Adjustment and evaluation of an LDA probe for accurate flow measurement

An LDA probe with optimized measuring volume was obtained based on repeated adjustments of a preconfigured LDA system with a calibrated spinning disc. A retriggerable pulse-width-and-time-delay module was used to trigger and freeze favorable Doppler bursts. After a repeated beam-steering procedure and a fringe-pattern analysis, we found that the variation of fringe spacing throughout the measuring volume was reduced from 3% to 0.28%, such that the adjusted probe gave more accurate measurements. To verify this applicability in velocity calibration, the fringe spacing of the adjusted LDA measuring volume was treated as a velocity coefficient, and its mean and measurement uncertainty was experimentally estimated. Analysis shows that the expanded uncertainty of the coefficient was 0.10% at the 95% level of confidence for both the components of the LDA. The results demonstrated that the adjusted LDA system was qualified to perform accurate flow measurement.     

Pulsatile flow measurement in hydraulic systems using a laser velocimeter

Servo valves find their major application in high performance hydraulic control systems where the accurate control of position, velocity and load is essential. Because of this, it is important to determine the dynamic characteristics of the servo valve (i.e. flow rate as a function of input command signal) more precisely.Previous techniques for this evaluation depended on monitoring spool position using linear transducers, since flow measurement techniques capable of following fast transients and oscillating (or pulsating) flows were not easily applied. The introduction of the laser Doppler anemometer changes this. Steady state flow measurement, using the dual beam scatter system, is now common but since it needs a spectrum analyser to measure the Doppler frequency it is not suitable for unsteady flow. Since hydraulic systems are relatively particle free, the Doppler signals are dreceived intermittently. Because of this, a signal processing system has been developed which measures the period of one or more oscillations in the frequency burst caused by a scattering particle passing through the control volume.Using this technique steady and unsteady laminar flow profiles have been measured in order to assess its effectiveness in the performance testing of hydraulic servo systems.     

LASER DOPPLER ANEMOMETRY MEASUREMENTS OF BUBBLE RISE VELOCITY AND DEPARTURE FREQUENCY

Previous experimental investigations have employed photographic techniques to quantify the rise velocity and departure frequency of bubbles departing from a boiling surface, a method that requires a significant time investment to provide accurate time-averaged results. The current study focuses on applying laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) techniques to quantify these parameters. Initially, the LDA system is employed to measure the rise velocity and departure frequency of air bubbles in FC-72, R-113, and water. These air bubble tests verify the ability of the LDA measurement technique to quantify the bubble parameters. The LDA technique is then used to quantify the bubble parameters from a wire during isolated nucleate boiling conditions in saturated FC-72. Highly time-dependent departure frequencies (7 to 242 Hz) are measured in the isolated nucleate boiling regime. LDA signals representing departure frequencies in the fully developed nucleate boiling regime are discussed.     

Measurement of Size,Number Concentration and Velocity of Aerosol Particles using an optical particle counter

An aerosol measurement instrument is presented which allows for the simultaneous measurement of the size distribution, number concentration and velocities of particles. A commercial optical particle counter (OPC) was modified in terms of optics and signal evaluation to provide the required measurement information. The design of this instrument allows the definition of a cubic measuring volume by purely optical means. This is achieved by an aperture/lens system which projects a sharply defined light beam into a stream of aerosol flow. Light scattered from single particles at average angles of 90° is collected by two opposite receiver units, each projecting light on to a separate photomultiplier. The intensity of the scattered light with this instrument is found to be an unambiguous function of the particle size. The total number of particles detected per unit time results in the particle flux. The particle velocity can be calculated, in principle, through the correlation of the signal length and the optical length of the measuring volume, provided that the particles have a straight trajectory through the measuring volume and the measuring volume length in the mean flow direction is well defined. The absence of sharpness in real optical projections effects a border zone of definite length, in which the illumination declines to zero. This leads, together with the low-pass filtering of the particle signals, to an increase in the length of the signal slopes, causing some difficulties in the determination of the signal length. A digital signal evaluation technique was developed that renders possible the clear differentiation between the slope and the kernel region of the signal. The latter represents the motion of particles through the completely illuminated region, which can be a more accurate parameter to define the signal length. In addition to the signal length determination, a cross-correlation technique was tested for its potential to obtain particle velocity. the instrument has two interlaced measuring volumes of nearly the same size, which are shifted for this special application in the main flow direction by 20 μm. The phase difference between the signals from the two photomultipliers, together with the optical distance, yields the particle velocity.     

