SBIR Phase II: Educational Particle Image Velocimetry Suites

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目旨在开发一套低成本的教育粒子图像测速（ePIV）套件，包括硬件和软件，用于大学本科和研究生阶段的流体科学和工程教育。所提出的PIV是流体流动研究中最先进的技术，可以对流场进行可视化和定量分析。工业/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级激光器，高成本和安全考虑禁止在美国高等教育系统中采用PIV系统。目前的PIV系统通常使用两个脉冲激光器，脉冲能量为50兆焦耳/秒，脉冲持续时间为5纳秒。如果是连续激光器，这意味着总功率为10兆瓦。总之，尽管开发一个仅使用单个15毫瓦连续激光器和常规CCD相机的PIV系统非常具有挑战性，但第一阶段的结果表明它是可行的。该计划将透过开发软件，作为教学过程中的虚拟助教，来制作学习资料，学生可透过课堂内的电脑终端，透过互动实验，加深对流体流动的了解。因此，该软件将成为一种工具，可以在各种教育环境中使用，因为它作为一种教育工具的有效性，高科技的吸引力，紧凑的尺寸，低成本和安全。流体力学是一门高度可视化的学科。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，使这项技术易于获得。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和教授最先进的技术给他们的学生。该项目设想将这项新技术从技术学院带到授予学士、硕士和博士学位的机构。由于操作简单、成本低、视觉效果好，ePIV技术甚至可以用于博物馆、科学中心和类似机构，以开发科学和工程展品。这个工具也可以用来推广流体力学和科学一般甚至非科学和非工程学生。

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.