Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Funds are requested for the purchase of a Nd:YAG dual cavity pulsed laser system for non-intrusive fluid flow measurements and visualization. The requested laser system is a necessary major component to complete a new particle image velocimetry (PIV) diagnostics facility developing in the combustion and energy systems laboratory at Concordia University. The new PIV system established in the laboratory will represent an important infrastructure to measure the instantaneous global velocity field in a flowing fluid, and such diagnostics facility is essential to the proposed research in the short- and long-term. The requested laser system is very compact and portable that can be easily adapted for different research projects. This laser system will be used continuously as an effective flow measurement tool by the applicant who have diverse research areas from fundamental research of classical vortex and surface wave dynamics, combustion dynamics, to more applied engineering subject in wind power, where laser diagnostics and PIV flow measurement play a significant role. The proposed laser together with other NSERC funded infrastructures such as the wind tunnel and shock tube will be used by at least 5 graduate students in the coming four years, and will be fully utilized on other research projects in the future. The requested equipment is also a necessary replacement of an old NSERC funded laser owned by Dr. Siddiqui, who recently moved from Concordia University to the University of Western Ontario bringing with him all his equipments which are no longer available for the applicant. The projects supported by this equipment belong to the alternative energy and environmental research which are target areas focused by NSERC and Concordia's strategic plan.