Three measuring techniques for assessing the mean wall skin friction in wall-bounded flows

The present paper aims at evaluating the mean wall skin friction data in laminar and turbulent boundary layer flows obtained from two optical and one thermal measuring techniques, namely, laser-Doppler anemometry (LDA), oil-film interferometry (OFI), and surface hot-film anemometry (SHFA), respectively. A comparison among the three techniques is presented, indicating close agreement in the mean wall skin friction data obtained, directly, from both the OFI and the LDA near-wall mean velocity profiles. On the other hand, the SHFA, markedly, over estimates the mean wall skin friction by 3.5–11.7% when compared with both the LDA and the OFI data, depending on the thermal conductivity of the substrate and glue material, probe calibration, probe contamination, temperature drift and Reynolds number. Satisfactory agreement, however, is observed among all three measuring techniques at higher Reynolds numbers, Re _x >10⁶, and within ±5% with empirical relations extracted from the literature. In addition, accurate velocity data within the inertial sublayer obtained using the LDA supports the applicability of the Clauser method to evaluate the wall skin friction when appropriate values for the constants of the logarithmic line are utilized.     

Experimental Analysis of the Response of a Laser/Phase Doppler Anemometer System to a Partially Atomized Spray

This work describes a systematic approach adopted to establish Laser and Phase Doppler Anemometry, LDA/PDA, experimental techniques that would allow velocity and dropsize measurements to be made over wide velocity and size ranges with confidence in partially atomized sprays. The analysis considers the sprays generated by different gasoline direct injection (GDI) systems injecting into air under atmospheric conditions. The upper limit to the dropsize range in the fuel sprays was confirmed using (a) an Oxford Lasers' VisiSizer and (b) droplets of a known size produced by a mono‐dispersed droplet generator. GDI fuel sprays are highly transient, optically dense and provide a high degree of penetration and atomization. The measurement problem is therefore one of the detection of small, high speed droplets inside a dense cloud of surrounding droplets. Furthermore, under the transients found at the start and end of injection and during high fuel loads, fuel elements in the form of sheets, ligaments and filaments are also injected. These liquid fuel elements subsequently break‐up, downstream from the nozzle, to form droplets of a much larger size class but with a much lower number density [1]. The co‐existence of these liquid fuel elements and the widely different size classes in the spray are considered to pose a problem for dropsize measurements by the PDA technique. In particular: the wide dynamic range of light intensities scattered by the fuel elements and droplets; the trajectory of large drops through the edges of the PDA measurement volume with its Gaussian intensity distribution [2] and the high probability of non spherical droplets. The work concludes that the LDA/PDA measurement technique, as applied here, is robust. It can discriminate between partially and fully atomized sprays, has a high probability of accurately measuring dropsizes larger than the measurement volume and give a realistic indication of ‘sizes’ for non spherical droplets. However, specification of the PDA system parameters must be strictly compatible with the measurement task to yield unambiguous results.     

PIV and LDA measurements of secondary flow in a meandering channel for overbank flow

Secondary flow in a compound meandering channel with straight floodplain banks for overbank was investigated by a visualization method and velocity measurement using three-component laser Doppler anemometor (LDA). The secondary flow in a cross section was visualized by the neutral buoyant tracer method with a submergible video camera. Secondary flow vectors in a cross section were obtained by using PIV software with captured frames from video source through PC and also by LDA measurements. From the comparison of the PIV and LDA results, it is found that PIV data show good agreement in quality with LDA measurements when the secondary flow is strong and stable as shown in this paper.     

