Laser Doppler Velocimeter Measurements Research Articles

Numerical and experimental investigation of flow characteristics in natural gas pipe

To measure the natural gas flow in the natural gas pipeline, a flow measurement method based on a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) is proposed, and the flow field in the natural gas pipeline is accurately measured. The flow laws of the flow field in the pipeline are obtained. In this paper, the influence of the jet flow on the flow field in the main pipe during the injection of tracer particles is analyzed by numerical calculations, and the reliability of the calculation is verified by the LDV test. The results show that the influence of the jet on the flow field in the main pipe weakens rapidly within a short distance, which provides good conditions for measuring the flow in the LDV test pipeline. The error between the flow measured by LDV and the turbine standard device is within 0.47%. Meanwhile, the uncertainty of the LDV measurement test system of a natural gas pipeline is evaluated. The system uncertainty is less than 2%, which satisfies the uncertainty requirements of the metering system, verifying the feasibility of the LDV metering flow and providing a reliable basis for the accurate metering of natural gas.

Position observation-based calibration method for an LDV/SINS integrated navigation system.

With the advantages of high velocity measurement accuracy and fast dynamic response, the laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) is expected to replace the odometer to be combined with a strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) to form a higher precision integrated navigation system. However, LDV scale factor error and misalignment angles between LDV and inertial measurement unit will affect the accuracy of navigation. Considering that not all global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers can directly provide velocity information and current mainstream calibration methods are sensitive to the measurement noise and outliers of velocity and position information, a robust calibration method aided by GNSS is proposed in this paper, which is based on position observation. Different from current popular calibration methods, the attitude information of the GNSS/SINS integrated navigation system obtained by an adaptive Kalman filter is used to construct the observation vector together with LDV velocity outputs and GNSS position outputs in this method. The LDV scale factor error and the misalignment angle are determined by the ratio of two observation vector modulus and the Davenport's q-method method, respectively. The accuracy and robustness of the calibration method are verified by one vehicle test with normal GNSS signals and one vehicle test with GNSS signals with outliers. And the horizontal position error of dead reckoning of the calibrated LDV/SINS integrated system are less than 0.0314% and 0.1033% of the mileage, respectively.

Turbine design dependency to turbulence: An experimental study of three scaled tidal turbines

In this paper the turbulence effects are studied for three rotors mounted on the same instrumented hub. Two scaled models of industrial turbines and one open-geometry turbine are considered. The turbulence characteristics are obtained from 2D Laser Doppler Velocimeter measurements and the turbine behaviour is analysed from thrust and torque measurements. Three turbulence intensities and a large range of tip speed ratios and flow velocities are considered. The results are anonymised in order to ensure confidentiality. The rotors have different blade profiles, blade numbers and solidity. The rotor design largely modifies the mean power and thrust coefficients. The turbulence intensity only slightly changes these results but has a larger influence on the fluctuating loads than the different rotor designs. The spectral analysis of the rotor torque and thrust shows that, at low frequencies the load variations are correlated to those of the flow velocity with some differences due to the turbulence intensity levels. The coherences between the loads and the velocity seem to be not affected by the rotor type. At high frequencies, the load variations are correlated to the speed control unit of the scaled model and the rotor design has an impact on the rotational speed and loads coherences.

An Unsteady Pressure Probe for the Measurement of Flow Unsteadiness in Tidal Channels

An unsteady five-hole probe has been developed for the measurement of turbulent flow in tidal channels. Such measurements are vital for accurate prediction of unsteady loads on tidal turbines. Existing field-based velocimeters are either unable to capture the required range of frequencies or are too expensive to profile the variation of turbulence across a typical tidal power site, and thus the available data is inadequate for turbine design. This work adapts the traditional five-hole wind tunnel probe to achieve a low-cost device with sufficient frequency range for tidal turbine applications. The main issue in the marine environment is that the ambient hydrostatic pressure is much higher than the dynamic pressure. This has been overcome by using novel calibration coefficients and differential transducers. In flume tank tests against laser Doppler velocimeter measurements, the frequency response of the probe has been shown to be sufficient to capture all the frequencies necessary for tidal turbine design.

