The historical development of PIV has been driven by the need for accurate and non-intrusive flow measurements in various fields of science and engineering. The early years of PIV were marked by the development of basic PIV techniques, such as two-frame PIV, and the application of PIV in fundamental fluid dynamics research, primarily in academic settings. As PIV gained popularity, researchers started using it in more practical applications, such as aerodynamics, combustion, and oceanography.
As PIV continues to advance and evolve, it is expected to find further applications in a wide range of fields, from fundamental research in fluid dynamics to practical applications in engineering, environmental science, and medicine. The continued development of PIV techniques, including advancements in lasers, cameras, image analysis algorithms, and integration with other measurement techniques, will further enhance its capabilities and broaden its applications.
In aerodynamics, PIV has been used to study the flow over aircraft wings, rotor blades, and other aerodynamic surfaces, providing insights into the flow behavior and aerodynamic performance of these systems.
As PIV gained popularity, it found applications in a wide range of fields beyond aerodynamics, including combustion, oceanography, biofluids, and microscale flows. In combustion research, PIV has been used to study the details of combustion processes, such as flame propagation, ignition, and fuel spray dynamics, providing valuable insights into the complex interactions between fuel and air in combustion systems. In oceanography, PIV has been used to study the motion of water currents, waves, and turbulence, aiding in the understanding of ocean circulation patterns and coastal erosion. In biofluids research, PIV has been applied to study blood flow in arteries and veins, respiratory flow, and the motion of cilia and flagella in microorganisms, providing important information for understanding physiological processes and disease mechanisms.
PIV has also been used in new and emerging fields, such as microscale and nanoscale flows, granular flows, and multiphase flows. Micro-PIV and nano-PIV have been used to study flows in microchannels, nanopores, and biological systems at the microscale and nanoscale, providing insights into the unique behaviors of fluids at these length scales. PIV has been applied to study the motion of particles in granular flows, such as avalanches and landslides, and to investigate multiphase flows, such as bubbly flows and oil-water flows, which are important in environmental and industrial processes. In microscale flows, conventional measurement techniques are challenging to apply due to the small length scales involved. Micro-PIV has been used to study flows in microfluidic devices, such as lab-on-a-chip systems, and to investigate phenomena such as droplet formation, mixing, and cell motion, with applications in drug delivery, biomedical diagnostics, and microscale engineering.
PIV has also found applications in advanced manufacturing processes, such as additive manufacturing, where understanding and optimizing fluid flow behavior is critical for achieving high-quality and high-precision products. PIV has been used to study the flow dynamics of gases, liquids, and powders in additive manufacturing processes, providing insights into the process parameters that affect the quality and properties of the manufactured products.
PIV has also been used in environmental science to study the dispersion of pollutants in air and water, sediment transport in rivers and coastal areas, and the behavior of pollutants in natural and engineered systems. In energy research, PIV has been used to study the flow behavior in wind turbines, hydroelectric power plants, and combustion processes in engines and turbines, aiding in the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly energy systems.