Evaluation of array capacitive sensor for local concentration measurement of gas–solid particles flow by coupled fields based on CFD-DEM

An array capacitive sensor adopting two excitation modes is designed for measuring local particle concentration in gas–solid two-phase flow. Considering the difficulty in obtaining instantaneous flow parameters under dynamic experiments, a 3D dynamic simulation model coupling gas–solid two-phase fluid and electrostatic fields is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the sensor performance. In the coupling model, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method are applied to establish two-phase fluid field for particle micro-distribution. The method of defining particle shape and position is used to set permittivity distribution in electrostatic field for coupling gas–solid fluid field and electrostatic field of array capacitive sensor. Using the method of reconstructed image and data fitting, the performance of two excitation modes are evaluated under a typical dynamic flow with structure of stratified flow. Experimental result validates the simulation conclusions and proves the effectiveness of the coupling simulation model for evaluating capacitive sensors in gas–solid flow systems.