Three-dimensional nonlinear inversion of electrical capacitance tomography data using a complete sensor model

Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is a non- invasive and non-destructive imaging technique that uses electrical capacitance measurements at the periphery of an object to generate map of dielectric permittivity of the object. This visualization method is a relatively mature industrial process tomography technique, especially in 2D imaging mode. Volumetric ECT is a new method that poses major computational challenges in image reconstruction and new challenges in sensor design. This paper shows a nonlinear image reconstruction method for 3D ECT based on a validated forward model. The method is based on the ¯nite element approximation for the complete sensor model and the solution of the inverse problem with nonlinear iterative reconstruction. The nonlinear algorithm has been tested against some complicated experimental test cases and it has been demonstrated that by using an improved forward model and nonlinear inversion method, very complex shaped samples can be reconstructed. The reconstruction of very complex geometry with objects in the shape of letters H, A, L and T, is extremely promising for the applications of 3D ECT.