Time resolved particle image velocimetry

The temporal evolution of the velocity field of an unsteady fluid flow can be tracked by combining Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and high speed photography. Two alternative techniques for PIV are discussed: the classical light sheet technique and a method which makes use of the light scattered in forward direction. We applied time resolved PIV to investigate the flow around cavitation bubbles during their collapse near a solid boundary. The light source was an argon laser with an external acousto-optic deflector which produces series of short pulses. Using a drum camera for high speed photography, we achieved a temporal resolution of10 kHz and a spatial resolution of better than2 points/mm². Velocities could be determined without directional ambiguity in a range from2 m/s to30 m/s.