Visualization and Image Processing of a Flow Mixing Process in an Air Conditioning Unit for Automobile

Abstract

The flow in an air conditioning unit for automobile is studied experimentally at isothermal temperature conditions in a water tunnel to investigate the flow mixing mechanisms inside the unit at various angles of mixing plate. The mixing process of the flow is visualized by the laser induced fluorescence and the velocity field is studied quantitative by the particle imaging technique. The analized image of the two fluorescence dyes reproduces well the dispersion of heater flow in the full-scale unit, which indicates the usefulness of this visualization the technique of mixing flow.