LDV measurements of particle fluctuation velocities in dilute gravity-driven gas-particle flows

Particle instantaneous velocities were measured by a laser-Doppler velocimeter (LDV) in a vertical channel, where particles were supplied from the top of the channel and gas superficial velocity was close to zero. According to kinetic theory of granular flows, particle instantaneous velocities are decomposed into two components, a local Eulerian velocity that represents bulk motion of neighboring particles and a residual component, by three different local averaged methods. Results indicate that the local averaged method based on inter-particle collision time fails to accurately estimate the rapid variation of local Eulerian velocity. In contrast, the local Eulerian velocity estimated by both the simple moving averaged method and the robust local regression method could well represent the collective motions of neighboring particles. Moreover, the magnitude of the residual component (i.e., granular temperature) estimated by the robust local regression method was less sensitive to the number of neighboring data points used in the decomposition process. Overall trends of granular temperature and particle-phase turbulent kinetic energy in the wall normal direction are different from each other, indicating that the granular temperature and particle-phase turbulent kinetic energy must be treated separately to accurately predict energy balance. The probability density function of the residual component is compared with a Gaussian distribution. At the center of the channel, it follows a Gaussian distribution, while in the vicinity of the wall it retains a long tail.

High-Accuracy SINS/LDV Integration for Long-Distance Land Navigation

Since the conventional strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS)- and odometer (OD)-integrated navigation has certain limitations, such as suffering from scale factor variation and being affected by wheel slipping and skidding, we present a high-accuracy integrated navigation system that uses both the SINS and laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) for land vehicles to overcome these problems. We took the lever-arm residual and boresight errors into consideration and formed a complete 21-state Kalman filter to accomplish integrated navigation and precise sensor-to-sensor calibration. The observability analysis of the SINS/LDV system provides valuable insights into the conditions under which the states can be estimated. In addition, the summed measurement model and sequential Kalman filter calculation are deduced to make full use of the nonholonomic constraints (NHC) and LDV measurements. Finally, a long-distance experiment (230 km) with a navigation-grade IMU demonstrated that positioning accuracies of better than 0.02% of the distance travelled can be achieved in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

LDV measurements of particle velocity distribution and annular film thickness in a turbulent fluidized bed

Local particle velocity and annular film thickness in a 4.8m-high, 0.15m-ID turbulent fluidized bed (TFB) were determined with a Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) at several axial heights. The effects of superficial gas velocities (0.47–0.94m/s), initial bed heights (0.3–0.5m), and particle sizes (mean diameter is 164μm and 89μm, respectively) on particle velocity and annular film thickness were investigated at ambient conditions. When superficial gas velocity or initial bed height was increased, the radial profile of particle velocity became significantly non-uniform. Additionally, the core-annulus flow pattern was observed in TFB. The annular film layer narrowed along the axis, but widened with the increase of initial bed height or superficial gas velocity. When compared particles with diameter of 164μm, the smaller particles were more sensitive to the change of operating conditions. The particles with diameter of 89μm showed more non-uniform radial profiles of particle velocity and a wider annulus. Based on effects of operating conditions, measurement height, and particle sizes, a new correlation was developed to predict the annular film thickness in turbulent fluidized bed. A good agreement was obtained between the predicted results and experimental data.

Laser Doppler imaging of delamination in a composite T-joint with remotely located ultrasonic actuators

This paper presents an experimental study on the interaction of ultrasonic guided waves with delamination in the web–flange interface of a co-cured, co-bonded composite T-joint. A complex interaction of waves is induced, first, by one, and, later, by two piezoceramic wafer(s) bonded on the inner surface of the flange. The flange surface velocity distributions are reconstructed from the scanning laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) measurements to study the effect of a delamination overlapping the web–flange interface. The surface-bonded piezoelectric actuator(s) placed remotely on the flange produce primarily anti-symmetric wave incidence to the delamination. A two-stage wave mode conversion process, one due to the web and joint filler, and the other due to the delamination underneath the flange is observed. First, we address the problem of identification of delamination by ultrasonic contrast imaging of the web–flange interface using a single actuator. This study is extended further to enhance the ultrasonic contrast imaging at the web–flange interface using a standing wave. A quantitative methodology based on mode conversion strength is developed to monitor different structural features like free-edge, web–flange interface and delamination. The results show the complex nature of the conversion of flexural waves to in-plane waves through the deltoid and along the web–flange interface.

Experimental investigation of the vortex breakdown in a lean premixing prevaporizing burner

The spiral vortex breakdown has been experimentally studied in the flow field generated by a lean premixing prevaporizing (LPP) combustor model. The vortex breakdown structures are characterized by a solid-body rotation. Hence, phase-locked laser Doppler velocimeter measurements, performed in a meridional plane, have allowed reconstruction of the periodic velocity and Reynolds stress fields within a time period and in a relative cylindrical frame of reference. Then, the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production term has been computed. The velocity distribution analysis indicates that a spiral vortex core wraps around an inner reverse flow zone. Both are characterized by a precessing motion. Then, the main contributions to the TKE production have been identified together with their spatial locations. Their distribution indicates that the maxima are placed in two regions: one located between the inner reverse flow and the spiral vortex and the second between the spiral vortex core and the external nearly quiescent fluid. In the latter, the TKE production term distributions have the features of a Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instability. In the former, the TKE production seems to be related to a Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instability only at the interface between the bubble and the spiral vortex core.

