Flow Regime Identification Methodology with Mcnp-X Code And Artificial Neural Network

This paper presents flow regimes identification methodology in multiphase system in annular, stratified and homogeneous oil-water-gas regimes. The principle is based on recognition of the pulse height distributions (PHD) from gamma-ray with supervised artificial neural network (ANN) systems. The detection geometry simulation comprises of two NaI(Tl) detectors and a dual-energy gamma-ray source. The measurement of scattered radiation enables the dual modality densitometry (DMD) measurement principle to be explored. Its basic principle is to combine the measurement of scattered and transmitted radiation in order to acquire information about the different flow regimes. The PHDs obtained by the detectors were used as input to ANN. The data sets required for training and testing the ANN were generated by the MCNP-X code from static and ideal theoretical models of multiphase systems. The ANN correctly identified the three different flow regimes for all data set evaluated. The results presented show that PHDs examined by ANN may be applied in the successfully flow regime identification.

The development of dynamic CFD model of the magnetic semi-levitation of liquid metals

In the casting of reactive metals, such as titanium alloys, contamination can be prevented if there is no contact between the hot liquid metal and solid crucible. This can be achieved by containing the liquid metal by means of high frequency AC magnetic field. A water cooled current-carrying coil, surrounding the metal can then provide the required Lorentz forces, and at the same time the current induced in the metal can provide the heating required to melt it. This ‘attractive’ processing solution has however many problems, the most serious being that of the control and containment of the liquid metal envelope, which requires a balance of the gravity and induced inertia forces on the one side, and the containing Lorentz and surface tension forces on the other. To model this process requires a fully coupled dyna ic solution of the flow fields, magnetic field and heat transfer/melding process to account for. A simplified solution has been published previously providing quasi-static solutions only, by taking the irrotational ‘magnetic pressure’ term of the Lorentz force into account. The authors remedy this deficiency by modelling the full problem using CFD techniques. The salient features of these techniques are included in this paper, as space allows.

Development of a model to predict the life of pneumatic conveyor bends subject to erosive wear

The erosion processes resulting from flow of fluids (gas-solid or liquid-solid) are encountered in nature and many industrial processes. The common feature of these erosion processes is the interaction of the fluid (particle) with its boundary thus resulting in the loss of material from the surface. This type of erosion in detrimental to the equipment used in pneumatic conveying systems. The puncture of pneumatic conveyor bends in industry causes several problems. Some of which are: (1) Escape of the conveyed product causing health and dust hazard; (2) Repairing and cleaning up after punctures necessitates shutting down conveyors, which will affect the operation of the plant, thus reducing profitability. The most common occurrence of process failure in pneumatic conveying systems is when pipe sections at the bends wear away and puncture. The reason for this is particles of varying speed, shape, size and material properties strike the bend wall with greater intensity than in straight sections of the pipe. Currently available models for predicting the lifetime of bends are inaccurate (over predict by 80%. The provision of an accurate predictive method would lead to improvements in the structure of the planned maintenance programmes of processes, thus reducing unplanned shutdowns and ultimately the downtime costs associated with these unplanned shutdowns. This is the main motivation behind the current research. The paper reports on two aspects of the first phases of the study-undertaken for the current project. These are (1) Development and implementation; and (2) Testing of the modelling environment. The model framework encompasses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) related engineering tools, based on Eulerian (gas) and Lagrangian (particle) approaches to represent the two distinct conveyed phases, to predict the lifetime of conveyor bends. The method attempts to account for the effect of erosion on the pipe wall via particle impacts, taking into account the angle of attack, impact velocity, shape/size and material properties of the wall and conveyed material, within a CFD framework. Only a handful of researchers use CFD as the basis of predicting the particle motion, see for example [1-4] . It is hoped that this would lead to more realistic predictions of the wear profile. Results, for two, three-dimensional test cases using the commercially available CFD PHOENICS are presented. These are reported in relation to the impact intensity and sensitivity to the inlet particle distributions.

