Particle image velocimetry as a teaching with technology resource in oscillatory laminar fluid flow

Abstract

A harmonically driven oscillatory fully developed laminar flow through a rectangular cross-sectioned duct is analytically and experimentally studied. Experimental data is gathered at low cost with a relatively easy to implement, non-commercial, do-it-yourself (DIY) particle image velocimetry (PIV) system, which is proposed here as a flexible pedagogic resource for use in physics/engineering fluid mechanics undergraduate or graduate level education. As a DIY system, its components can be generic and/or open source based, making it useful in developing countries as well. An analytical model was developed, solved, and compared to the experimental data while the key features of the oscillatory flow were recognised and reciprocally represented by theory and experiments. This validated the proposed system as a low-cost alternative to the commercially available systems and it also confirmed it as a viable pedagogical resource. Consequently, the activities described could be straightforwardly implemented into undergraduate/graduate fluid mechanics pedagogical contexts, such as lecture aids, course projects, and laboratory practices. The proposed DIY-PIV system constitutes a teaching with technology pedagogical resource on fluid mechanics physics/engineering education that is also able to function as a limited/auxiliary or even state of the art research tool, according to the budget and the objectives.