X-ray particle image velocimetry for measuring quantitative flow information inside opaque objects

Abstract

An x-ray particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique was developed to measure quantitative information on flows inside opaque objects. To acquire x-ray images suitable for PIV velocity field measurements, refraction-based edge enhancement was employed using detectable tracer particles with the object and detector separated by an experimentally determined optimal distance. The x-ray PIV method was applied to a flow in an opaque Teflon tube. The resulting amassed velocity field data were in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions.