Volume illumination for two-dimensional particle image velocimetry

In particle image velocimetry experiments where optical access is limited or in microscale geometries, it may be desirable to illuminate the entire test section with a volume of light, as opposed to a two-dimensional sheet of light. With volume illumination, the depth of the measurement plane must be defined by the focusing characteristics of the recording optics. A theoretical expression for the depth of the two-dimensional measurement plane is derived and it is shown to agree well with experimental observations. Unfocused particle images, which lie outside the measurement plane, create background noise that decreases the signal-to-noise ratio of the particle-image fields. Results show that the particle concentration must be chosen judiciously in order to balance the desired spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the particle-image field.