Research Update: Quantitative Flow Visualization Techniques

Flow visualization describes the art of making visible what is invisible. Using flow visualization techniques, scientists like da Vinci, Reynolds, and Prandtl discovered some of the most fundamental concepts concerning wakes and boundary layers. The rapid evolution of affordable electro-optics and digital image processing during the last several decades has increased the scope and fidelity of flow visualization so that now entire two- and three-dimensional vector and scalar fields can be measured quantitatively. These measurements are particularly valuable for validating computational fluid dynamics simulations. In this webinar, we will overview several quantitative flow visualization methods available at HTRI’s Research & Technology Center and describe some recent applications.