LDV measurement of boundary layer on rotating blade surface in wind tunnel

Wind turbines generate electricity due to extracting energy from the wind. The rotor aerodynamics strongly depends on the flow around blade. The surface flow on the rotating blade affects the sectional performance. The wind turbine surface flow has span-wise component due to span-wise change of airfoil section, chord length, twisted angle of blade and centrifugal force on the flow. These span-wise flow changes the boundary layer on the rotating blade and the sectional performance. Hence, the thorough understanding of blade surface flow is important to improve the rotor performance. For the purpose of clarification of the flow behaviour around the rotor blade, the velocity in the boundary layer on rotating blade surface of an experimental HAWT was measured in a wind tunnel. The velocity measurement on the blade surface was carried out by a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). As the results of the measurement, characteristics of surface flow are clarified. In optimum tip speed operation, the surface flow on leading edge and r/R=0.3 have large span-wise velocity which reaches 20% of sectional inflow velocity. The surface flow inboard have three dimensional flow patterns. On the other hand, the flow outboard is almost two dimensional in cross sectional plane.

Obstacle-induced spiral vortex breakdown

An experimental investigation on vortex breakdown dynamics is performed. An adverse pressure gradient is created along the axis of a wing-tip vortex by introducing a sphere downstream of an elliptical hydrofoil. The instrumentation involves high-speed visualizations with air bubbles used as tracers and 2D Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV). Two key parameters are identified and varied to control the onset of vortex breakdown: the swirl number, defined as the maximum azimuthal velocity divided by the free-stream velocity, and the adverse pressure gradient. They were controlled through the incidence angle of the elliptical hydrofoil, the free-stream velocity and the sphere diameter. A single helical breakdown of the vortex was systematically observed over a wide range of experimental parameters. The helical breakdown coiled around the sphere in the direction opposite to the vortex but rotated along the vortex direction. We have observed that the location of vortex breakdown moved upstream as the swirl number or the sphere diameter was increased. LDV measurements were corrected using a reconstruction procedure taking into account the so-called vortex wandering and the size of the LDV measurement volume. This allows us to investigate the spatio-temporal linear stability properties of the flow and demonstrate that the flow transition from columnar to single helical shape is due to a transition from convective to absolute instability.

Experimental and numerical study on the flapping motion of submerged turbulent plane jet

A submerged, vertical turbulent plane water jet impinging onto a free surface will be self-excited into a flapping oscillation when the jet velocity, leaving the jet orifice, exceeds a critical value. The flapping phenomenon was verified simultaneously in this paper by laser Doppler velocimeter measurement and numerical analyses with volume of fluid approach coupled with a large eddy simulation turbulent model. The general agreement of mean velocities between numerical predictions and experimental results in self-similar region is good for two cases: Reynolds numbers 2090 and 2970, which correspond to the stable impinging jet and flapping jet. Results show that the flapping jet is a new flow pattern for submerged turbulent plane jets with characteristic flapping frequency, and that the decay of the mean velocity along the jet centerline is considerably faster than that of the stable impinging state.

Evolution of Gas Velocities Behind Flamelets in a Premixed Turbulent Bunsen Flame

In an earlier study of turbulent premixed Bunsen flames, we employed a two-component laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) system and a three-element electrostatic probe to investigate influences of flamelets on local gas velocities in the reaction-sheet regime. Because the two-component LDV does not provide complete information about the gas velocity and the three-element probe does not provide complete information on the direction of flamelet motion, it was not possible to fully explain the results of the LDV measurements correctly. To remedy this difficulty so that the explanations can be completed, in the present work the two-component LDV is replaced by a three-component LDV and the three-element probe is replaced by a four-element probe, which provide full information on the direction of flamelet motion. The new LDV system was employed to measure the three components of velocity at a midflame point on the centerline of a propane–air flame of equivalence ratio 1.10 on a 26-mm-diameter Bunsen burner with fully developed turbulent pipe flow upstream at a Reynolds number of 6700. The LDV measurement volume was 1 mm below the leading electrode of the four-element electrostatic probe that provided the velocity and direction of motion of flamelets in the turbulent flame brush. It was found that when the coordinate system was rotated about a vertical axis to the plane containing the flamelet velocity vector, most of the burnt-gas motion following flamelet passage often remained largely in this plane, although in many cases a nearly constant rate of rotation about this plane was detected. The sequence of LDV data for gas motion in the burnt gas consistently showed movement beginning first in a direction different from that of flamelet passage, then gradually rotating until finally becoming the direction of flamelet passage. This behavior is explained qualitatively by considerations of momentum conservation and of the nature of the LDV measurements. Earlier speculations concerning the role of buoyancy are thereby resolved, now showing that buoyancy is not the principle controlling phenomenon, and additional information about turbulence structures in these flames is obtained.