Modeling of burden distribution in the blast furnace

The blast furnace is the main ironmaking production unit in the world which converts iron ore with coke and hot blast into liquid iron, hot metal, which is used for steelmaking. The furnace acts as a counter-current reactor charged with layers of raw material of very different gas permeability. The arrangement of these layers, or burden distribution, is the most important factor influencing the gas flow conditions inside the furnace, which dictate the efficiency of the heat transfer and reduction processes. For proper control the furnace operators should know the overall conditions in the furnace and be able to predict how control actions affect the state of the furnace. However, due to high temperatures and pressure, hostile atmosphere and mechanical wear it is very difficult to measure internal variables. Instead, the operators have to rely extensively on measurements obtained at the boundaries of the furnace and make their decisions on the basis of heuristic rules and results from mathematical models. It is particularly difficult to understand the distribution of the burden materials because of the complex behavior of the particulate materials during charging. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to clarify some aspects of burden distribution and to develop tools that can aid the decision-making process in the control of the burden and gas distribution in the blast furnace. A relatively simple mathematical model was created for simulation of the distribution of the burden material with a bell-less top charging system. The model developed is fast and it can therefore be used by the operators to gain understanding of the formation of layers for different charging programs. The results were verified by findings from charging experiments using a small-scale charging rig at the laboratory. A basic gas flow model was developed which utilized the results of the burden distribution model to estimate the gas permeability of the upper part of the blast furnace. This combined formulation for gas and burden distribution made it possible to implement a search for the best combination of charging parameters to achieve a target gas temperature distribution. As this mathematical task is discontinuous and non-differentiable, a genetic algorithm was applied to solve the optimization problem. It was demonstrated that the method was able to evolve optimal charging programs that fulfilled the target conditions. Even though the burden distribution model provides information about the layer structure, it neglects some effects which influence the results, such as mixed layer formation and coke collapse. A more accurate numerical method for studying particle mechanics, the Discrete Element Method (DEM), was used to study some aspects of the charging process more closely. Model charging programs were simulated using DEM and compared with the results from small-scale experiments. The mixed layer was defined and the voidage of mixed layers was estimated. The mixed layer was found to have about 12% less voidage than layers of the individual burden components. Finally, a model for predicting the extent of coke collapse when heavier pellets are charged over a layer of lighter coke particles was formulated based on slope stability theory, and was used to update the coke layer distribution after charging in the mathematical model. In designing this revision, results from DEM simulations and charging experiments for some charging programs were used. The findings from the coke collapse analysis can be used to design charging programs with more stable coke layers.

A STUDY OF HEAT TRANSFER AND FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF RISING TAYLOR BUBBLES

Practical application of flow boiling to ground- and space-based thermal management systems hinges on the ability to predict the system’s heat removal capabilities under expected operating conditions. Research in this field has shown that the heat transfer coefficient within two-phase heat exchangers can be largely dependent on the experienced flow regime. This finding has inspired an effort to develop mechanistic heat transfer models for each flow pattern which are likely to outperform traditional empirical correlations. As a contribution to the effort, this work aimed to identify the heat transfer mechanisms for the slug flow regime through analysis of individual Taylor bubbles. An experimental apparatus was developed to inject single vapor Taylor bubbles into co-currently flowing liquid HFE 7100. The heat transfer was measured as the bubble rose through a 6 mm inner diameter heated tube using an infrared thermography technique. High-speed flow visualization was obtained and the bubble film thickness measured in an adiabatic section. Experiments were conducted at various liquid mass fluxes (43-200 kg/m2s) and gravity levels (0.01g-1.8g) to characterize the effect of bubble drift velocity on the heat transfer mechanisms. Variable gravity testing was conducted during a NASA parabolic flight campaign. Results from the experiments showed that the drift velocity strongly affects the hydrodynamics and heat transfer of single elongated bubbles. At low gravity levels, bubbles exhibited shapes characteristic of capillary flows and the heat transfer enhancement due to the bubble was dominated by conduction through the thin film. At moderate to high gravity, traditional Taylor bubbles provided small values of enhancement within the film, but large peaks in the wake heat transfer occurred due to turbulent vortices induced by the film plunging into the trailing liquid slug. Characteristics of the wake heat transfer profiles were analyzed and related to the predicted velocity field. Results were compared and shown to agree with numerical simulations of colleagues from EPFL, Switzerland. In addition, a preliminary study was completed on the effect of a Taylor bubble passing through nucleate flow boiling, showing that the thinning thermal boundary layer within the film suppressed nucleation, thereby decreasing the heat transfer coefficient.

Improving the stability of an oxime based electrochemical microsensor for organo-phosphate vapor detection

A micro gas sensor has been developed by our group for the detection of organo-phosphate vapors using an aqueous oxime solution. The analyte diffuses from the high flow rate gas stream through a porous membrane to the low flow rate aqueous phase. It reacts with the oxime PBO (1-Phenyl-1,2,3,-butanetrione 2-oxime) to produce cyanide ions, which are then detected electrochemically from the change in solution potential. Previous work on this oxime based electrochemistry indicated that the optimal buffer pH for the aqueous solution was approximately 10. A basic environment is needed for the oxime anion to form and the detection reaction to take place. At this specific pH, the potential response of the sensor to an analyte (such as acetic anhydride) is maximized. However, sensor response slowly decreases as the aqueous oxime solution ages, by as much as 80% in first 24 hours. The decrease in sensor response is due to cyanide which is produced during the oxime degradation process, as evidenced by the cyanide selective electrode. Solid phase micro-extraction carried out on the oxime solution found several other possible degradation products, including acetic acid, N-hydroxy benzamide, benzoic acid, benzoyl cyanide, 1-Phenyl 1,3-butadione, 2-isonitrosoacetophenone and an imine derived from the oxime. It was concluded that degradation occurred through nucleophilic attack by a hydroxide or oxime anion to produce cyanide, as well as a nitrogen atom rearrangement similar to Beckmann rearrangement. The stability of the oxime in organic solvents is most likely due to the lack of water, and specifically hydroxide ions. The reaction between oxime and organo-phosphate to produce cyanide ions requires hydroxide ions, and therefore pure organic solvents are not compatible with the current micro-sensor electrochemistry. By combining a concentrated organic oxime solution with the basic aqueous buffer just prior to being used in the detection process, oxime degradation can be avoided while preserving the original electrochemical detection scheme. Based on beaker cell experiments with selective cyanide sensitive electrodes, ethanol was chosen as the best organic solvent due to its stabilizing effect on the oxime, minimal interference with the aqueous electrochemistry, and compatibility with the current microsensor material (PMMA). Further studies showed that ethanol had a small effect on micro-sensor performance by reducing the rate of cyanide production and decreasing the overall response time. To avoid incomplete mixing of the aqueous and organic solutions, they were pre-mixed externally at a 10:1 ratio, respectively. To adapt the microsensor design to allow for mixing to take place within the device, a small serpentine channel component was fabricated with the same dimensions and material as the original sensor. This allowed for seamless integration of the microsensor with the serpentine mixing channel. Mixing in the serpentine microchannel takes place via diffusion. Both detector potential response and diffusional mixing improve with increased liquid residence time, and thus decreased liquid flowrate. Micromixer performance was studies at a 10:1 aqueous buffer to organic solution flow rate ratio, for a total rate of 5.5 μL/min. It was found that the sensor response utilizing the integrated micromixer was nearly identical to the response when the solutions were premixed and fed at the same rate.

Determinar el valor razonable de la empresa Gas Comprimido de Colombia S.A., mediante la convergencia a Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera

Estimar el valor comercial o de mercado de la empresa Gas Comprimido S.A, mediante la medición de cada uno de los rubros que integran su balance general, teniendo en cuenta las condiciones económicas reinantes al momento del estudio; aplicando las Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera (IFRS por su sigla en inglés), con base en la Ley 1314 de 2009 y decretos relacionados, a través de los cuales se establecen las pautas para la implementación de estándares internacionales de contabilidad en Colombia, es el objetivo fundamental de este informe -- De igual manera, este trabajo busca ayudar a cumplir con la legislación contable y financiera dentro de los plazos estipulados por el Estado y generar una información precisa, razonable y actualizada de sus informes financieros, que sea de fácil entendimiento para los inversionistas y todo aquellos interesados en esta información, en especial, para la administración de la empresa Gas Comprimido de Colombia S.A. , dado que su incumplimiento o una presentación de cifras calculadas sin argumentos o sin aplicación de herramientas adecuadas, podría traer efectos que deterioran las finanzas de sus propietarios, al igual que una comprensión errada de su información -- De acuerdo con lo anterior, analizamos cada uno de los rubros de sus informes financieros con corte al 31 de diciembre de 2014, utilizando diferentes criterios de valuación, soportados en la NIIF 13, aplicando la metodología autorizada en las Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera

Computational modelling of non-equilibrium condensing steam flows in low-pressure steam turbines

The steam turbines play a significant role in global power generation. Especially, research on low pressure (LP) steam turbine stages is of special importance for steam turbine man- ufactures, vendors, power plant owners and the scientific community due to their lower efficiency than the high pressure steam turbine stages. Because of condensation, the last stages of LP turbine experience irreversible thermodynamic losses, aerodynamic losses and erosion in turbine blades. Additionally, an LP steam turbine requires maintenance due to moisture generation, and therefore, it is also affecting on the turbine reliability. Therefore, the design of energy efficient LP steam turbines requires a comprehensive analysis of condensation phenomena and corresponding losses occurring in the steam tur- bine either by experiments or with numerical simulations. The aim of the present work is to apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to enhance the existing knowledge and understanding of condensing steam flows and loss mechanisms that occur due to the irre- versible heat and mass transfer during the condensation process in an LP steam turbine. Throughout this work, two commercial CFD codes were used to model non-equilibrium condensing steam flows. The Eulerian-Eulerian approach was utilised in which the mix- ture of vapour and liquid phases was solved by Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equa- tions. The nucleation process was modelled with the classical nucleation theory, and two different droplet growth models were used to predict the droplet growth rate. The flow turbulence was solved by employing the standard k-ε and the shear stress transport k-ω turbulence models. Further, both models were modified and implemented in the CFD codes. The thermodynamic properties of vapour and liquid phases were evaluated with real gas models. In this thesis, various topics, namely the influence of real gas properties, turbulence mod- elling, unsteadiness and the blade trailing edge shape on wet-steam flows, are studied with different convergent-divergent nozzles, turbine stator cascade and 3D turbine stator-rotor stage. The simulated results of this study were evaluated and discussed together with the available experimental data in the literature. The grid independence study revealed that an adequate grid size is required to capture correct trends of condensation phenomena in LP turbine flows. The study shows that accurate real gas properties are important for the precise modelling of non-equilibrium condensing steam flows. The turbulence modelling revealed that the flow expansion and subsequently the rate of formation of liquid droplet nuclei and its growth process were affected by the turbulence modelling. The losses were rather sensitive to turbulence modelling as well. Based on the presented results, it could be observed that the correct computational prediction of wet-steam flows in the LP turbine requires the turbulence to be modelled accurately. The trailing edge shape of the LP turbine blades influenced the liquid droplet formulation, distribution and sizes, and loss generation. The study shows that the semicircular trailing edge shape predicted the smallest droplet sizes. The square trailing edge shape estimated greater losses. The analysis of steady and unsteady calculations of wet-steam flow exhibited that in unsteady simulations, the interaction of wakes in the rotor blade row affected the flow field. The flow unsteadiness influenced the nucleation and droplet growth processes due to the fluctuation in the Wilson point.

Liquid film dynamics in horizontal and tilted tubes: dry spots and sliding drops

Using a model derived from lubrication theory, we consider the evolution of a thin viscous film coating the interior or exterior of a cylindrical tube. The flow is driven by surface tension and gravity and the liquid is assumed to wet the cylinder perfectly. When the tube is horizontal, we use large-time simulations to describe the bifurcation structure of the capillary equilibria appearing at low Bond number. We identify a new film configuration in which an isolated dry patch appears at the top of the tube and demonstrate hysteresis in the transition between rivulets and annular collars as the tube length is varied. For a tube tilted to the vertical, we show how a long initially uniform rivulet can break up first into isolated drops and then annular collars, which subsequently merge. We also show that the speed at which a localized drop moves down the base of a tilted tube is non-monotonic in tilt angle.

