High-speed, Digital Video Camera Systems and Related Software for Application of PIV in Windtunnel Flows

Abstract

Two particle image velocimetry (PIV) recording systems, based on electronic imaging, for use in industrial wind tunnel environments are presented. The first camera contains two independently triggerable, standard interline transfer CCD sensors which view the same area of interest through a beam splitter. Each sensor has a minimal exposure time of 0.8 mys and can be triggered within 1 mys. The asynchronous reset allows the camera to be directly triggered by a pulsed laser with repetition rates differing from standard video framing rates, and thus can provide two distinct images, separated by a short time interval, for dual-frame, single-exposure PIV application. Captured images are digitized and stored within the camera and are transferred to a PC through the parallel port interface. The residual misalignment of the two sensors is accounted for through software.