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Flow visualization using reflective flakes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 August 2011
Abstract
The pattern in an image of flow visualizations using reflective flakes stems from their non-uniform orientation rather than their spatial accumulation. It is shown, based on the assumption that flakes are infinitely thin elliptic discs without inertia, that the temporal evolution of their orientations is identical to that for infinitesimal material surface elements. In general, bright regions in a visualized image are the superposition of those where the flake (i.e. the material surface element) orientation is isotropic and those where flakes tend to align in the direction for which the incident rays are reflected into the line of sight. A non-trivial example of the visualization of a steady flow in a precessing sphere is given to verify these conclusions.
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011
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Goto et al. supplementary movie
Movie 1. Experimental apparatus. The precession (at the Reynolds number 80000; the precession rate 0.002) of a spherical cavity (radius 90 mm; filled with degassed water with reflective flakes) is driven by two stepper motors. The acyclic vessel is cylindrical, and an observation window is placed at the bottom of the cylinder.
Goto et al. supplementary movie
Movie 2. Temporal evolution of the flake visualisation of the steady flow in a precessing sphere for the duration of 200 spin periods. The initial condition is the solid-body rotational flow at the Reynolds number 80000, and a weak precession (the rate of which is 0.002) is added, impulsively. A beautiful pattern, which seems quite robust, appears after about 50 spin periods. Frame rate is the twice of the real time.
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