Application of stereoscopic tracking velocimetry for experimental and numerical investigation of directional solidification

• Published in: Experimental thermal and fluid science Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 203 - 212
• Main Authors: Lee, D.J., Cha, S.S., Ramachandran, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Directional solidification; Exact sciences and technology; Growth from melts; zone melting and refining; Materials science; Methods of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth; Particle tracking; Phase diagrams and microstructures developed by solidification and solid-solid phase transformations; Physics; Solidification; Stereoscopic tracking; Velocimetry; Directional solidification; Particle tracking; Stereoscopic tracking; Velocimetry; Particle tracking velocimetry; Liquid solid interface; Stereoscopy; Digital simulation; Growth interface; Natural convection; Experimental study; Marangoni effect; Algorithms; Neural networks; Velocity measurement; Heat transfer; Crystal growth from melts
• ISSN: 0894-1777; 1879-2286
• DOI: 10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2005.05.007

A previously reported stereoscopic tracking velocimetry (STV) is further refined and applied to measure directional solidification. The flow involves complicated three-dimensional (3-D) convection, being subject to both buoyancy and surface tension forces in addition to conjugate conduction. For our STV, the 3-D tracking of numerous particles is the most important and challenging process. Here, the performances of the tracking algorithms, which are based on artificial neural networks, are first presented with a brief summary of the STV principles. The 3-D experiment measurements of the convective phenomena are then discussed together with the results from two-dimensional numerical modeling for qualitative comparison.