A capacitance tomographic system for the measurement of void fraction in transient cavitation

Transient cavitation, which may be caused by “water hammer”, has been extensively investigated by mathematical modelling. In order to verify the mathematical models, various experimental methods have been developed using different transducers. This paper describes a novel instrument - electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system - for transient cavitation investigation, including void fraction measurement. By interrogating the process using a multi-electrode capacitance sensor, the cross sectional images can be reconstructed. Experimental results obtained from the ECT system are compared with pressure, photograph and calculation results, showing that the ECT technique is promising for investigating transient cavitation processes.