Implementation of Particle Image Velocimetry in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory

The study of fluid mechanics is essential to many industrial and commercial applications. Examples include irrigation, sewer collection, water distribution, piping, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, aerodynamics, and power generation. Therefore, it is necessary that students have a good understanding of the concepts behind these and other applications. For this reason, the Civil and Mechanical Engineering programs at the College of Engineering at California State University-Los Angeles have two related courses in their curriculum: a theory course named CE/ME 303 Fluid Mechanics I and a corresponding laboratory course named CE/ME 313 Fluid Mechanics Laboratory I. Although the theoretical course has been developed to solve certain types of real-life problems involving fluids, unless one observes what they are, the knowledge is abstract. For this reason the Fluid Mechanics laboratory CE/ME 313, introduces the students through hands-on experiments, to several mechanisms seen in the theory course. Recently, the college of engineering through collaboration between its Center for Energy and Sustainability and Interactive Flow Studies Corporation acquired two educational interactive flow visualization systems, namely FLOWCOACH and ePIV. Flow visualization with these systems provides an excellent opportunity for visual appreciation of the complexity of flow phenomena. Visualization experiments can be used to enhance the learning experience and improve understanding on the following concepts: (i) streamlines, pathlines, timelines and streaklines; (ii) laminar and turbulent flow regimes on a flat plate; (iii) boundary layer development and its associated shear stresses, vorticity and the velocity field; (iv) separation of flows past an object; (v) laminar flow over slender bodies, airfoils, or cylinders; and (vi) the development of vortices behind a moving object, among others. The paper presents some results of visualization experiments and their corresponding computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, which may be used as a basis for the development of innovative teaching modules.