Turbulent heat flux measurement in a non-reacting round jet, using BAM:Eu super(2+) phosphor thermography and particle image velocimetry

Turbulent mixing is highly important in flows that involve heat and mass transfer. Information on turbulent heat flux is needed to validate the mixing models implemented in numerical simulations. The calculation of turbulent heat fluxes requires instantaneous information on temperature and velocity. Even using minimally intrusive laser optical methods, simultaneous measurement of temperature and velocity is still a challenge. In this study, thermographic phosphor particles are used for simultaneous thermometry and velocimetry: conventional particle image velocimetry is combined with temperature-dependent spectral shifts of BAM:Eu super(2+) phosphor particles upon UV excitation. The novelty of this approach is the analysis of systematic errors and verification using the well-known properties of a heated turbulent jet issuing into a low velocity, cold coflow. The analysis showed that systematic errors caused by laser fluence, multiple scattering, or preferential signal absorption can be reduced such that reliable measurement of scalar fluxes becomes feasible, which is a prerequisite for applying the method to more complex heat transfer problems.