Particle Image Velocimetry
Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is an optical measurement method to obtain instantaneous velocity fields. Small tracer particles are seeded to the fluid and these particles are illuminated by a thin laser light plane and the movement of the illuminated particles is observed by a camera. The result of PIV measurements is a 3-D-velocity field. The PIV system is mainly used for airflow measurements inside HVAC components like active chilled beams. The results can be used to validate CFD simulations and to optimize the internal airflow by identifying and eliminating poor flow patterns.