A high temperature seeding technique for particle image velocimetry

Non-intrusive measurements of gas velocities via particle image velocimetry (PIV) or laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) requires entraining particles into the flow field. There are many techniques and materials available for seeding gas phase flows. However, when the flow temperatures exceed 200 °C, the available options for seed materials becomes limited. In high temperature applications refractory seed materials are required. The established technique for seeding flows with metal oxide powders is via fluidized beds by themselves or in combination with cyclone separators. These systems are fraught with problems which limit their ability to provide consistent, uniform flow seeding. In this work, we describe a technique for reliably introducing metal oxide particles into high temperature flows. The employment of pH stabilization techniques typically used to obtain stable dispersions in ceramic processing can provide a source of seed material for high temperature air flows. By pH stabilizing submicron alumina particles in ethanol, a stable dispersion is obtained which when atomized, produces a high quality aerosol. Commercial grade alumina is used with a moderate size distribution. The technique is not limited to alumina/ethanol and is also demonstrated with an alumina/H₂O system. Other ceramic powders in other polar solvents can also be used once their point of zero charge (pH_pzc) of the powder in the solvent has been determined. We present an example of the pH stabilized dispersions applied to a very challenging high temperature supersonic flow and a particle dynamics analysis across a shock. (paper)