Improved apparatus for inline measurement of residence time distribution of thermomechanically complex systems

Real time information on process parameters such as residence time distribution (RTD) is essential for diagnosis and control of continuous processes. In the present paper, an improved apparatus for inline measurement of RTD of thermomechanically complex systems was developed. The apparatus possessed many important advantages over those reported in the literatures. A reference detector was added to the system to improve the resistance of the latter to both external and internal disturbances, and it had two light paths instead of one. Meanwhile, a special optical fibre probe with pressure and heat resistance was designed to obtain operating data under high pressure and high temperature circumstance. As an important use of the improved apparatus, the local residence volume distributions of turbine mixing elements were investigated under various operating conditions such as feedrate and screw speed, on the basis of inline measurement of partial RTDs. The working principle of this apparatus is expected to be suitable for various types of process equipments and chemical systems including thermomechanically complex systems.