Development of multi-spectral three-dimensional micro particle tracking velocimetry11Originally presented in 11th International Symposium on Particle Image Velocimetry, Santa Barbara, California, September 14–16, 2015.

Abstract

The color-coded 3D micro particle tracking velocimetry system (CC3DμPTV) is a volumetric velocimetry technique that uses the defocusing digital particle image velocimetry (DDPIV) approach to reconstruct the 3D location of the particle. It is suited for microscopic flow visualization because of the single camera configuration. However, several factors limit the performance of the system. In this study, the limitation of the CC3DμPTV is discussed in detail and a new concept of a multi-camera 3D μ-PTV system is proposed to improve the performance of the original CC3DμPTV system. The system utilizes two dichroic beam splitters to separate the incoming light into 3 spectral ranges, and image with three monochrome image sensors. The use of a color-matched light source, off-center individual pinhole and monochrome image sensors allow the system to achieve better sensitivity and optical resolution. The use of coherent lasers light sources with high-speed cameras improves the velocity measurement dynamic range. The performance of the proposed multi-spectral system is first evaluated with a simulation model based on the finite element method (FEM). The performance is also compared numerically with the CC3DμPTV system. The test results show significant improvements on the signal to noise ratio and optical resolution.