The ever accelerating state of technology has powered an increasing interest in heat transfer solutions and process engineering innovations in the microfluidics domain, many of which require reliable temperature flow diagnostic techniques. Thermo-liquid crystal (TLC) thermography has been a widely accepted and commonly used technique for the measurement of temperature fields in macroscopic flows. Furthermore, its combination with optical velocimetry techniques, such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), has provided a means to simultaneously characterize macroscopic two-dimensional (2D) temperature and velocity flow fields. Unfortunately, however, the state of technology has not allowed for this task to be carried out in microscopic flows. Low seeding density, volume illumination, and low TLC particle image quality at high magnifications present unsurpassed challenges to its application to three-dimensional flows with microscopic dimensions. In the following chapters, a combination of cutting edge technology is presented as a means to accomplish precisely this objective: to simultaneously measure time-resolved 3D temperature and velocity fields in microscopic flows where multi-camera methods and light sheets are not possible.
Rodrigo Segura
Astigmatism Particle Tracking Velocimetry TLC Thermo Liquid Crystals Thermography