High-precision sub-pixel interpolation in particle image velocimetry image processing

The task of image interpolation and re-sampling for particle image velocimetry (PIV) is investigated, which is used for window shifting with sub-pixel accuracy and image or window deformation. A new interpolation scheme based on a Gaussian filter is introduced and compared with commonly used and widely accepted interpolation techniques in terms of the achievable root mean square deviation of the displacement estimates.     

Feasibility Exploration of Laser‐based Techniques for Characterization of a Flashing Jet

Two‐phase flows hold an interest in many areas of science and engineering. In the safety field, one such topic is the accidental release of flammable and toxic pressure‐liquefied gases. In case of such a release, a flashing vapor explosion takes place resulting in a very dense two‐phase cloud. If the released substance is flammable, this cloud can be combustible and can lead to deflagration or detonation. For understanding the source processes of flashing and risk assessment, data related to cloud characteristics (i.e. droplet size, velocity etc.) is needed especially in the near region of the release. Due to the non‐equilibrium nature of the near field regions accurate data measurement is not possible with intrusive techniques. Therefore, laser‐based optical techniques (like Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Particle Tracking Velocimetry and Sizing (PTVS), Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) etc.) present the only possibility to obtain information for particle diameter and velocity evolution in this harsh environment.     

Simultaneous Measurement of Droplet Size and Three-Components of Velocity in Spray

The combination of the optical diagnostics and image processing technique has produced various methods of practical measurement in engineering. The measurement of size and velocity of droplets in fuel spray is one typical example. In general, the spray is a complicated and three-dimensional two-phase flow; therefore multi-dimensional field measurement of the spray field is indispensable. In the present paper, a technique of simultaneous measurement of droplet size and three-components of velocity is proposed and applied to spray issuing from the swirl nozzle as a practical application. The focused image of glare points is captured by a stereoscopic arrangement, and droplet size and the three-components of velocity are evaluated from the doublet image. Fundamental optical arrangements to capture the image of the glare points with a stereo view are established, and the feasibility and the accuracy of the technique are confirmed. © 2004 The Optical Society of Japan     

An asynchronous high‐speed synchrotron shutter

A high‐repetition‐rate mechanical shutter with asynchronous control and sub‐millisecond operation has been developed and tested for specialist X‐ray systems in the field of medical diagnostics and radiation therapy. Capacitor‐coupled linear voice coil actuators are utilized to achieve opening and closing speeds as fast as 700 µs for an aperture height of 4 mm. The design allows for asynchronous control, permitting slave operation of the shutter, a feature that is distinctly suitable for a number of applications including particle image velocimetry, where high‐frame‐rate operation must be accurately synchronized and triggered by the image acquisition sequence of the detector or timing device. The design and construction of the shutter also makes it ideal, with simple and limited modifications, for applications requiring larger apertures, in particular wide beams as found in many synchrotron beamlines.     

PIV水下流场测试系统试验研究

基于粒子图像测速技术,设计研制了一套适用于水洞洞体内高速、封闭试验条件的流场测量与显示设备.该系统由光源、成像、图像处理与分析、控制和粒子投放等分系统组成,具有复杂环境下全流场的无接触、无扰动、高准确度测量和显示能力,流场测试误差小于2%,可为水下航行器外形设计及其改进提供相关的实测数据.     

稳定分层二层流室内实验早期格栅湍流结构

采用室内实验混合箱和粒子图像测速技术,本文研究了稳定分层无平均剪切二层流(上层淡水、下层盐水)振动湍流结构.对实验录像进行粒子图像测速技术处理,获得垂向二维流场(垂直于格栅平面)瞬时速度和涡量,并用于计算:①时均速度和时均涡量;②均方根速度;③均匀程度和各向同性程度;④平均流强度;⑤时均泰勒的欧拉积分长度尺度;⑥时均湍...     