Modelagem aplicada ao processo de biofixação de CO2 por microalgas

A fixação biológica de dióxido de carbono por microalgas é considerada a melhor forma de fixar CO2. Dentre os microrganismos utilizados destaca-se Spirulina platensis devido às suas altas taxas de fixação de CO2 e variedade de aplicações da biomassa gerada. A aplicação de modelos e simulações pode auxiliar na previsão de custos e na escolha das condições ideais de cultivo. Este trabalho teve como objetivo etsabelecer um modelo cinético no qual a iluminância é o fator limitante para o crescimento da microalga Spirulina platensis. A fim de validar o modelo proposto foi utilizada a microalga S. platensis, cultivada em meio Zarrouk modificado (NaHCO3 1,0 g.L-1 ), em biorreator aberto tipo raceway de 200L, mantido a 30°C, sob iluminação natural. A concentração celular variou de 0,19 a 0,34 g.L-1 e a velocidade específica de crescimento celular obtida a partir da regressão exponencial das curvas de crescimento de cada período iluminado variou de 0,55 a 0,59 d-1 . O modelo proposto gerou dados estimados satisfatórios (r2 =0,97). De acordo com os dados obtidos 16,2% da biomassa é consumida durante o período não iluminado.

Liquid-phase alcohol promoted methanol synthesis from CO2 and H2

Methanol is an important and versatile compound with various uses as a fuel and a feedstock chemical. Methanol is also a potential chemical energy carrier. Due to the fluctuating nature of renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, storage of energy is required to balance the varying supply and demand. Excess electrical energy generated at peak periods can be stored by using the energy in the production of chemical compounds. The conventional industrial production of methanol is based on the gas-phase synthesis from synthesis gas generated from fossil sources, primarily natural gas. Methanol can also be produced by hydrogenation of CO2. The production of methanol from CO2 captured from emission sources or even directly from the atmosphere would allow sustainable production based on a nearly limitless carbon source, while helping to reduce the increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Hydrogen for synthesis can be produced by electrolysis of water utilizing renewable electricity. A new liquid-phase methanol synthesis process has been proposed. In this process, a conventional methanol synthesis catalyst is mixed in suspension with a liquid alcohol solvent. The alcohol acts as a catalytic solvent by enabling a new reaction route, potentially allowing the synthesis of methanol at lower temperatures and pressures compared to conventional processes. For this thesis, the alcohol promoted liquid phase methanol synthesis process was tested at laboratory scale. Batch and semibatch reaction experiments were performed in an autoclave reactor, using a conventional Cu/ZnO catalyst and ethanol and 2-butanol as the alcoholic solvents. Experiments were performed at the pressure range of 30-60 bar and at temperatures of 160-200 °C. The productivity of methanol was found to increase with increasing pressure and temperature. In the studied process conditions a maximum volumetric productivity of 1.9 g of methanol per liter of solvent per hour was obtained, while the maximum catalyst specific productivity was found to be 40.2 g of methanol per kg of catalyst per hour. The productivity values are low compared to both industrial synthesis and to gas-phase synthesis from CO2. However, the reaction temperatures and pressures employed were lower compared to gas-phase processes. While the productivity is not high enough for large-scale industrial operation, the milder reaction conditions and simple operation could prove useful for small-scale operations. Finally, a preliminary design for an alcohol promoted, liquid-phase methanol synthesis process was created using the data obtained from the experiments. The demonstration scale process was scaled to an electrolyzer unit producing 1 Nm3 of hydrogen per hour. This Master’s thesis is closely connected to LUT REFLEX-platform.

Self-sealing of thermal fatigue and mechanical damage in fiber-reinforced composite materials

