Using a hybrid numerical-experimental technique, experimental data can be obtained from within the particle's reference frame. Figure 1 - Overview of experimental system including the narrow channel, backwards facing step, and two axis traverse with attached data acquisition subsystems. Measurement techniques within the p-L reference frame can be made with any devices attached to the traverse which is moving in this reference frame. Figure 3 - System in operation.
Larger particles lag more and respond less to high frequency fluctuations.
The coupled DPIV system enabled velocity fields to be obtained around the virtual particle. Vorticity measurements can then be made from this data to study the effects of conditions on particle motion through fluid neighborhoods. For instance, preferential concentration biases particles to regions of low vorticity and high strain. With the DPIV data, this effect can be quantified experimentally. Figure 5 - Sample DPIV velocity vector field.