Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 53 No. 4 (December 2016)
119

Simultaneous Measurement Techniquefor Temperature and Velocity Distribution
in Flow Field using Thermographic Phosphor
KOHEI KAWAZOE*1

HIROYUKI NAKAHARAI*2

HIROSHI MASHIMA*3

YUICHI KANEMAKI*4

AKIRA YAMADA*5SATOSHI SOMEYA*6

In many of the product lines of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), fluids such as liquidand air are used. Therefore, understanding the behaviors and characteristics of velocity andtemperature distribution in a flow field by actual measurement is the key to improving productperformance. One of the technologies for responding to this need is Phosphorescent PIV, for which
MHI has been developing applicable technology to product development testing with the cooperationof the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. This method is PIV using
thermographic phosphor, which enables the simultaneous measurement of two-dimensional
distribution of velocity and temperature. The measurement procedure was verified using a test flow
channel and the correlation between the distribution of flow velocity and temperature was evaluated.

|1. Introduction
We have designed and manufactured many products using heat exchange. In order to improvetheir performance and reliability, it is important to properly evaluate the heat transport volume fromthe heat transfer surface. As it is generally known that heat transport is promoted at the place where
the flow is fully disturbed, the flow field (momentum transport) and the temperature field (heattransport) have a correlation. Therefore, in discussing heat transport, it is indispensable to evaluate theflow field in the vicinity of the heat transfer surface. As an actual measurement method, PIV (ParticleImage Velocimetry) has been used. It is considered, however, that in the future, in order to establish ahigher-precision analysis and evaluation method, it will be necessary to measure the temperature fieldin the vicinity of the heat transfer surface and the flow field at the same time, and to evaluate thecorrelation of the temperature field and the flow field, and conventional PIV is not sufficient for thisneed.
Therefore, we have been developing a product measurement method using phosphorescence
PIV that enables the simultaneous measurement of the flow field and temperature field with highprecision and in two dimensions. This is a method using thermograph phosphor with temperaturedependence on fluorescence or phosphorescence emission instead of seed particles used in common
PIV, and combining it with PLIF (Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence) in which fluorescence or
phosphorescence is generated by a laser beam to obtain and measure images. The flow field isevaluated by conventional PIV analysis, while the temperature field is evaluated based on thedifference in phosphorescence emission characteristics by temperature. Since images taken by thesame camera can be used for the evaluation of velocity and temperature, it also has the advantage thatno individual measurement systems are required.
This technique is expected to become an important measurement technique for measuring
actual phenomena in the development of our products. This article describes the measurement resultsin the simplified test flow channel for the establishment of the Phosphorescent PIV technique.
*1*2*3*4*5*6

Chief Staff Manager, Electricity & Applied physics Research Department, Research & Innovation Center
Heat Transfer Research Department, Research & Innovation Center
Chief Staff Manager, Electricity & Applied physics Research Department, Research & Innovation CenterManager, Heat Transfer Research Department, Research & Innovation Center
Research & Innovation Center
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 53 No. 4 (December 2016)120|2. Phosphorescent PIV
2.1

Thermographic phosphor

When an electron in a molecule receives energy corresponding to the energy level gap in themolecule, it is excited to an upper level. An excited electron emits light (a photon ) with energy
according to the level gap when it transfers to the original level. This photon emission is fluorescence,and that with a long emission duration of microseconds or milliseconds is called phosphorescence.
Thermographic phosphor has temperature dependence on fluorescence (phosphorescence) intensity,
spectral characteristics, duration, etc., and exhibits temperature sensitivity characteristics as a result ofchanges in the absorption efficiency of the excitation light and the energy level related to excitation or
the transition of electrons caused by temperature. Dye such as rhodamine and fluorescein are
examples of organic thermographic fluorescent substances, and organic metal complex ions areexamples of thermographic phosphorescent substances. Among inorganic matter, there are many
thermographic phosphorescent substances containing rare earth metals, such as BAM (bariummagnesium aluminate) and YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet)(1). In addition, there are materials thatcan be applied at temperatures exceeding 1000°C, and we have also been developing a method ofmeasurement in the high temperature region using them.

2.2

Phosphorescence PIV

In this measurement method, thermographic phosphor particles are dispersed in the flow field,and the area in which the flow field and the temperature field to be measured or visualized isirradiated with a sheet laser beam. This enables data to be obtained only for the necessary crosssection. The spatial distribution and temporal change of laser fluorescence or phosphorescence fromthe particles are imaged using a high-speed camera, and based on the images, the velocity andtemperature distribution are analyzed and evaluated.
In this method, the velocity distribution is analyzed in the same way as normal PIV, based on
the amount and direction of particle movement between selected two images. On the other hand, in
the analysis of the temperature distribution, an appropriate method among several is used according to
the characteristics of thermographic phosphor and the field to be measured. Generally, the methods offluorescence or phosphorescence intensity, ratio of two wavelength components or change of lifetime
decay by temperature are used. In the verification in this article, the fluorescence intensity method
was used.
In this method, a pulse laser with a high peak power was used because the exposure time of ahigh-speed camera needs to be reduced depending on the velocity of the flow field, and in order toobtain clear images by making the particles dispersed in the flow field emit fluorescence at a highintensity.

|3. Verification of the measurement method
To examine the applicability of Phosphorescent PIV to our product development, the flow
velocity and temperature distribution in a simplified flow channel with ribs were measured, and therelationship between the generated vortex and the water temperature was evaluated.

