Flow visualization

Article By:

Ma, Lin Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.

Last reviewed:January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.261840

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• Modern methods of flow visualization, published June 2014:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

The art and science of making flow patterns visible so that researchers can “see the flow,” providing a starting point for a further understanding of various flows at a fundamental level. Such fundamental understanding of fluid flows plays a pivotal role in a remarkably wide range of engineering disciplines, ranging from the design of artificial heart valves to jet engines. However, our understanding of fluid flows remains far from complete in the so-called turbulent regime, a regime characterized by chaotic flow patterns and properties. To make things even more challenging (and interesting), turbulent flows occurring in both nature and engineering are often coupled with chemical reactions, another research topic that is not yet completely understood. A representative example of such coupling is provided by the injection, mixing, and burning of fuel and air in combustion in devices (such as diesel engines, gas turbines, and industrial furnaces) that generate a dominant portion of the energy we use today. The lack of proper visualization techniques, which help us to “see” the key processes involved in reactive flows, represents a major challenge to a further understanding. The desired characteristics of an ideal visualization technique include at least nonintrusiveness (the ability to probe the flow without physically disturbing it), robustness (the ability to survive the hostile environments created by the reactive flow), spatial resolution, and temporal resolution. Optical techniques represent a promising solution to meet these requirements. See also: Chaos; Combustion; Diesel engine; Fluid mechanics; Furnace construction; Gas turbine; Turbulent flow; Turbulent transport and mixing

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