Industrial Tomography Systems plc, occasionally abbreviated to ITOMS or simply ITS, is a manufacturer of process visualization systems based upon the principles of tomography. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, the company provides instrumentation to a variety of organisations across a range of sectors; including oil refining, chemical manufacturing, nuclear engineering, dairy manufacturing, and research/academia.
History
Industrial Tomography Systems began as an incubator company in 1997, responsible for commercializing technologies developed by University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.Kate Bassett, "Ken Primrose", Real Business, 1 July 2011 Founders included a number of academics who had helped to develop tomography technology, such as Professors Brian HoyleInstitute of Particle Science & Engineering, "Brian Hoyle" , University of Leeds and Mi WangSchool of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering, "Professor Mi Wang" , University of Leeds (of University of Leeds) and Professor Richard Williams (then of Camborne School of Mines);Institute of Particle Science & Engineering, "Professor Richard A Williams", University of Leeds as well as Ken Primrose, who continues to function as CEO as of late-2016.Manchester Evening News, "Secret of my success - 'Have inspired ideas... and employ the best'", Manchester Evening News, 16 September 2011 Currently, Industrial Tomography Systems has over a dozen staff based in the company's headquarters (located just off one of Manchester's major thoroughfares),Manchester Evening News, "Industrial Tomography Systems short-listed for Institution of Engineering and Technology Innovation Awards", Manchester Evening News, 2 November 2011 and has systems installed in a number of global companies, including Johnson Matthey,Johnson Matthey, "2012 Annual Report & Accounts, p.32" , Johnson Matthey, 31 Mar 2013 and GlaxoSmithKline and Nestlé.Ken Primrose, "Friday Guest Blog" , Greater Manchester Chamber Blog, 27 May 2011 In addition, the company has collaborated with major engineering firms, such as Philadelphia Mixers, to host international tomography workshops that showcase its technologies.Karen Lee Grube, "Philadelphia Mixing Solutions, Ltd. Hosts US Tomography Workshop" , Philadelphia Mixing Solutions, Ltd. In 2011, Industrial Tomography Systems was recognised as a "global leader in its field" after it was short-listed in the Institution of Engineering and Technology Innovation Awards.Manchester Evening News, "Industrial Tomography Systems short-listed for Institution of Engineering and Technology Innovation Awards", Manchester Evening News, 2 November 2011 In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Primrose attributed the success of the company to being able to offer tailored solutions that are designed to meet the needs of individual applications, as well as having a coordinated network of international distributors and agents.Manchester Evening News, "Secret of my success - 'Have inspired ideas... and employ the best'", Manchester Evening News, 16 September 2011
Products
Industrial Tomography Systems' scanning technology works on a similar principle to CAT scanners that are used in hospitals to see inside the human body:Manchester Evening News, "Industrial Tomography Systems short-listed for Institution of Engineering and Technology Innovation Awards", Manchester Evening News, 2 November 2011 by passing an electric current very rapidly between pairs of electrodes that are in contact with the process media, real-time images of the industrial process can be extrapolated from measuring the resulting difference in voltages.Ken Primrose, "Medical Imaging Monitors Pharmaceutical Process Health", Pharma Manufacturing, 31 March 2005 Since 2001, the company has developed a range of instruments based upon different types of tomography, which are outlined below.
