High Framing Rate Flow Imaging System

"The proposed program is directed toward the development of a high-framing rate quantitative flow imaging system, with potential application to a wide variety of optical diagnostic techniques for reacting and nonreacting flows. The system is based around anovel "burst-mode" laser and a companion MHz frame rate CCD camera. The particular emphasis of the proposed Phase I program is to 1) extend the flexibility of the MHz imaging system by building an optimized optical parametric oscillator (OPO) to be pumpedby the burst-mode laser, and 2) to demonstrate the utility of this OPO for MHz rate Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of the CH radical, an important combustion intermediate species. The Phase II program would build upon thisdemonstration and design novel ways of attaining high-framing rate measurements of the 2D velocity field, using techniques such as Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) and Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV), as well concentration measurements of othertransient combustion species (e.g., OH, C2, etc.). The proposed quantitative high-framing-rate flow imaging system will provide unique capability for multidimensional scalar and velocity measurements in high speed, reacting flows. The proposed system hasthe potential to perform modern optical diagnostic measurements at Mhz rates."