Second order and transverse flow visualization through three-dimensional particle image velocimetry in millimetric ducts

Despite recent advances in 3D particle image velocimetry (PIV), challenges remain in measuring small-scale 3D flows, in particular flows with large dynamic range. This study presents a scanning 3D-PIV system tailored for oscillatory flows, capable of resolving transverse flows less than a percent of the axial flow amplitude. The system was applied to visualize transverse flows in millimetric straight, toroidal, and twisted ducts. Two PIV analysis techniques, stroboscopic and semi-Lagrangian PIV, enable the quantification of net motion as well as time-resolved axial and transverse velocities. The experimental results closely align with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations performed in a digitized representation of the experimental model. The proposed method allows the examination of periodic flows in systems down to microscopic scale and is particularly well-suited for applications that cannot be scaled up due to their complex, multi-physics nature. •3D scanning Particle Image Velocimetry system for measuring oscillating flows.•Stroboscopic and semi-Lagrangian Particle Image Velocimetry analysis.•Net motion and time-resolved flow quantification with two analysis methods.•Validation of experimental data with computational fluid dynamics simulations.•Effect of geometry on transverse flow in millimetric ducts.