Laser-optical and numerical Research of the flow inside the lubricating gap of a journal bearing model

The laser-optical research of the flow inside the lubricating gap of a journal bearing model is one important task in a larger overall project. The long-term objective is the development of an easy-to-work calculation tool which delivers information about the causes and consequences of cavitation processes in hydrodynamically lubricated journal bearings. Hence, it will be possible to find statements for advantageous and disadvantageous geometrical shapes of the bushings. In conclusion such a calculation tool can provide important insights for the construction and design of future journal bearings. Current design programs are based on a two-dimensional approach for the lubricating gap. The first dimension is the breath of the bearing and the second dimension is the circumferential direction of the bearing. The third dimension, the expansion of the gap in radial direction, will be neglected. Instead of an exact resolution of the flow pattern inside the gap, turbulence models are in use. Past studies on numerical and experimental field have shown that inside the lubricating gap clearly organized and predominantly laminar flow structures can be found. Thus, for a detailed analysis of the reasons and effects of cavitation bubbles, a three-dimensional resolution of the lubricating gap is inevitable. In addition to the qualitative evaluation of the flow with visualization experiments it is possible to perform angle-based velocity measurements inside the gap with the help of a triggered Laser-Doppler- Velocimeter (LDV). The results of these measurements are used to validate three-dimensional CFD flow simulations, and to optimize the numerical mesh structure and the boundary conditions. This paper will present the experimental setup of the bearing model, some exemplary results of the visualization experiments and LDV measurements as well as a comparison between experimental and numerical results.

Flow behavior of polypropylenes with different molecular structures in a coat-hanger die

An experimental investigation of the flow behavior of three polypropylene melts with different molecular structures during extrusion through a coat-hanger die is presented. Two linear and one long-chain branched material, rheologically characterized in shear and elongation, were investigated. Using laser–Doppler velocimeter measurements of the velocity profiles across the gap height were performed at five various locations along the die. The uniformity of the velocity distribution along the die has been assessed using the maximum velocities v0 of the corresponding velocity profiles across the gap. The velocity distribution along the die changes with throughput and temperature. Regarding the rheological properties, it was found that the power-law index of the viscosity as a function of shear rate has a decisive influence on the uniformity of flow but that the pronounced strain hardening in elongation typical of the long-chain branched polypropylene is not reflected by the velocity distribution along the die. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

Effects of two-dimensional V-shaped grooves on turbulent channel flow

Detailed Laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) measurements have been carried out in a turbulent rectangular channel flow with one rough wall. The roughness elements of two-dimensional spanwise 120° V-shaped grooves are periodically arranged with different depths and pitches. The Reynolds number based on the centerline velocity, and the channel half height ranges from 2,740 to 20,000. The comparisons of turbulence statistics over smooth and rough walls indicate that the present roughness leads to a significant change in the turbulence both in the inner and in the outer flow. Particularly, the distribution density of the grooves is a key parameter to evaluate the effect of roughness. The low-Reynolds-number dependence of turbulence statistics is also observed. The rough walls with the same pitch-to-depth ratio exhibit the equivalent roughness function under the corresponding Reynolds numbers. The disagreement of velocity defect profiles between smooth and rough walls challenges the defect universal law. The variations of the turbulence stresses and Reynolds shear stress decomposition in the outer layer suggest that the turbulent motions may be modified by the present grooves. The importance of sweep events for the present groove-roughened walls is reflected by the differences in relative contribution to Reynolds shear stress from each quadrant and the higher-order moments over smooth and rough walls.