EIT and ERT Systems
Industrial Tomography Systems' instrumentation that utilizes the principles of electrical impedance tomography & electrical resistance tomography (the two terms are often used interchangeably) include: z8000, p2+, and v5r. These systems have been used to visualize processes involving mixing,T.L. Rodgers and A. Kowalski, "An electrical resistance tomography method for determining mixing in batch addition with a level change", Chemical Engineering Research and Design, February 2010 crystallization,S.J. Stanley, R. Mann, and K. Primrose, "Interrogation of a precipitation reaction by electrical resistance tomography (ERT)", AlChE Journal, January 2005 bubble columns,M. Wang, X. Jia, M. Bennet, R.A. Williams, "Electrical tomographic imaging for bubble column measurement and control", Process Imaging for Automatic Control, February 2001 packed beds,G.T. Bolton, R. Mann, and E.H. Stitt, "Flow distribution and velocity measurement in a radial flow fixed bed reactor using electrical resistance tomography", Chemical Engineering Science, May 2004 flows,M. Wang, T.F. Jones, R.A. Williams, "Visualization of Asymmetric Solids Distribution in Horizontal Swirling Flows Using Electrical Resistance Tomography", Chemical Engineering Research and Design, September 2003 and separations.M.A. Bennett and R.A. Williams, "Monitoring the operation of an oil/water separator using impedance tomography, Minerals Engineering", Minerals Engineering, January 2004
ECT Systems
Electrical capacitance tomography instruments released by the company include: m3000c, m3000dual (combines ERT measurements with ECT), and m3c. These instruments are used when the phases in a process are non-conducting, with readings instead based upon electrical permittivity rather than electrical conductivity. As such, ECT instruments can be used in similar processes to those where ERT is deployed, including flows,J.C. Gamio, J. Castro, L. Rivera, J. Alamilla, F. Garcia-Nocetti, and L. Aguilar, "Visualisation of gas–oil two-phase flows in pressurised pipes using electrical capacitance tomography", Flow Measurement and Instrumentation, April 2005 fluidized beds,S.J. Wang, D. Geldart, M.S. Beck, and T. Dyakowski, "A behaviour of a catalyst powder flowing down in a dipleg", Chemical Engineering Journal, April 2000 and pneumatic conveying.A.J. Jaworski and T. Dyakowski, "Application of electrical capacitance tomography for measurement of gas-solids flow characteristics in a pneumatic conveying system", Measurement Science and Technology, August 2001
Ultrasound Systems
Until mid-2013, Industrial Tomography Systems supported one instrument based upon ultrasound spectroscopy technology: the u2s.Xue Z. Wang, Lande Liu, Rui F. Li, Richard J. Tweedie, Ken Primrose, Jason Corbett, Fraser K. McNeil-Watson, "Online characterization of nanoparticle suspensions using dynamic light scattering, ultrasound spectroscopy and process tomography", Chemical Engineering Research & Design, 14 December 2008
Dens-itometer
In 2015, Industrial Tomography Systems launched their industry changing Densitometer, a system which uses no nuclear power sources.ITS, http://www.itoms.com/products/gamma-densitometer-alternative/ Based on electrical resistance tomography, this new measurement system can take data independent of flow regime and also concentration of measure materials which are neutrally buoyant. The instrument is supplied as a pipe based sensor and a standard IP67 instrument enclosure (600x600x300mm). The device has gone on to make a huge impact in the dredging sector, due to its environmentally friendly technology.J. Butterworth, http://www.itoms.com/news/dens-itometer-steals-show-conference-brazil/
Mix-itometer
Years of listening to industry professionals complain about their batch mixers has prompted ITS to develop the Mix-itometer,ITS, http://www.itoms.com/products/mixitometer/ which utilises tomography solutions to resolve mixing problems. The Mix-itometer probe when placed inside batch mixers, replacing an existing baffle, measures average concentration and a mixing index by surveying more than 200 locations inside the process vessel.ITS, http://www.itoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ITS-MIX-ITOMETER-Brochure-online-version.pdf Mix-itometer software provides users with a visual representation of mixing upon a PC-based interface; the instrumentation produces real time volumetric imagery which gives producers a vividly detailed look of what occurs inside batch mixers.laboratory Talk, http://laboratorytalk.com/article/2022181/mixing-up-personal-care
Industrial applications
Findings published in AAPS's PharmSciTech in 2005 indicate that Industrial Tomography Systems' technology is able to monitor (1) the on-line measurement of solids distributed in a stirred tank, (2) crystallization, (3) the performance of industrial pressure filters, and (4) flow profiles and velocity measurements.Gary T. Bolton and Ken Primrose, "An overview of electrical tomography measurements in pharmaceutical and related application areas", AAPS PharmaSciTech, June 2006 Additionally Primrose claims that, due to the non-invasive nature of tomography technology, it can be used to create images of industrial processes in hard-to-reach places, such as in pipelines that contain radioactive/toxic materials.Kate Bassett, "Ken Primrose", Real Business, 1 July 2011
See also
Fluid dynamics Mettler Toledo Multiphase flow
References
Industrial Tomography Systems plc website