Fiber-Optical Sensors Basics and Applications in Multiphase Reactors.docVIP

Sensors 2012, 12, 12519-12544; doi:10.3390/s120912519 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Review Fiber-Optical Sensors: Basics and Applications in Multiphase Reactors Xiangyang Li, Chao Yang *, Shifang Yang and Guozheng Li Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; E-Mails: xyli@ (X.L.); yangshi.fang@163.com (S.Y.); gzli@ (G.L.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: chaoyang@; Tel.: +86-10-6255-4558; Fax: +86-10-8254-4928. Received: 30 July 2012; in revised form: 7 September 2012 / Accepted: 7 September 2012 / Published: 13 September 2012 Abstract: This work presents a brief introduction on the basics of fiber-optical sensors and an overview focused on the applications to measurements in multiphase reactors. The most commonly principle utilized is laser back scattering, which is also the foundation for almost all current probes used in multiphase reactors. The fiber-optical probe techniques in two-phase reactors are more developed than those in three-phase reactors. There are many studies on the measurement of gas holdup using fiber-optical probes in three-phase fluidized beds, but negative interference of particles on probe function was less studied. The interactions between solids and probe tips were less studied because glass beads etc. were always used as the solid phase. The vision probes may be the most promising for simultaneous measurements of gas dispersion and solids suspension in three-phase reactors. Thus, the following techniques of the fiber-optical probes in multiphase reactors should be developed further: (1) online measuring techniques under nearly industrial operating conditions; (2) corresponding signal data processing techniques; (3) joint application with other measuring techniques. Keywords: fiber-optical sensor; probe; mu