Development of a low-cost micro-PIV and the study of the velocity fields during two-phase flow inside microscale channels by the use of this technique

• Grant number: 12/02297-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: June 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Principal Investigator: Gherhardt Ribatski
• Grantee: Gherhardt Ribatski
• Visiting researcher: Timothy Allen Shedd
• Visiting researcher institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), United States
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This proposal concerns a grant to Professor Timothy A. Shedd to act as researcher and guest lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of EESC-USP for a period of 10 months during his sabbatical from the University of Wisconsin. Professor Shedd received his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is currently Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he has been conducting research with distinguished success in the area of instrumentation applied to multiphase flows. At EESC-USP, Professor Shedd together with undergraduate and graduate students will develop a low cost micro-PIV to characterize two-phase flows inside microscale channels. Once the optical device and the image processing program were developed, they will be used to obtain velocity field data of adiabatic two-phase and convective boiling flows in microscale channels. Additionally to research activities, Professor Shedd will lecture a 15 weeks course at EESC-USP on Instrumentation and Data Analysis for the Study of Multiphase Flows having the following outlines: i) Basic Heat Transfer Measurements: In-tube evaporation and condensation pressure drop and heat transfer ii) Data Processing; iii) Visualization for a deeper understanding; iv) Optical measurements; v) Electromagnetic Sensors; vi) Data Analysis and Correlating Data. It should be highlighted that the graduate program in Mechanical Engineering at EESC-USP has a high number of students performing experimental studies on multiphase flow. It should be highlighted that the visit of Prof. Shedd will corroborate the internationalization efforts of the Graduate Program in Mechanical Engineering from EESC-USP as well as of the entire educational graduate system of the State of São Paulo (AU)