SBIR Phase II: Educational Particle Image Velocimetry Suites

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在开发一种低成本的教育粒子图像测速(EPIV)套件，包括用于大学本科生和研究生院水平的流体科学和工程教育的硬件和软件。建议的PIV是流体流动研究中的最先进技术，能够对流场进行可视化和定量分析。工业级/研究级PIV系统的成本通常超过10万美元。由于使用高功率IV级激光，高昂的成本和安全考虑阻碍了PIV系统在美国高等教育系统中的应用。目前的PIV系统通常使用两个脉冲激光器，脉冲能量为50mJ/脉冲，脉冲持续时间为5纳秒。如果是连续激光，这意味着总功率为10兆瓦。总而言之，尽管开发一个只用一台15毫瓦的连续激光和一个普通的CCD摄像机工作的PIV系统是非常有挑战性的，但第一阶段的结果表明它是可行的。该项目将通过开发软件作为教育过程的虚拟教学助手来创建学习材料，学生可以通过教室中的计算机终端进行互动实验，从而加深对流体流动的理解。因此，该软件将成为一种可以在不同的教育环境中使用的工具，因为它作为一种教育工具的有效性，高科技的吸引力，紧凑的体积，低成本和安全。在教学过程中，必须充分利用这一事实。EPIV提供了充分实现这一目标的机会，使这项技术更容易获得。教育套件将以非常实惠的价格为教师提供最新的技术作为教学工具，使他们能够获得新的知识和技能，并修改他们的课程和教学实践。EPIV的低成本将允许预算非常有限的学校使用最先进的技术并将其传授给学生。该项目设想将这项新技术从技术学院带到理工学院、理工学院和授予博士学位的机构。由于操作简单、成本低、可视化程度高，ePIV技术甚至可以用于博物馆、科学中心和类似机构的科学和工程展品开发。这个工具也可以用来推广流体力学和科学，甚至对非理工科学生也是如此。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a low cost educational Particle Image Velocimetry (ePIV) suite including both hardware and software for fluid science and engineering education at university undergraduate and graduate school levels. The proposed PIV is the state of the art technology in fluid flow research that enables visual and quantitative analysis of the flow field. Industrial/research level PIV system usually costs over $100,000. The high cost and safety considerations - because of the use of high power Class IV lasers - prohibit adaptation of PIV systems in the US higher education system. Current PIV systems typically use two pulse lasers with 50 mJ/pulse energy and 5 nanossecond pulse duration. This translates to a total power of 10 mega Watts if it was a continuous laser. In summary, although it is very challenging to develop a PIV system that works with only a single 15 milliwatt continuous laser and a regular CCD camera, the Phase I outcomes indicate that it is feasible. The project will create learning materials by developing software as a virtual teaching assistant for the education process, where the students can develop enhanced understanding of fluid flow by interactive experiments through a computer terminal in the classroom. Hence, the software will be an instrument that can be used in diverse educational settings because of its effectiveness as an education tool, high-tech appeal, compact size, low cost and safety.Fluid mechanics is a highly visual subject. During the teaching process one must take full advantage of this fact. ePIV gives the opportunity to achieve this to its full extent making this technology easily accessible. The educational suite will provide faculty the latest technology as a teaching tool at a very affordable price, allowing them to acquire new knowledge and skills and to revise their curricula and teaching practices. The low cost of ePIV will allow schools with very limited budgets to use and teach the state of the art technology to their students. The project envisions bringing this new technology from technical colleges to BS, MS and Ph.D. granting institutions. Due to its simplicity of operation, low cost and being highly visual, the ePIV technology can even be used at museums, science centers and similar institutions to develop exhibits in science and engineering. This tool can also be used to promote fluid mechanics and science in general even to non-science and non-engineering students.