Enhancement of two-phase flow images obtained using dynamic neutron radiography

Abstract

Though both film and video radiographic image techniques are available in neutron radiography, radiographic video cameras are commonly used to capture the dynamic flow patterns in a rapid sequence of images. These images may be useful to verify two-phase flow models in small diameter flow channels. An initial series of real-time neutron radiography experiments were performed at the Texas A&M University System, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Nuclear Science Center Reactor (NSCR) to evaluate the effectiveness of various image enhancement algorithms and procedures, beneficial for visualization of two-phase water and air flow regimes through small diameter metal flow channels. After evaluating these initial images, research was conducted to improve the images coming from the camera and to evaluate the particular forms of enhancement. Contrast enhancement and smoothing filters were applied to improve the ability to visualize the flow regimes. Tracking algorithms were applied to gather flow information in the form of vector flow plots. Finally, Monte Carlo analysis was performed to test the possibility of gathering three dimensional data from two dimensional images.