Analytic hierarchy process-based capacitive sensor array redundant capacitance elimination method

•AHP-based method to eliminate redundant capacitance of ECT is proposed.•The causes of the generation of redundant capacitance is illustrated.•The method exhibits generality and possesses engineering practical potential. To reduce imaging errors in electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) arising from redundant capacitance, this paper proposes a method to eliminate such redundancy, leveraging the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Firstly, an analysis is conducted to elucidate the origins of redundant capacitance, which are attributed to the polarization effect. Secondly, the paper presents a comprehensive outline of the algorithmic structure underpinning the proposed method for redundant capacitance elimination. Finally, the universality and anti-interference capability of the method are verified through simulations and practical experiments across various scenarios: encompassing typical medium distributions, diverse image reconstruction algorithms, and various sensor structures. The results conclusively demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits superior image reconstruction effect in comparison to traditional redundant elimination methods.