The HORIZON group specializes in optical and laser-based measurements of high-speed flows. Since these measurements are based on light interacting with atoms and/or molecules in the flow, they have minimal intrusion on the dynamics being studied compared to physical probes. The Flow Diagnostics Laboratory is specifically setup in TALon to prepare diagnostics for use with our wind tunnel facilities and to demonstrate novel diagnostics on a laboratory scale before application in our ground testing facilities. Optical diagnostic techniques commonly used by the HORIZON group include:
- High-Speed Schlieren Imaging
- Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
- Multibeam Focused Laser Differential Interferometry (FLDI)
- Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP)
- Temperature Sensitive Paint (TSP)
- Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF)
- Molecular Tagging Velocimetry (MTV)
- Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS)
- Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Laser-Induced Schliere Anemometry (LISA)
These techniques provide crucial information such as flow velocity, temperature, density, and more. Our group has also combined advanced data processing techniques such as DMD, POD, shock tracking, optical flow, and more to extract the maximum amount of information from our high-speed imaging data.
Notable Laboratory Equipment:
- Spectral Energies Pulse Burst Laser (10 kHz-1 MHz)
- Quantel PIV Laser (30 Hz, Dual Pulse)
- Spectra Physics QuantaRay Pro Nd:YAG Laser (10 Hz)
- Sirah Dye Laser
- Spectra Physics Solstice Ace fs-Laser with OPA
- (3) Photron SA-Z Camera (up to 2.1 Million fps)
- Photron UX-100 Camera (up to 800,000 fps)
- (2) Photron AX-100 Camera (up to 540,000 fps)
- Custom High-Speed Pulsed LEDs (up to 400 kHz)
- (2) HiCATT High-Speed Intensifier (up to 300 kHz)
- Numerous Large Schlieren Mirrors
- Spectral Energies OPO for 10-100 kHz NO and CH PLIF
