Particle Image Velocimetry in Aerodynamics: Technology and
Applications in Wind Tunnels
Issue title: International Conference on Optical Technology
and Image Processing in Fluid, Thermal, and Combustion Flow, Yokohama, Japan,
December 1998
Affiliations: Institut für Strömungsmechanik, Deutsches
Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Bunsenstraße 10, D-37073
Göttingen, Germany. | Institut für Antriebstechnik, DLR, Köln,
Germany. | Deutsch-Niederländischer Windkanal (DNW),
Emmeloord, The Netherlands e-mail: juergen.kompenhans@dlr.de
Abstract: Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is increasingly used for
aerodynamic research and development. The PIV technique allows the recording of
a complete flow velocity field in a plane of the flow within a few
microseconds. Thus, it provides information about unsteady flow fields, which
is difficult to obtain with other experimental techniques. The short
acquisition time and fast availability of data reduce the operational time, and
hence cost, in large scale test facilities. Technical progress made in the last
years allowed DLR to develop a reliable, modular PIV system for use in
industrial wind tunnels. The features of this system are summarized and results
of recent PIV applications are presented.
