Algorithms for fully automated three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry

A three-dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry (3-D PTV) technique has been developed to provide time-resolved, three-dimensional velocity field measurements throughout a finite volume. This technique offers many advantages for fundamental research in turbulence and applied research in areas such as mixing and combustion. The data acquired in 3-D PTV is a time sequence of stereo images of flow tracer particles suspended in the fluid. In this paper, the implementation of the technique is discussed in detail, as well as the results of an extensive statistical investigation of the performance of the algorithms. The technique has been optimized to allow fully automatic processing of long sequences of image pairs in a computationally efficient manner, hereby providing a viable, practical tool for the study of complex flows.List of symbols x, y, z Particle position - u, v, w Particle velocity This work was supported by a grant from Ford Motor Company, Powertrain Research Department. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.