Flow measurements in liquid metals by means of the ultrasonic Doppler method and local potential probes

Substantial research activities have been carried out at HZDR during the last 15 years on the development and qualification of various methods to measure the velocity field in liquid metal flows. In this paper we report on two complementary methods for measuring the local velocity. The potential difference probe is a local sensor which is immersed into the liquid. Such sensors are very effective for investigations of the turbulent fluctuations at a local point. However, the installation of the probe in the bulk of the liquid might disturb the flow to be measured. Ultrasonic techniques are non-invasive, but need a continuous path from the ultrasonic transducer to the liquid under investigation. The ultrasound Doppler method delivers instantaneous profiles of the local velocity. Experimental applications of these measuring techniques in diverse liquid metal flows under the influence of magnetic fields will be presented here showing the capabilities and limitations of both methods.     

Underwater cytometer for in situ measurement of marine phytoplankton by a technique combining laser-induced fluorescence and laser Doppler velocimetry

We present a new type of flow cytometer that can operate underwater for a long time, as long as days, for measuring the size distribution, concentration, and biomass of marine phytoplankton. The major improvement of the instrument over existing techniques is the elimination of sample preparation, which is achieved with a laser Doppler crossed-beam arrangement for both defining a measurement volume and measuring the speed of the particle traversing it. By simultaneously sampling the laser-induced fluorescence signal and the Doppler signals, the technique can discriminate sizes of phytoplankton.     

Generalized Theory for the Simultaneous Measurement of Particle Size and Velocity using laser doppler and laser two-focus methods

Essentially the laser two-focus (L2F) and laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) are time-of-flight anemometers. The velocity of particles in the micrometre range is determined within the limits of an optically fixed measurement distance. For this only one optoelectronic receiver for the detection of the scattered light is required [1, 2]. With an arrangement of two receiving optics, positioned under an off-axis angle φ and an elevation angle ± ψ to the optical axis of the measurement system, a resolution of three-dimensional structures can be achieved and with regard to spherical particles it is possible to determine the dimensions by means of the temporal or phase shift of the signals in the receiving optics. A particle size-dependent distance inside the measurement volume can be fixed, which has to be passed in order to change the signal from one receiving optics to the other. An LDA with an arrangement of two receiving optics for particle sizing is known as a phase Doppler anemometer (PDA); an L2F designed with two receiving optics can be termed a pulse-displacement two-focus anemometer (P2F). The physical analysis of the two methods with respect to a temporal signal displacement in the receivers yielded new results.     

Separation of velocity distribution and diffusion using PFG NMR

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR is applied to investigate flow processes. In this case the NMR signal experiences phase modulation due to flow and signal attenuation due to the distribution of velocities. The velocity distribution consists of one part originating from diffusion and of a second part, the distribution of the directed motion. The usual PFG-experiment in which the gradient strength is incremented cannot distinguish between both. Incrementing velocity at constant gradient strength keeps the contribution from diffusion constant but changes the absolute width of the velocity distribution. So the signal is attenuated again, but only due to the distribution of the directed motion. The phase modulation as a signature of flow is not affected by this strategy, because velocity and gradient strength are Fourier conjugated. The key advantage of this approach is the possibility of measuring very low velocities, which only cause a very slight phase modulation that is easily covered by diffusion. The method is discussed here for very slow flow in a rheometer cell.     

Analysis of the axial transmission technique for the assessment of skeletal status

Ultrasonic wave propagation in human cortical bone has been investigated in vitro using the so-called axial transmission technique. This technique, which relies on velocity measurement of the first arriving signal, has been used in earlier investigations to study bone status during fracture healing or osteoporosis. Two quasi-point-source elements, one transmitter and one receiver (central frequency 0.5 MHz), were used to generate a wide ultrasonic beam, part of which strikes the sample surface at the longitudinal critical angle, and to receive the signals reflected from the sample surface. The analysis of the field reflected from a fluid-solid interface for an incident spherical wave predicts the existence of a lateral wave propagating along the sample surface at a velocity close to the longitudinal velocity, in addition to the ordinary reflected wave and vibration modes. The transducer-sample and the transmitter-receiver distances were chosen such that the lateral wave is the first arriving signal. Validation of the measuring technique was performed on test materials and was followed by experiments on human cortical bones. Experimental results (arrival time and velocity) strongly suggest that the first detected signal corresponds to the lateral wave predicted by theory.     

