The use of thermal imaging camera to estimate velocity profiles based on temperature distribution in a free convection boundary layer

摘要

This work describes an attempt to assess whether the temperature field from a thermal imaging camera can be converted into a velocity field with an accuracy sufficient for qualitative conducting or describing the phenomenon, i.e. when the Navier-Stokes, Fourier-Kirchhoff and continuity equations are mutually coupled. The consequence of this link between temperature fields and velocity is the possibility to for-mulate the hypothesis that knowledge of the temperature field value is theoretically synonymous with knowledge of the velocity field value. To examine this statement, both experimental and computational research were carried out. The exper-imental study involved determining the air temperature field by means of a thermal imaging camera in the vicinity of a vertical isothermal plate during free convection heat transfer. The calculation procedure leading from raw data obtained with an IR camera to the velocities has been presented. The calculation results were validated by comparing them with the results of experimental tests carried out under the same conditions. In addition, a comparative analysis using numerical calculations has also been carried out. Satisfactory compliance with current studies has been achieved in both cases.