Validation of a Three Dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry Software

Abstract

In the present research, the three dimensional particle tracking software OpenPTV is validated with synthetic images from the Standard PIV project by the Visualization Society of Japan, and with experimental data from the twin-jet facility at the Laser Diagnostics Multiphase Flow Laboratory in Texas A&M University. OpenPTV is an open source software, initially developed at ETH Zurich and now used among what has become the OpenPTV consortium, a collection of academic institutions with interest in experimental fluid mechanics who want to develop a better software for everyone.

The software is tested with regard to particle detection, particle position and velocity reconstruction in three dimensional space, as well as individual particle trajectory reconstruction. For the experimental assessment, the OpenPTV results are compared with a Laser Doppler Velocimetry study, as well as results from the in-house two dimensional particle tracking velocimetry software. As contributions to the consortium, the author wrote a calibration code to be implemented in the OpenPTV software which will facilitate processing and improve performance as well as a post-processing script which allows ensemble averaging and computes various fluid mechanics metrics.