Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Funding is requested for a new particle image velocimetry (PIV) system that will be shared by researchers in mechanical and civil engineering in the wind tunnel and hydraulics laboratories at the University of Saskatchewan. PIV is a de facto laboratory standard for making air and water velocity measurements in complex three-dimensional turbulent flows. When PIV is used in a wind tunnel, the airflow is uniformly seeded with small droplets, the flow and droplets are illuminated with a laser light sheet, and the flow is imaged with a digital camera. PIV software then computes the fine details of the fluid motion at thousands of points within a plane in the flow field at one instant in time. Ultimately, PIV provides researchers with a time sequence of velocity fields within a plane in a flow. The high spatial resolution of the measurements allows researchers to study the fine details of the fluid motion. In the case of flow in a water channel, the PIV technique is the same, but the flow is uniformly seeded with small spherical particles instead of droplets. Engineering graduate students supervised by the applicants are trained on the use of PIV and employ this instrumentation in their research. Our research programs in the fields of fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, and hydraulics are helping to solve problems in the areas of aviation, agriculture, protection of water quality, and public safety. The research outcomes will impact efforts to reduce energy consumption and emissions in the aviation industry, reduce energy use and improve crop yields in large-scale agricultural applications, improve the design of storm water retention ponds to reduce impacts of pollution on our waterways, and improve public safety at dams. We note that energy, agriculture, and water security are key areas for Canada's future prosperity. The new PIV system will replace our aging PIV system (more than 20 years old) that is close to the end of its useful life, can no longer be upgraded, and for which there is no longer any technical support or maintenance services available from the manufacturer. Our laser is currently operating at only 60% of its rated power, despite replacing some of its key components, and this severely limits the types of measurements we are able to make. Our aging PIV system is heavily used and there are no similar systems at our university nor, to our knowledge, actively being used in our entire province. There is an immediate need for funds to purchase a new PIV system so as not to delay or disrupt the research and degree programs of our current graduate students, in the event that additional components of our aging system lose additional power or fail to operate. PIV is also a key component of our training program for our graduate students, as they prepare to enter the engineering workforce or begin careers in research.