3.1

Test device

The aluminum flow channel with ribs with the shape shown in Figure 1 was used. This flow
channel with ribs was incorporated into part of a water circulation system consisting of a reservoirtank, a pump, a flow regulating valve, a cooling jacket and other components. A sheet laser was
irradiated through the window facing the surface with ribs and the light emission of thethermographic phosphor particles was imaged through the window on the side of the flow channel.
Particles were provided by adsorbing rhodamine B to resin beads, and accordingly, the second
harmonic generation (wavelength: 532 nm) of a YAG laser was used for the excitation light source.
From the fluorescence emitted after laser irradiation, components 560 nm or greater were selected
through a optical filter and imaged by a high-speed camera. Then through the image processing, theflow velocity and temperature distribution were evaluated. A heater was set on the back of the flow
channel, and the temperature of the water flow was changed by heating. The flow rates of 1.5 and 4.5
l/min were used. The measurement conditions are shown in Table 1.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 53 No. 4 (December 2016)
121Table 1
ItemFlow rate
Phosphor
Laser wavelength
Phosphorescenceobservation
wavelength
Measurement area

Condition
1.5，4.5ℓ/min
Rhodamine B
532 nm
560 nm or more
11×18 mmFigure 1 Flow channel with a rib

3.2(1)

Verification results
Measurement results for fluid velocity and temperature distribution
The results of the velocity and temperature distribution in the flow channel obtained by thismethod are shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b). The results were obtained under the conditions of a ribheight of 1.0 mm, a flow rate of 1.5 l/min. In Figure 2(a), the white line drawn in the vicinity ofthe flow channel wall indicates the velocity of 0 mm/s. This shows that the fluid flows backward
on the downstream side of the rib and a vortex region has been formed. In addition, on theupstream side of the rib, a small vortex is generated. A comparison of the flow velocity
distribution and the temperature distribution in Figure 2(b) shows that the downstream region of
the rib has a high temperature and meets the vortex region. This is considered to occur because
the fluid stays in the vortex region, causing the inhibition of heat transport to the main flow.
Next, the results of the measurement with the increased flow rate of 4.5 l/min are shown inFigures 3(a), 3(b). Compared to the measurement with the condition of 1.5 l/min, the vortex
region was reduced. In addition, it shows that the high temperature region on the downstream sideof the rib was also reduced, the maximum temperature was changed from 32°C to 26°C and thetemperature range was lowered.
From these results, it was found that the measurement of a flow field by phosphorescence
PIV using thermographic phosphor particles allows the quantification and visualization of thevelocity and temperature distribution at the same time. As a result, the effect of the flow channel
shape on the flow line and the relationship with the temperature field at the moment can beunderstood and evaluated in detail.

Figure 2 Measurement results with a flowrate of 1.5 l/min(2)

Figure 3 Measurement results with a flowrate of 4.5 l/min

Results of the temperature distribution measurement on the flow channel heating wall
In addition to the measurement of the fluid in the flow channel, the surface temperature wasmeasured on the flow channel wall surface with thermographic phosphor layer applied thereto.
Since infrared rays are absorbed under the presence of water flow, it is impossible to measure thetemperature of the flow channel wall through water flow using an IR camera. But withthermographic phosphor layer, both the excitation light and phosphorescence emissions pass

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 53 No. 4 (December 2016)122

through water, enabling measurement.
For this measurement, a flow channel with a phosphor layer was used, and the excitation
beam shape was changed and irradiated in such a manner as to cover the flow channel wall
surface. In addition, the camera was placed at a position facing the wall surface to image its
phosphorescense emissions.
The measurement results are shown in Figure 4. The conditions such as flow channel
shape, flow rate and heating are the same as those in Figures 2 and 3. The results show that,similarly to the fluid temperature distribution, the wall surface temperature in the vortex
generating region of the downstream of the rib was high, which led to an increase in watertemperature. This is considered to occur because the vortex inhibited the heat transport from thewall surface. (The sparsely existing spots in the figure where the temperature is lower than thesurrounding area were caused by air bubbles generated on the surface.)
From the above results of 3.2 (1) and (2), it is found that through the measurement method
using thermographic phosphor particles, the relationship of heat transfer between the heat transfer
surface and fluid and the relationship of velocity and temperature in the flow field can beobtained. Therefore, it is expected that this method can be applied to or produce effects in thedevelopment and design verification of heat exchangers used in various forms in our products.

Figure 4 Measurement results of the temperature of the flow channel wall surface|4. Conclusion
The development of phospohrescent PIV by which the two-dimensional distribution oftemperature and velocity of the flow field in a heat exchanger, etc., can be simultaneously obtained
was described. This method is expected to contribute to a more detailed understanding of the actual
phenomena in the flow field of liquid or gas in our products, resulting in improvements in design
quality, product development capability and competitiveness. Toward the application of thistechnique to product development testing, measurement testing was conducted using a simplified
form of a flow channel and the phenomena in the flow field were visualized and evaluated. The
measurement was conducted in a heated flow channel with a rib on wall surface. As a result, it wasfound that a vortex was generated at the rear of the rib, where the temperature was higher, allowing
the evaluation of the correlation between the flow field and the temperature field. In addition, it canbe expected that the fluid and temperature behaviors obtained by this measurement can be used in theverification or improvement of turbulence models in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis.
In the future, we will expand the use of this method to the measurement of high temperature
gas and promote application to development testing for products such as engine and turbocharger tocontribute to the improvement of their performance.
In the development of this method, we received significant advice and cooperation from theEnergy Saving Research Division in the Department of Energy and Environment of the National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Here, we express our deep gratitude tothem.

Reference1.

Alden, M. et al., Thermographic phosphors for thermometry: A survey of combustion applications, Progress in Energy andCombustion Science, 37 (2011) p.422-461