depth study of some of these important solid-liquid mixing problems based on a Lagrangian approach. Thus, full particle trajectories and 3D tomographs of solids being suspended and distributed in a vessel will be obtained in concentrated visually opaque systems, most relevant industrially. In addition to these general and unique advantages that PET/PEPT bring to this study, they will also enable the following to be tackled for the first time: (a) distribution and velocity of individual size fractions in concentrated suspensions of wide size distribution; (b) as (a) when the solids cause the suspension to become rheologically complex (shear thickening and shear thinning, including cavern formation); and (c) as (a) when the suspension is continuously discharged from the vessel. The PET/PEPT data will be used to develop Lagrangian trajectography analysis tools for the description of flows inside stirred vessels, and will also be used to validate commercial CFD software and models for the flow of concentrated polydisperse suspensions.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bham.ac.uk