This work presents the development and analysis of a system that combines the concepts of light field microscopy and particle image velocimetry (PIV) to measure three-dimensional velocities within a microvolume. Rectanglar microchannels were fabricated with dimensions on the order of 350-950 micrometers using a photolithographic process and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The flow was seeded with fluorescent particles and pumped through microchannels at Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.016 to 0.028. Flow at Reynolds numbers in the range of 0.02 to 0.03 was seeded with fluorescent particles and pumped through microchannels. A light field microscope with a lateral resolution of 6.25 micrometers and an axial resolution of 15.5 micrometers was designed and built based on the concepts described by Levoy et al. Light field images were captured continuously at a frame rate of 3.9 frames per second using a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera. Each image was post processed to render a stack of two-dimensional images. The focal stacks were further post processed using various methods including bandpass filtering, 3D deconvolution, and intensity-based thresholding, to remove effects of diffraction and blurring. Subsequently, a multi-pass, three-dimensional PIV algorithm was used to measure channel velocities. Results from PIV analysis were compared with an analytical solution for fully-developed cases, and with CFD simulations for developing flows. Relative errors for fully-developed flow measurements, within the light field microscope refocusing range, were approximately 5% or less. Overall, the main limitations are the reduction in lateral resolution, and the somewhat low axial resolution. Advantages include the relatively low cost, ease of incorporation into existing micro-PIV systems, simple self-calibration process, and potential for resolving instantaneous three-dimensional velocities in a microvolume.

Flapping flight shows promise for micro air vehicle design because flapping wings provide superior aerodynamic performance than that of fixed wings and rotors at low Reynolds numbers. In these flight regimes, unsteady effects become increasingly important. This thesis explores some of the unsteady effects that provide additional lift to flapping wings through an experiment-based optimization of the kinematics of a flapping wing mechanism in a water tunnel. The mechanism wings and flow environment were scaled to simulate the flight of the hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) at hovering or near-hovering speeds. The optimization was repeated using rigid and flexible wings to evaluate the impact that wing flexibility has on aerodynamic performance of flapping wings. The trajectories that produced the highest lift were compared using particle image velocimetry to characterize the flow features produced during the periods of peak lift. A leading edge vortex was observed with all of the flapping trajectories and both wing types, the strength of which corresponded to the measured amount of lift of the wing. This research furthers our understanding of the lift-generating mechanisms used in nature and can be applied to improve the design of micro air vehicles.

