An instrumented tracer for Lagrangian measurements in Rayleigh-Bénard convection

We have developed novel instrumentation for making Lagrangian measurements of temperature in diverse fluid flows. A small neutrally buoyant capsule is equipped with on-board electronics which measure temperature and transmit the data via a wireless radio frequency link to a desktop computer. The dev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2007-03
Main Authors: Shew, Woodrow L, Gasteuil, Yoann, Gibert, Mathieu, Metz, Pascal, Jean-Francois Pinton
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computational fluid dynamics
Fluid flow
Free convection
Heat flux
Personal computers
Position measurement
Tracking
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:We have developed novel instrumentation for making Lagrangian measurements of temperature in diverse fluid flows. A small neutrally buoyant capsule is equipped with on-board electronics which measure temperature and transmit the data via a wireless radio frequency link to a desktop computer. The device has 80 dB dynamic range, resolving milli-Kelvin changes in temperature with up to 100 ms sampling time. The capabilities of these "smart particles" are demonstrated in turbulent thermal convection in water. We measure temperature variations as the particle is advected by the convective motion, and analyse its statistics. Additional use of cameras allow us to track the particle position and to report here the first direct measurement of Lagrangian heat flux transfer in Rayleigh-B{é}nard convection. The device shows promise for opening new research in a broad variety of fluid systems.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.0703245