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Infrared thermography as a tool for thermal surface flow visualization

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Abstract

Infrared (IR) thermography is a two-dimensional, non-contact technique of temperature measurement which can be usefully exploited in a vast variety of heat transfer industrial applications as well as research fields. The present work focuses attention on thermal surface flow visualizations of several types of fluid flow studied by means of the IR imaging system and in particular: the flow over a delta wing at angle of attack; the flow generated by a disk rotating in still air; air jets impinging on a flat wall; the flow inside a 180deg turn in astatic channel with, or without, turbulence promoters; the flow inside a 180deg turn in arotating square channel. Each flow visualization is illustrated through thermographic images and/or Nusselt number maps. The emphasis is on the capability of the infrared system to study: laminar-to-turbulent transition and location of primary and secondary vortices over the delta wing at angle of attack; the spiral vortical structure developing at transition over the disk; azimuthal structures arising for certain jet conditions; the influence of the channel aspect ratio (width to height ratio) on the heat transfer coefficient distribution along the 180deg turn, as well as the influence of ribs, in the case ofstatic channel; the influence of rotation for the rotating channel.

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Abbreviations

AR :

channel aspect ratio

Bi :

Biot number,hb/λ

b :

thickness of the foil

Bu :

buoyancy parameter,μ (T ω-Tb)

c :

root chord of the delta wing

c p :

specific heat at constant pressure

D :

nozzle diameter

d :

hydraulic diameter

h :

convective heat transfer coefficient

k :

thermal conductivity of air

M :

Mach number

Nu :

Nusselt number,hd/k

q :

heat flux

R :

local radius

Re :

Reynolds number,Vc/ν

Re d :

Reynolds number,Vd/ν

Re ω :

Reynolds number,ωΔ 2/ν

Ro :

rotation number,ωd/V

s :

local wing semispan

St :

Stanton number,St=h/(ρc pV∞)

T :

emperature

V :

velocity

Z :

impingement distance

α :

angle of attack

β :

thermal expansion coefficient of air

Δ :

disk diameter

ε :

total emissivity coefficient

ε λ :

spectral emissivity coefficient

Γ :

rib inclination angle

λ :

thermal conductivity of the foil

ν :

kinematic viscosity of air

ρ :

density of air

σ :

Stefan-Boltzmann constant

ω :

angular speed

a :

ambient

aw :

adiabatic wall

b :

bulk

c :

lateral conduction

l :

losses

o :

stagnation

r :

radiative

R :

reference

w :

wall

∞ :

free stream

*:

as per Dittus-Boelter equation

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Energetica, Termofluidodinamica Applicata e Condizionamenti Ambientali (D.E.T.E.C.), Universitá degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy

    Carlomagno G. M., Cardone G., Meola C. & Astarita T.

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  1. Carlomagno G. M.
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  2. Cardone G.
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  3. Meola C.
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  4. Astarita T.
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Carlomagno, G.M., Cardone, G., Meola, C. et al. Infrared thermography as a tool for thermal surface flow visualization. J Vis 1, 37–50 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182473

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182473

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