A profile tracking system for investigating the behaviour of discharges in moving environments

A profile tracking system (PTS) is developed to make measurements at previously inaccessible dimensionless distances from a discharge in a moving environment. With this system the measuring components remain stationary as the source is towed away from them. Image processing techniques are then employed to track concentration profiles through a sequence of images, which are a constant distance from the flow source. Data obtained from the PTS are shown to be both reliable and accurate. The benefits and limitations of the PTS when compared with normally configured laser-induced fluorescence systems are discussed. PTS is employed to gather data at dimensionless distances that are an order of magnitude greater than those previously obtained for the co-flowing jet problem. Received: 30 June 1999/Accepted: 21 March 2001