Fiber reinforced composite tanks provide a promising method of storage for liquid oxygen and hydrogen for aerospace applications. The inherent thermal fatigue of these vessels leads to the formation of microcracks, which allow gas phase leakage across the tank walls. In this dissertation, self-healing functionality is imparted to a structural composite to effectively seal microcracks induced by both mechanical and thermal loading cycles. Two different microencapsulated healing chemistries are investigated in woven glass fiber/epoxy and uni-weave carbon fiber/epoxy composites. Self-healing of mechanically induced damage was first studied in a room temperature cured plain weave E-glass/epoxy composite with encapsulated dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) monomer and wax protected Grubbs' catalyst healing components. A controlled amount of microcracking was introduced through cyclic indentation of opposing surfaces of the composite. The resulting damage zone was proportional to the indentation load. Healing was assessed through the use of a pressure cell apparatus to detect nitrogen flow through the thickness direction of the damaged composite. Successful healing resulted in a perfect seal, with no measurable gas flow. The effect of DCPD microcapsule size (51 um and 18 um) and concentration (0 - 12.2 wt%) on the self-sealing ability was investigated. Composite specimens with 6.5 wt% 51 um capsules sealed 67% of the time, compared to 13% for the control panels without healing components. A thermally stable, dual microcapsule healing chemistry comprised of silanol terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) plus a crosslinking agent and a tin catalyst was employed to allow higher composite processing temperatures. The microcapsules were incorporated into a satin weave E-glass fiber/epoxy composite processed at 120C to yield a glass transition temperature of 127C. Self-sealing ability after mechanical damage was assessed for different microcapsule sizes (25 um and 42 um) and concentrations (0 - 11 vol%). Incorporating 9 vol% 42 um capsules or 11 vol% 25 um capsules into the composite matrix leads to 100% of the samples sealing. The effect of microcapsule concentration on the short beam strength, storage modulus, and glass transition temperature of the composite specimens was also investigated. The thermally stable tin catalyzed poly(dimethyl siloxane) healing chemistry was then integrated into a [0/90]s uniweave carbon fiber/epoxy composite. Thermal cycling (-196C to 35C) of these specimens lead to the formation of microcracks, over time, formed a percolating crack network from one side of the composite to the other, resulting in a gas permeable specimen. Crack damage accumulation and sample permeability was monitored with number of cycles for both self-healing and traditional non-healing composites. Crack accumulation occurred at a similar rate for all sample types tested. A 63% increase in lifetime extension was achieved for the self-healing specimens over traditional non-healing composites.

All-regime Lagrangian-Remap numerical schemes for the gas dynamics equations. Applications to the large friction and low Mach coefficients

In this talk, we propose an all regime Lagrange-Projection like numerical scheme for the gas dynamics equations. By all regime, we mean that the numerical scheme is able to compute accurate approximate solutions with an under-resolved discretization with respect to the Mach number M, i.e. such that the ratio between the Mach number M and the mesh size or the time step is small with respect to 1. The key idea is to decouple acoustic and transport phenomenon and then alter the numerical flux in the acoustic approximation to obtain a uniform truncation error in term of M. This modified scheme is conservative and endowed with good stability properties with respect to the positivity of the density and the internal energy. A discrete entropy inequality under a condition on the modification is obtained thanks to a reinterpretation of the modified scheme in the Harten Lax and van Leer formalism. A natural extension to multi-dimensional problems discretized over unstructured mesh is proposed. Then a simple and efficient semi implicit scheme is also proposed. The resulting scheme is stable under a CFL condition driven by the (slow) material waves and not by the (fast) acoustic waves and so verifies the all regime property. Numerical evidences are proposed and show the ability of the scheme to deal with tests where the flow regime may vary from low to high Mach values.

Uma nova abordagem do método Level Set baseada em conhecimento a e priori da forma

The analysis of fluid behavior in multiphase flow is very relevant to guarantee system safety. The use of equipment to describe such behavior is subjected to factors such as the high level of investments and of specialized labor. The application of image processing techniques to flow analysis can be a good alternative, however, very little research has been developed. In this subject, this study aims at developing a new approach to image segmentation based on Level Set method that connects the active contours and prior knowledge. In order to do that, a model shape of the targeted object is trained and defined through a model of point distribution and later this model is inserted as one of the extension velocity functions for the curve evolution at zero level of level set method. The proposed approach creates a framework that consists in three terms of energy and an extension velocity function λLg(θ)+vAg(θ)+muP(0)+θf. The first three terms of the equation are the same ones introduced in (LI CHENYANG XU; FOX, 2005) and the last part of the equation θf is based on the representation of object shape proposed in this work. Two method variations are used: one restricted (Restrict Level Set - RLS) and the other with no restriction (Free Level Set - FLS). The first one is used in image segmentation that contains targets with little variation in shape and pose. The second will be used to correctly identify the shape of the bubbles in the liquid gas two phase flows. The efficiency and robustness of the approach RLS and FLS are presented in the images of the liquid gas two phase flows and in the image dataset HTZ (FERRARI et al., 2009). The results confirm the good performance of the proposed algorithm (RLS and FLS) and indicate that the approach may be used as an efficient method to validate and/or calibrate the various existing equipment used as meters for two phase flow properties, as well as in other image segmentation problems.