Detection of tracer particles in tomography images for analysis of gravitational flow in silo

This paper presents a method for the investigations of the gravity flow of granular materials based on the analysis of CT images. The system of X-ray tomography allows to visualize the distribution of bulk material inside the silo model. The images of the distribution of the concentration of the material, both in the form of 3D tomography images and 2D radiographic images, allow to track the behaviour of the material during the silo discharging process. Application of image processing and analysis provides an in-depth tool for investigation of the flow. The proposed, in the paper, methodology of the tracer particles allow to track the particles position changes during the gravitational flow in silo. The determination of tracer particles position is based on the vision information stored in volumetric computed tomography images and two-dimensional radiography.