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On the optimal window size in optical flow and cross-correlation in particle image velocimetry: application to turbulent flows

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Abstract

Two particle image velocimetry (PIV) softwares applied to turbulent flows are compared. One is based on a standard cross-correlation (CC) algorithm and the other is based on an iterative multi-pyramid optical flow (OF) algorithm. First, still particle images are used to evaluate the cut-off frequency induced by each method. Then a step response analysis highlights the capabilities of each method to minimise the effect of unresolved velocity gradients. Two different benchmarks with various turbulent length-scales, down to the Taylor microscale, are then used to analyse the velocity spectra and the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation estimation. First, a synthetic PIV dataset of homogeneous isotropic turbulence is processed and compared with direct numerical simulation (DNS) results. Then a grid turbulence wind tunnel experimental dataset is used to calculate velocity spectra and second-order structure functions, which are compared to laser Doppler velocimetry spectra. All these results point to the fact that, although OF is more diffusive and up to 5% less accurate than cross-correlation, the numerical diffusion improves the calculation of sub-window unresolved gradients and allows for direct and more robust measurement of the onset of the viscous subrange in experimental turbulent flows.

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Acknowledgements

A. G. and J.-L. A. acknowledge the support by ANRT and Photon Lines. P.-Y. P. and N. M. acknowledge the support by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) through the Investissements d’Avenir program under the Labex CAPRYSSES Project (ANR-11-LABX-0006-01), the project APR IA PRESERVE, Région Centre-Val-de-Loire (2019 134933), and the project APR IA APROPORE, Région Centre-Val-de-Loire (2017 119967). Authors would also like to thank the anonymous referee who helped improving the overall quality of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes (PMMH), UMR7636 CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France

    Antonios Giannopoulos & Jean-Luc Aider

  2. Photon Lines, Parc Pereire Bât B, 99 rue Pereire, 78100, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

    Antonios Giannopoulos

  3. University of Orléans, INSA-CVL, PRISME, EA, 4229, 45072, Orléans, France

    Pierre-Yves Passaggia & Nicolas Mazellier

  4. Department of Mathematics, Carolina Center for Interdisciplinary Applied Mathematics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Pierre-Yves Passaggia

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  1. Antonios Giannopoulos
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  2. Pierre-Yves Passaggia
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Correspondence to Antonios Giannopoulos.

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The doctoral thesis of the author A. Giannopoulos was funded by Photon Lines.

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Giannopoulos, A., Passaggia, PY., Mazellier, N. et al. On the optimal window size in optical flow and cross-correlation in particle image velocimetry: application to turbulent flows. Exp Fluids 63, 57 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-022-03410-z

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