A Quantitative Visualization Method for Wind Tunnel Experiments Based on 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry (3D-PTV)

✍ Scribed by M. Machacek; T. Rösgen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Weight: 87 KB
• Volume: 1
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1617-7061
• DOI: 10.1002/1617-7061(200203)1:1<254::aid-pamm254>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

The development of a measurement system to visualize, classify (based on topological features) and quantify complex flows in wind tunnel experiments is described. The basic idea is to extract topological features directly instead of postprocessing large sets of raw data (as generated by conventional PIV or PTV systems). As a particular aspect, the seeding methods in industrial wind tunnels are discussed. While helium filled soap bubbles are well suited because of their neutral buoyancy, there is a problem with their visibility, especially when reflecting model surfaces are being imaged at the same time. Various methods were evaluated in order to enhance the visual contrast of the bubbles.