Die Analyse von Kollisionen zwischen Partikeln und Blasen in einer turbulenten Strömung ist ein grundlegendes Problem von hoher technologischer Relevanz, z. B. für die Abtrennung wertvoller Mineralpartikel durch Schaumflotation. Dieser Relevanz steht ein Defizit an experimentellen Daten und Erkenntnissen über den Kollisionsprozess gegenüber. Ein Hauptproblem ist die geringe Anzahl der verfügbaren Messtechniken zur direkten Beobachtung der Kollisionen zwischen Partikeln und Blasen. Daher besteht das Ziel dieser Dissertation darin, neue Methoden zu entwickeln, um die Wechselwirkung zwischen Blasen und Partikeln unter definierten hydrodynamischen Bedingungen zu messen. Diese Methoden beruhen auf der Verfolgung von einzelnen Partikeln mit 4D Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) und Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT), um die Lagrangeschen Partikeltrajektorien in der Nähe einer Blase zu bestimmen und die kollidierenden Partikel zu klassifizieren. In zwei Versuchsaufbauten werden diese Messmethoden angewandt, um die Wechselwirkung zwischen Blasen und Partikeln in turbulenten Strömungen zu untersuchen. In einer Blasensäule wird die Turbulenz im Nachlauf einer frei aufsteigenden Blasenkette erzeugt, während in einem Wasserkanal die Turbulenz durch die Umströmung eines Gitters produziert wird. In beiden Fällen wird das vorhandene turbulente Strömungsfeld um die Blasen mittels Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry (TPIV) charakterisiert. Zunächst wird der Einfluss des Blasennachlaufs auf die Blasen-Partikel-Kollision für beide Versuchsaufbauten mit dem 4D-PTV-Verfahren analysiert. Es wird gezeigt, dass in beiden Versuchsanordnungen die Kollision von feinen Partikeln nicht nur an der Vorderseite, sondern auch an der Hinterseite der Blase stattfindet. Diese Ergebnisse werden mit der gemessenen turbulenten kinetischen Energie und der Dissipationsrate um die Blase korreliert. Anschließend werden die experimentell ermittelte turbulente kinetische Energie und Dissipationsrate genutzt, um die Kollisionsfrequenz vorherzusagen. Dafür werden bestehende Modelle angewendet und deren Vorhersagen den experimentellen Ergebnissen gegenübergestellt. Weiterhin wird der Wasserkanal genutzt, um den Einfluss der turbulenten Flüssigkeitsströmung auf die Kollision zwischen einer stagnierenden Blase und den Modellpartikeln zu verdeutlichen. Neben der Untersuchung in einer verdünnten Feststoffsuspension wird auch die Blasen-Partikel-Wechselwirkung in einer dichten Strömung mit dem PEPT-Verfahren untersucht. Das PEPT-Verfahren hat das Potenzial, Suspensionen mit einem hohen Feststoffanteil zu messen, was mit optischen Trackingverfahren, wie 4D-PTV, nicht möglich ist. Für den Nachweis einzelner Partikel mit dem PEPT-Verfahren wurden radioaktive Tracerpartikel entwickelt, welche repräsentativ für die Modellpartikeln sind. Die Trajektorien der markierten Partikel werden verwendet, um die durchschnittliche Partikelverteilung im turbulenten Feld zu bestimmen und die Blasen-Partikel-Wechselwirkung zu beschreiben. Insgesamt bieten die entwickelten Methoden eine Möglichkeit die Kollision zwischen Partikeln und Blasen in einer turbulenten Strömung direkt zu untersuchen. Die gewonnenen experimentellen Daten ermöglichen es, bestehende Kollisionsmodelle zu überprüfen und das Verständnis über die Rolle von Turbulenzen in der Schaumflotation zu verbessern. / The analysis of collisions between particles and bubbles in a turbulent flow is a fundamental problem of high technological relevance, e.g. for the separation of valuable mineral particles by froth flotation. That relevance contrasts with an apparent lack of experimental data and insights into this collision process. A major issue is the limitation of available measurement techniques to directly observe the collisions between particles and bubbles. In this dissertation, novel methodologies are developed to measure the interaction between bubbles and particles under defined hydrodynamic conditions. These methodologies comprise particle tracking techniques such as 4D PTV and PEPT to triangulate the Lagrangian particle trajectories in the vicinity of a bubble and classify those which are colliding. In two experimental setups, these techniques are applied to investigate the bubble-particle interaction in turbulent flows. In a bubble column, turbulence is generated in the wake of a freely rising bubble chain, whereas in a water channel, a fluid passing through grid produces a turbulent flow upstream of a stagnant bubble. Accordingly, the turbulent flow field around these bubbles is characterized by TPIV. Firstly, the influence of the bubble wake on the bubble-particle collision is analyzed for both experimental setups with 4D PTV. It is shown that the collision of fluorescent fine particles take place not only at the leading edge but also at the trailing edge of the bubble, independently of the experimental setup. These findings are correlated with the measured TKE and dissipation rates around the bubble and in the bubble wake. Subsequently, the experimental TKE and dissipation rates are applied to existing models for collision frequency, and their predictions are discussed. Secondly, the impact of the turbulent liquid flow on the collision between a stagnant bubble and model particles is studied for a range of turbulent length scales. Besides the investigation in a dilute solid suspension, the bubble-particle interaction is also examined in a dense flow with PEPT. PEPT has the potential to measure suspensions with a high solid fraction, which could not be achieved with optical particle tracking methods. For the detection of individual particles with PEPT, radioactive tracer particles were designed to represent the bulk particles. The trajectories of the labeled particles are used to determine the average particle distribution in the turbulent field and describe the bubble-particle interactions. Overall, the developed methodologies in this dissertation provide a framework to investigate directly the collision between particles and bubble in a turbulent flow. The gained experimental validation data allows to verify existing collision models and to advance our understanding of the role of turbulence in froth flotation.