Behavior of mine tailings under cyclic hydraulic loading

Shallow water cover is one of the most effective methods of managing sulfide-bearing reactive mine tailings. Unless sufficient water cover depth is provided, surface erosion by wind-induced waves and pressure-driven currents can re-suspend the tailings and expose them to dissolved oxygen and affect the quality of the water cover. The present study gives a simple approach for the estimation of the critical shear stress for surface erosion of mine tailings and cohesive sediments under shallow water cover. Erosion tests were carried out in a Plexiglas laboratory annular column on mine tailings and sediments under a 50 cm water cover. The annular column was 30 cm in diameter, 120 cm in height and had a 9 cm annular flow width. Shear stress was introduced through a motor driven Teflon stirrer to investigate the initiation of motion and subsequent re-suspension of newly deposited mine tailings and sediments. The velocity field and the pressure change in the boundary layer were measured by laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) and Preston tube, respectively. The ranges of critical shear stress for the tailings and sediments were estimated by the LDV and Preston tube measurements and visual observation. The results showed that the erosion behavior of most of the mine tailings can be explained by a power law erosion equation.

Large Eddy Simulations and Experiments of Flow Around Finite-Height Cylinders

The paper presents experimental and numerical results for the flow around a surface-mounted circular cylinder at the two height-to-diameter ratios of 2.5 and 5. The Reynolds number based on approach flow velocity and cylinder diameter is 43,000 and 22,000 for these two cases and the boundary layer of the approach flow has a thickness of about 10% of the cylinder height. The experiments comprise both flow visualizations with dye and laser Doppler velocimeter measurements of all mean velocity and fluctuation components. The numerical study is performed by an elaborate large eddy simulation on a staggered Cartesian grid using the immersed boundary method. The instantaneous flow behaviour including the shedding is analysed with information based on animations. For the long cylinder alternating shedding is found to occur over most of the height while for the shorter cylinder the shedding is observed mainly near the ground where it is also mostly alternating but intermittently also symmetrical. The mean-flow behaviour is analysed with the aid of streamlines and contour plots of mean-velocity and fluctuation components in various planes and a detailed comparison of LES and LDV results is provided, showing generally good agreement. The LES with very fine resolution near the free end allow a detailed study of the complex flow in this region with owl-face topology on the end wall previously observed in experiments. Behind the cylinder, the longitudinal recirculation region, the downstream development of tip vortices and the emergence of trailing vortices further downstream are analysed. The sum of the results, together with those from previous studies that were reviewed extensively, provides a comprehensive picture of the very complex flow behaviour.

Large Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Flow Through Submerged Vegetation

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are performed for an open channel flow through idealized submerged vegetation with a water depth (h) to plant height (hp) ratio of h/hp = 1.5 according to the experimental configuration of Liu et al. (J Geophys Res Earth Sci, 2008). They used a 1D laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) to measure longitudinal and vertical velocities as well as turbulence intensities along several verticals in the flow and the data are used for the validation of the present simulations. The code MGLET is used to solve the filtered Navier–Stokes equations on a Cartesian non-uniform grid. In order to represent solid objects in the flow, the immersed boundary method is employed. The computational domain is idealized with a box containing 16 submerged circular cylinders and periodic boundary conditions are applied in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The predicted streamwise as well as vertical mean velocities are in good agreement with the LDV measurements. Furthermore, fairly good agreement is found between calculated and measured streamwise and vertical turbulence intensities. Large-scale flow structures of different shapes are present in the form of vortex rolls above the vegetation tops as well as locally generated trailing and von- Karman-type vortices due to flow separation at the free end and the sides of the cylinders. In this paper, the flow field is analyzed statistically and evidence is provided for the existence of these structures based on the LES.

Effect of depth on flow over a fixed dune

Laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) measurements were carried out to study the effect of depth on the flow over a train of fixed two-dimensional dunes. Conventionally averaged velocity and turbulence parameters reveal large peaks in the streamwise and vertical components of turbulent intensities and shear stress, along the shear layer emanating from the dune crest. A secondary peak in the streamwise turbulence profiles some distance beyond the shear layer indicates maintenance of turbulence generated on the previous dune and convection of the flow history from one dune to the next. Analyses based on triple products and quadrant decomposition of velocity fluctuations reveals the central role of the shear layer in dictating the flow properties over the entire depth. The depth influences the flow in the near-bed region and the length of the separation zone is longer at a shallower depth. The streamwise mean profiles collapse onto a single curve in the outer region beyond the shear layer, indicating a degree of similarity and independence from the near-bed flow. The profiles of the vertical component of turbulence reveal a systematic dependence on flow depth, with lower turbulence intensity at larger depths. The quantitative effect of flow depth is evident in the measurements at all levels, including triple products and quadrant decomposition.