Laser sheet scattering and the cameras' positions in particle image velocimetry

Abstract

Simulations of laser sheet scattering by microparticles, based on the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory for the case of numerous random spatial distributions of scattering particles, were done, using the novel computational time saving strategy. This type of scattering by particles immersed in a fluid flow and its recording on cameras, presents the essence of particle image velocimetry systems. The continuous and large change of the intensity of a scattered light failing on the camera causes the sequences of images of varying quality, which makes many of them useless. This paper shows how the problem could be alleviated by determining the angles of low relative standard deviation of scattered light intensity and using them for recording, as well as by avoiding the angles of high relative standard deviation of scattered light intensity.