Advanced Laser Diagnostics Laboratory (ALDL) and Three-Dimensional High Speed Imaging
Research by: Dr. Brian Thurow
Dr. Thurow has been working on developing the Advanced Laser Diagnostics Laboratory (ALDL) since his arrival at Auburn University. The ALDL specializes in the development and application of advanced laser diagnostics for aerodynamic measurements. The highlight of the laboratory is a one-of-a-kind, home-built pulse burst laser system that can produce high energy laser pulses at repetition rates between 10 Hz and 10 MHz. Used with an ultra-high-speed camera, flow field imaging at up to 10,000,000 frames per second can be achieved.
Dr. Thurow also recently received a Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award through the Army Research Office (ARO) that will enable the purchase a camera capable of recording images at up to 1,000,000 frames per second. In addition, he has received funding through the Department of Defense and will be receiving a 3 year grant through the ARO's Young Investigator's Program to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) imaging technique based on high-speed imaging technology. For 3-D imaging, a laser sheet formed by the pulse burst laser is rapidly scanned through the flow field. A high-speed camera is used to capture images of the flow as the laser sheet sweeps through the flow field, from which a 3-D image can be reconstructed. The laboratory is also developing a variety of other techniques including a micro planar laser induced fluorescence (micro-PLIF) technique with resolution on the order of 1 micron, a high-speed 3-D particle image velocimetry (3-D PIV) system and a 3-D density measurement technique based on acetone fluorescence. Applications for these techniques include high Reynolds number turbulence, aero-optics, micro-fluidics, missile/rocket aerodynamics, SCRAMJet engines, internal combustion engines and dusty plasmas.
