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Aerodynamic Flow Visualization

Summary

Examples of visualization outputs
Examples of visualization outputs including schlieren imaging and laser light scattering.

This effort uses advanced fluid flow visualization and flow diagnostic techniques to better-understand the role of fluid dynamics in our Safety & Security focus area. Laser light sheet imaging is used to visualize the generation, evolution, transport and spread airborne particles. This is particularly useful for visualizing the spread of hazardous contamination during the manufacturing of improvised explosive devices and illegal drug mixtures, along with visualizing gun shot residue plumes. Schlieren imaging allows one to visualize air movement and is used to optimize vapor sampling and detection, and helps demonstrate the fluid dynamics of canine olfaction . Schlieren is also used for public health communication by studying human breathing and coughing, with and without a mask or face covering. These visualization techniques are coupled with high speed videography, enabling high-resolution and high-frame rate imaging of rapid events such as air jet blasting (for non-contact sampling), airborne microparticle transport, rapid thermal desorption of contraband materials, gun shot residue ejection from firearms, shockwave propagation from explosions.

Description

Flow Visualization
Flow Visualization
Use of schlieren imaging to study dog sniffing to improve vapor detection.

Other videos:

Publications

"Filter Inserts Impact Cloth Mask Performance against Nano- to Micro-Sized Particles" James G. Radney, Jamie L. Weaver, Edward P. Vicenzi, Matthew E. Staymates, and Christopher D. Zangmeister, ACS Nano 2021, 15, 8, 12860–12868.

"Hydration of Hydrophilic Cloth Face Masks Enhances the Filtration of Nanoparticles" Christopher D. Zangmeister, James G. Radney, Matthew E. Staymates, Edward P. Vicenzi, and Jamie L. Weaver, ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2021, 4, 3, 2694–2701.

"Flow visualization of an N95 respirator with and without an exhalation valve using schlieren imaging and light scattering" Matthew Staymates. Physics of Fluids 2020 32, 111703.

"Net weights: Visualizing and quantifying their contribution to drug background levels in forensic laboratories" Edward SiscoMatthew E. StaymatesLaura M. Watt, Forensic Chemistry, 2020, 20, 100259.

"An easy to implement approach for laboratories to visualize particle spread during the handling and analysis of drug evidence" Edward Sisco, Matthew E. Staymates, Amber Burns. Forensic Chemistry, 2020, 18, 100232.

"Optimization of confined direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS)" Edward Sisco, Matthew E. Staymates and Thomas P. Forbes, Analyst, 2020, 145, 2743-2750.

Created August 21, 2020, Updated April 7, 2023