An overview of the applications of particle image velocimetry for indoor airflow field measurement

Abstract

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a promising technique for quantifying the airflow fields in buildings, which is crucial for creating a thermal comfortable and healthy indoor environment. This investigation summarized the state-of-the-art applications of PIV in measuring indoor airflow fields. The overview shows that PIV has gradually become the most popular and versatile tools for measuring various indoor airflow fields. The quantitative and detailed turbulent flow information obtained by PIV is critical for analyzing turbulent properties and validating numerical simulations. Specifically, we analyzed the pros and cons of PIV applications and gave the typical parameters of PIV systems used in indoor airflow field measurements. For indoor PIV measurements, small-scale models are the most convenient and appropriate, but may suffer from scaling problems. Large-scale PIV measurements are still necessary, for the data obtained from full-scale models are the most realistic and reliable. The researchers should pay much more attention to the selection of an appropriate PIV system according to their specific needs. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.