particle image velocimetry


particle image velocimetry

[‚pärd·i·kəl ‚im·ij ‚vel·ə′säm·ə·trē] (engineering) A method of measuring local fluid velocities at thousands of locations in a fluid flow by optically observing large numbers of particles that are suspended in the fluid and move with it, using a photograph of the flow illuminated by two or more successive pulses of light or continuously for a known time interval. Also known as particle tracking velocimetry.