Dynamics of two-phase swirling flow in a vortex chamber with a lower end swirler

The Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique and laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) were used to measure the components of tangential and axial velocities of gas and particles in a vortex chamber with a fluidized bed, particle layer dynamics was estimated qualitatively, and the flow in the vortex chamber with a centrifugal fluidized bed of solid particles was simulated numerically. It is shown that with the growth of gas velocity in the swirler slots, the rotation velocity of bed grows almost linearly, and with an increasing bed mass, the rotation velocity decreases. Data on distributions of the volume fraction of particles and gas flow velocity inside the bed were obtained by numerical calculation.     

基于最大信噪比测量两相流速度

为了克服噪声对信号的影响,提出一种利用最大信噪比和相关法测量两相流速度的方法.基于最大信噪比的信号分离方法是一种盲源信号分离方法,该算法利用统计独立信号完全分离时信噪比最大作为分离准则,它具有非常低的计算复杂度.这里首先利用盲源信号分离方法分别提取出上游和下游两相流信号,并据此求出两相流信号的相关函数曲线,由此求出信号的渡越时间,最后给出仿真实验的处理结果.实验结果表明该方法能够满足两相流速度的测量要求.     

Lorentz force velocimetry

We describe a noncontact technique for velocity measurement in electrically conducting fluids. The technique, which we term Lorentz force velocimetry (LFV), is based on exposing the fluid to a magnetic field and measuring the drag force acting upon the magnetic field lines. Two series of measurements are reported, one in which the force is determined through the angular velocity of a rotary magnet system and one in which the force on a fixed magnet system is measured directly. Both experiments confirm that the measured signal is a linear function of the flow velocity. We then derive the scaling law that relates the force on a localized distribution of magnetized material to the velocity of an electrically conducting fluid. This law shows that LFV, if properly designed, has a wide range of potential applications in metallurgy, semiconductor crystal growth, and glass manufacturing.     

Transition from deterministic to stochastic deformation

Theory predicts that deformation that occurs by emission of strain bursts falls into two regimes, one in which the burst emission remains a stochastic process as strain increases, and another in which the emission of bursts settles into a deterministic process for large strains. The stochastic regime occurs when the burst emission rate decreases with strain, and in this case, large statistical scatter persists in the stress–strain response on repeated measurements. The deterministic regime occurs when the emission rate increases with strain, and the scatter in the corresponding stress–stress behaviour diminishes at large strains. The strength at the same strain in the stochastic regime is also higher than in the deterministic regime. Factors that affect the burst emission rate include the number of sources as well as the stress dependence of the efficiency of the sources.     

Realization of high performance LDA-systems using optical amplifiers, high power semiconductor lasers and optical fiber lasers

Advanced novel techniques for sophisticated LDA applications are presented in this paper. By applying laser sources with high output powers like MOPA-lasers (master oscillator power amplifier), fiber lasers and booster fiber amplifiers to increase the laser power in the measuring volume and by amplifying the scattered light power with optical fiber preamplifiers to increase the sensitivity of the receiving units, the signal-to-noise-ratio of laser Doppler signals is drastically improved and the overall performance of a laser Doppler anemometer is significantly enhanced.     

Laser doppler anemometry in hydrodynamic testing

Classical methods and the laser-Doppler-anemometry (LDA) application for the test section calibration of a water-cavitation tunnel is presented. The results show that the LDA is the best method for calibration and the classical methods satisfy the needs of standard tests. The advantages of the LDA are illustrated by determination of the pressure coefficient C _p for a hydrofoil of a high-speed axial pump under the stationary and nonstationary conditions, as well. The velocity vector distribution is measured around the central hydrofoil of a straight grid for angles of attack δ = 0° and 25° and undisturbed velocity v _∞ = 5.32 m/s. The results of the LDA measurements are used as a basis for the definition of the boundary conditions for numerical flow simulation and C _p calculation by the Fluent program. A flow visualization is made by aniline dyes and air bubbles.     

Detection properties of an optical fiber probe for laser speckle velocimetry

Temporal power spectra of the speckle signal detected by a simple optical fiber probe are analyzed as a function of the laser spot size at a moving scatter plate, the velocity of the plate, the core diameter of the detecting fiber and the numerical aperture of it. The fiber probe is shown to be useful for velocity measurements of the moving scatter plate.