The invention relates to an image-reconstruction technique which is used
to view multiphase flows using electrical capacitance tomography (ECT),
which is based on non-linear heuristic global optimization methods
involving simulated annealing and genetic algorithms. The inventive
method consists in obtaining electrical capacitance data which are
measured between electrodes positioned on the outer surface of pipeline,
well or tank (electrically-insulating) containing fluids. The
aforementioned data are dependent on the distribution of the fluids
inside the pipeline, well or tank. Moreover, the data are processed in
order to reconstruct an image of the spatial distribution of the relative
electrical permittivity (also known as the dielectric constant) inside
the tube, well or tank, which reflects the distribution of the different
phases present in the flow.