[pt] Ao longo da história a engenharia de fluidos vem se mostrado como uma das áreas mais importantes da engenharia devido ao seu impacto nas áreas de transporte, energia e militar. A medição de campos de velocidade, por sua vez, é muito importante para estudos nas áreas de aerodinâmica e hidrodinâmica. As técnicas de medição de campo de velocidade em sua maioria são técnicas ópticas, se destacando a técnica de Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Por outro lado, nos últimos anos importantes avanços na área de visão computacional, baseados em redes neurais convolucionais, se mostram promissores para a melhoria do processamento das técnicas ópticas. Nesta dissertação, foi utilizada uma abordagem híbrida entre correlação cruzada e cascata de redes neurais convolucionais, para desenvolver uma nova técnica de PIV. O projeto se baseou nos últimos trabalhos de PIV com redes neurais artificiais para desenvolver a arquitetura das redes e sua forma de treinamento. Diversos formatos de cascata de redes neurais foram testados até se chegar a um formato que permitiu reduzir o erro em uma ordem de grandeza para escoamento uniforme. Além do desenvolvimento da cascata para escoamento uniforme, gerou-se conhecimento para fazer cascatas para outros tipos de escoamentos. / [en] Throughout history, fluid engineering is one of the most important areas of engineering due to its impact in the areas of transportation, energy and the military. The measurement of velocity fields is important for studies in aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. The techniques for measuring the velocity field are mostly optical techniques, with emphasis on the PIV technique. On the other hand, in recent years, important advances in computer vision, based on convolutional neural networks, have shown promise for improving the processing of optical techniques. In this work, a hybrid approach between cross-correlation and cascade of convolutional neural networks was used to develop a new PIV technique. The project was based on the latest work of PIV with an artificial neural network to develop the architecture of the networks and their form of training. Several cascade formats of neural networks were tested until they reached a format that allowed the error to be reduced by an order of magnitude for uniform flow. In addition to the development of the cascade for uniform flow, knowledge was generated to make cascades for other types of flows.

High fidelity measurements are necessary to validate existing and future turbulence models for the purpose of producing the next generation of more efficient gas turbines. The objective of the present study is to conduct several different measurements of multi-row film cooling arrays in order to better understand the physics involved with injection of coolant through multiple rows of discrete holes into a flat plate turbulent boundary layer. Adiabatic effectiveness distributions are measured for several multi-row film cooling geometries. The geometries are designed with two different hole spacings and two different hole types to yield four total geometries. One of the four geometries tested for adiabatic effectiveness was selected for flowfield measurements. The wall and flowfield are studied with several testing techniques, including: particle image velocimetry, hot wire anemometry, pressure sensitive paint and discrete gas sampling.

Three-dimensional (3D) turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) play a crucial role in determining the aerodynamic properties of most aero-mechanical devices. However, accurately predicting these flows remains a challenge due to the complex nonlinear and nonlocal physics involved, which makes it difficult to develop universally applicable models. This limitation is particularly significant as the industry increasingly relies on simulations to make decisions in high-consequence environments, such as the certification or aircraft, and high-fidelity simulation methods that don't rely on modeling are prohibitively expensive. To address this challenge, it is essential to gain a better understanding of the physics underlying 3D TBLs. This research aims to improve the predictive accuracy of turbulence models in 3D TBLs by examining the impact of model assumptions underpinning turbulent constitutive relations, which are fundamental building blocks of every turbulence model. Specifically, the study focuses on the relevance and necessity of nonlinear and nonlocal model assumptions for accurately predicting 3D TBLs. The study considers the attached 3D boundary layer flow over the textbf{Be}nchmark textbf{V}alidation textbf{E}xperiment for textbf{R}ANS/textbf{L}ES textbf{I}nvestiagtions (BeVERLI) Hill as a test case and corresponding particle image velocimetry data for the investigation. In a first step, the BeVERLI Hill experiment is comprehensively described, and the important characteristics of the flow over the BeVERLI Hill are elucidated, including complex symmetry breaking characteristics of this flow. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations of the case using standard eddy viscosity models are then presented to establish the baseline behavior of local and linear constitutive relations, i.e., the standard Boussinesq approximation. The tested eddy viscosity models fail in the highly accelerated hill top region of the BeVERLI hill and near separation. In a further step, several nonlinear and nonlocal turbulent constitutive relations, including the QCR model, the model by Gatski and Speziale, and the difference-quotient model by Egolf are used as metrics to gauge the impact of nonlinearities and nonlocalities for the modeling of 3D TBLs. It is shown that nonlinear and nonlocal approaches are essential for effective 3D TBL modeling. However, simplified reduced-order models could accurately predict 3D TBLs without high computational costs. A constitutive relation with local second-order nonlinear mean strain relations and simplified nonlocal terms may provide such a minimal model. In a final step, the structure and response of non-equilibrium turbulence to continuous straining are studied to reveal new scaling laws and structural models. / Doctor of Philosophy / Airplanes and other flying objects rely on the way air flows around them to generate lift and stay in the sky. This airflow can be very complex, especially close to the surface of the object, where it is affected by friction with the object. This friction generates a layer of air called a boundary layer, which can become turbulent and lead to complex patterns of airflow. The boundary layer is generated by the friction between the air and the surface of the object, which causes the air molecules to "stick" to the surface. This sticking creates a layer of slow-moving air that slows down the flow of air around the object. This loss of momentum creates drag, which is one of the main factors that resist the motion of objects in the air. The slowing of the air flow in the boundary layer is due to the viscosity of the air, which is a measure of how resistant the air is to deformation. The molecules in the air have a tendency to stick together, making it difficult for them to move past each other. This resistance causes the momentum of the air to be lost as it flows over the surface of the object because air molecules close to the surface "pull" on the ones farther away. Understanding how turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) work is essential to accurately predict the airflow around these objects using computer simulations. However, it's challenging because TBLs involve complex physics that are difficult to model accurately. This research focuses on a specific type of TBL called a three-dimensional (3D) TBL. This study looks at how different assumptions affect the accuracy of computer simulations that predict this type of airflow. It is found that using more complex models that take into account nonlinear and nonlocal physics can help predict 3D TBLs more accurately. However, these models are computationally expensive, and it is also found that simpler models can work well enough and are cheaper. This research further establishes important physical relations of the mechanisms pertaining 3D TBLs that could support the advancement of current models.

