Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is a laser-based imaging technique that combines the accuracy of non-intrusive point measurements with the global flow imaging capability of flow visualization to obtain velocity information over an extended region of the flow.
The system in the lab consists of a high speed camera, Nd:YAG 60 mJ/pulse laser, adjustable light-sheet optics, synchronizer, and a dual quad core Intel Xeon processor desktop computer. Images are processed with Insight software using a cross-correlation technique. A hydraulic optical bench is available to minimize vibration.