3D Particle Image Detection by Using Color Encoded Illumination System

A simple new technique of particle depth position measurement, which can be applied for three-dimensional velocity measurement of fluid flows, is proposed. Two color illumination system that intensity is encoded as a function of z-coordinate is introduced. A calibration procedure is described and a profile of small sphere is detected by using the present method as preliminary test. Then, this method is applied to three-dimensional velocity field measurement of simple flow fields seeded with tracer particles. The motion of the particles is recorded by color 3CCD camera. The particle position in the image plane is read directly from the recorded image and the depth of each particle is measured by calculation of the intensity ratio of encoded two color illumination. Therefore three-dimensional velocity components are reconstructed. Although the result includes to some extent error, the feasibility of the present technique for three-dimensional velocity measurement was confirmed.