In order to study three-dimensional unsteady turbulent flow fields such as the wakes of bluff bodies, a Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) system was developed. This system allows non-intrusive two-dimensional and time varying velocity measurements. Software and hardware modifications necessary to enhance the capabilities of the system were preformed, resulting in increased frequency resolution. However, due to hardware limitations and limitations inherited from the implementation of the method, space resolution is reduced. Subsequently, digital image processing tools to improve the space resolutions were developed. The advantages and limitations of the method for the study of turbulent flows are presented in detail. The developed system is employed in the documentation of time-varying turbulent flow fields. Initially we study the spanwise variation of the near wake of a low-aspect ratio, surface-mounted, circular cylinder piercing a free surface. The asymmetry of the end conditions combined with the natural unsteadiness of the vortex shedding generates a very complex flow filed which is difficult to study with conventional methods. By employing the aforementioned system we are able to reveal a departure of the two-dimensional character of the flow in the form of oblique vortex shedding. The effect of free surface on the vortex formation length and on the vortex reconnection process is documented. Near the free surface the alternate mode of vortex shedding is suppressed, leading to simultaneous shedding of vortices in the wake. Indications of vortex dislocations and change of the vortex axis in order to reconnect to the free surface are observed. Finally, a novel approach of reconstructing the three-dimensional, time -varying volume of the flow field by obtaining simultaneous measurements of Laser Doppler Velocimetry and Particle Image Velocimetry planes is presented. The same field is investigated with focus on the streamwise structures. Three-dimensional streamwise vortical structures are known to exist due to instabilities of plane shear layers. Similar streamwise vortices, also known as braid vortices have been observed in the past in the wake of circular cylinders with symmetric boundary conditions. The present spatio-temporal analysis demonstrated coexistence of two types of streamwise vortices in the wake, bilge and braid type of vortices. These may be due to the three dimensionality introduced by the free surface. In addition, the sufficient time resolution allowed the detection of the primary Von-Karman vortex through a plane of interrogation normal to the free stream, thus revealing the spanwise variation of the vortex shedding and its evolution at different downstream stations. The combination of the effect of the asymmetric boundary conditions with a free surface is investigated by adding one more source of three-dimensionality in terms of inclination of the cylinder axis. Hydrogen-bubble and particle-flow visualizations are preformed in combination with Laser-Doppler Velocimetry measurements. From both qualitative and quantitative results the effects of inclination and Froude number are documented. It is proved that the vortex shedding is suppressed for high values of the Froude number, however the inclination counteracts the vortex suppression and favors the vortex shedding mechanism. In addition, in the region of the no-slip boundary condition the flow is dominated by the effect of the horseshoe vortex. The case of a three-dimensional separated flow over a surface-mounted prism is investigated using a modified version of the system. The character of the separated from the leading edge corner shear layer and the formed separation bubble are documented in space and time along the mid-plane of symmetry of the body. Three different flows corresponding to different Reynolds numbers are studied. The unsteadiness of the flow is presented indicating a pseudo-periodic character. Large-scale, low-frequency oscillations of the shear layer that have been observed in the past using point measurement methods are now confirmed by means of a whole field velocity measurement, technique allowing a holistic view of the flow. In addition, the unsteadiness of the point of reattachment is associated with the flapping of the shear layer and the shedding of vorticity in the wake. Finally, it is demonstrated that the apparent vortex shedding mechanism of such flows is dependent on the interaction of the primary vortex of the separation bubble with a secondary vortex formed by the separation of the reverse flow boundary layer. By performing measurements with such time and space resolution the inadequacy of time averaged or point measurement methods for the treatment of such complex and unsteady flow fields becomes evident. In final case we employ Particle-Image Velocimetry to show the effect of unsteady excitation on two-dimensional separated flow over a sharp edged airfoil. It is proved that such an approach can be used to effectively control and organize the character of the flow, potentially leading to lift increase and drug reduction of bluff bodies / Ph. D.

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