Experimental study on wake flow structures of screen cylinders using PIV

Experiments were conducted in a water flume using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to study the evolution of the vortical structures in the wakes of four types of screen cylinders at a Reynolds number of about 3200. The results were compared with that of a bare cylinder. The screen cylinders were made of stainless steel screen meshes of various porosities (37%, 48%, 61% and 67%) rolled into cylindrical shapes. Smoke wire flow visualisations in a wind tunnel were also conducted in support of the PIV tests. Depending on the porosity of the screen mesh, two vortex formation mechanisms for the screen cylinder wakes were identified. One was associated with wake instability and the other was associated with shear-layer (Kelvin-Helmholtz) convective instability which involved merging through pairing and tripling of small-scale vortices within the shear layers. The former was responsible for the formation of large-scale vortices in the bare cylinder and the screen cylinder wakes with 37% and 48% porosities, while the latter was responsible for the screen cylinder wakes with 61% and 67% porosities. The results also showed that with increasing porosity, the vortex formation region was extended farther downstream and the Reynolds shear stress, the Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) and vortex intensity were decreased constantly.     

Statistical structure of the velocity field in cavitating flow around a 2D hydrofoil

Transformation of flow turbulence structure with cavitation occurrence, determination of the flow conditions favorable for nucleation of cavitation bubbles, influence of the statistical structure of turbulence on this process and the inverse effect of cavitation on the flow dynamics are challenging problems in modern fluid mechanics. The paper reports on the results of statistical processing of the velocity fields measured by a PIV technique in cavitating flow over a 2D symmetric hydrofoil for four flow conditions, starting from a cavitation-free regime and finishing by unsteady cloud cavitation. We analyze basic information on the statistical structure of velocity fluctuations in the form of histograms and Q-Q diagrams along with profiles of the mean velocity and turbulent kinetic energy. The research reveals that the flow turbulence pattern and distributions of turbulent fluctuations change significantly with the cavitation development. Under unsteady cloud cavitation conditions, the probability density function of the fluctuating velocity has a two-mode distribution, which indicates switching of two alternating flow conditions in a region above the hydrofoil aft part due to periodic passing of cavitation clouds. Behaviors of the mean and most probable velocities unexpectedly appear to be different with a monotonous increase of the incoming flow velocity. This finding must be caused by modification of the skewness coefficient of the fluctuating velocity.     

Time-averaged flow characteristics and mixing properties of double-concentric jets

We examined the flow behaviors and mixing characteristics of double-concentric jets using laser-assisted smoke flow visualization method to analyze typical flow patterns and binary boundary detection technique to investigate jet spread width. Time-averaged velocity vectors, streamline patterns, velocity distributions, turbulence properties, and vorticity contours were analyzed using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Topological flow patterns were analyzed to interpret the vortical flow structures. Mixing properties were investigated using a tracer-gas concentration detection method. Four characteristic modes were observed: annular flow dominated mode, transition mode, central jet dominated mode-low shear, and central jet dominated mode-high shear. The jets’ mixing properties were enhanced by two major phenomena: the merging of annular flow and central jet at the centerline and the large turbulence fluctuations produced in the flow field. The merging of the jets induced stagnation points on the central axis in the annular flow dominated mode, which caused reverse flow on the central axis and drastic turbulence fluctuations of the near field region. When the central jet penetrated the recirculation region in the other three modes, the stagnation points on the central axis and the reverse flow vanished. Therefore, the mixing behaviors were prominently enhanced in the annular flow dominated mode.     

Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Purge Flow and Main Flow Interaction in a Low-Speed Turbine Cascade Passage

In order to protect the vulnerable turbine components from extreme high temperature, coolant flow is introduced from the compressor to the disk cavity, inevitably interacting with the main flow. This paper describes an experimental investigation of the interaction between the main flow and the purge flow in a low-speed turbine cascade with three purge flow rates, Cm = 0, Cm = 1%, and Cm = 2%. In order to study the effect of the interaction between the main flow and the purge flow on the secondary flows, a Rortex method developed by Liu Chaoquan is introduced to identify the vortex in the flow field. In the meantime, a method to calculate the mean entropy production rate based on the particle image velocimetry (PIV) result is adopted to investigate the flow loss. The PIV result indicates that the purge flow has a prominent impact on the flow field of the cascade passage, changing the velocity distribution that induces a local blockage area. The results of vortex identification show that the purge flow promotes the generation of the passage vortex near the suction side. In addition, the purge flow makes the passage vortex migrate to the tip wall direction, enlarging the region affected by the secondary flow. The mean entropy production (MEP) result shows that the flow loss is mainly caused by the passage vortex. The coincidence of the high-MEP region and the location of the passage vortex indicates that the purge flow increases the secondary flow loss by affecting the formation and the migration of the passage vortex.