Investigation of Unsteady Flow Fields for Flow Control Research by Means of Particle Image Velocimetry

Unsteady three-dimensional flow phenomena must be investigated and well understood to be able to design devices to control such complex flow phenomena in order to achieve the desired behavior of the flow and to assess their performance, even in harsh industrial environments. Experimental investigations for flow control research require measurement techniques capable to resolve the flow field with high spatial and temporal resolution to be able to perceive the relevant phenomena. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), providing access to the unsteady flow velocity field, is a measurement technique which is readily available commercially today. This explains why PIV is widely used for flow control research. A number of standard configurations exist, which, with increasing complexity, allow capturing flow velocity data instantaneously in geometrical arrangements extending from planes to volumes and in temporal arrangements extending from snapshots to temporarily well resolved data. With increasing complexity these PIV systems require advancing expertise of the user and growing investment costs. Using typical problems of flow control research, three different standard PIV systems will be characterized briefly. It is possible to upgrade a PIV system from a simple planar to a “high end” tomographic PIV system over a period of time, if sufficient PIV expertise can be built up and budget for additional investments becomes available.