Elias Kristensson

Application of structured illumination for multiple scattering suppression in planar laser imaging of dense sprays

A novel approach to reduce the multiple light scattering contribution in planar laser images of atomizing sprays is reported. This new technique, named Structured Laser Illumination Planar Imaging (SLIPI), has been demonstrated in the dense region of a hollow-cone water spray generated in ambient air at 50 bars injection pressure. The idea is based on using an incident laser sheet which is spatially modulated along the vertical direction. By properly shifting the spatial phase of the modulation and using post-processing of the successive recorded images, the blurring effects from multiple light scattering can be mitigated. Since hollow-cone sprays have a known inner structure in the central region, the efficiency of the method could be evaluated. We demonstrate, for the case of averaged images, that an unwanted contribution of 44% of the detected light intensity can be removed. The suppression of this diffuse light enables an increase from 55% to 80% in image contrast. Such an improvement allows a more accurate description of the near-field region and of the spray interior. The possibility of extracting instantaneous flow motion is also shown, here, for a dilute flow of water droplets. These results indicate promising applications of the technique to denser two-phase flows such as air-blast atomizer and diesel sprays.

High-speed structured planar laser illumination for contrast improvement of two-phase flow images

A high-speed method to remove blurring effects caused by multiple scattering in planar laser images of two-phase flows is demonstrated. The technique is based on structured illumination and is for the first time to our knowledge applied on a dynamic medium. As structured illumination requires three successive images to be recorded and to freeze the flow motion in time, a high-speed laser and imaging system is employed. We show that by using a time delay of 55 micros between the images a single-shot representation of a dilute flow of water droplets can be achieved. By having an additional inner stream with known structure and composition, the efficiency of the method is quantitatively evaluated, showing an increase from 58% to 93% in image contrast. Such an improvement allows more accurate analysis and interpretation of scattering two-phase flow images.

Ultra-high-speed pumping of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) for high-speed laser-induced fluorescence measurements

The feasibility of pumping an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with an ultra-high repetition rate multi:YAG laser system, producing a burst of up to eight high-energy pulses, has been investigated. For this investigation an OPO with a bandwidth around 5 cm−1, together with a frequency doubling crystal, was selected. In some laser-induced fluorescence measurements the large linewidth from the OPO can be advantageous as several lines can be excited simultaneously avoiding the saturation effects of individual lines. The energy output from the OPO as a function of pulse separation was measured down to pulse separations of 400 ns and was found to be completely independent of the pulse separation. The efficiency of the OPO unit, when optimized for single-pulse operation, was measured to be around 25% for all pulses, giving over 80 mJ at 585 nm output when pumped with ~350 mJ at 355 nm. This is similar to the specified efficiency for the OPO. The system was found to give a slightly lower efficiency when double pulsing the Nd:YAG lasers. This is attributed to a somewhat elongated pulse length from the Nd:YAG lasers giving a lower pump energy density. The system was applied for measuring high-speed planar laser-induced fluorescence images of OH radicals in a Bunsen burner.

Three-dimensional measurement of the local extinction coefficient in a dense spray

Laser extinction, signal attenuation and multiple scattering are the three main phenomena limiting qualitative and quantitative measurements in planar laser imaging of sprays. In this paper, a method is presented where structured laser illumination planar imaging is used to remove the signal contribution from multiply scattered light. Based on this technique, data from side scattering and transmission measurements are obtained simultaneously. An algorithm, compensating for signal attenuation and laser extinction, is further applied to calculate the local extinction coefficient. The method is first demonstrated on a cuvette containing a homogeneous solution of scattering particles with an extinction coefficient (mu) over bar (e) = 0.13 mm(-1). Finally the procedure is applied on an air-assisted water spray with a maximum optical depth of OD similar to 3, where the position-dependent extinction coefficient is extracted within the probed volume. To the best of our knowledge, this paper demonstrates for the first time a method to measure the local (mu) over bar (e) within the three dimensions of an inhomogeneous scattering medium using laser sheet illumination, after suppression of the multiple light scattering intensity. (Less)

Stray light suppression in spectroscopy using periodic shadowing

It is well known that spectroscopic measurements suffer from an interference known as stray light, causing spectral distortion that reduces measurement accuracy. In severe situations, stray light may even obscure the existence of spectral lines. Here a novel general method is presented, named Periodic Shadowing, that enables effective stray light elimination in spectroscopy and experimental results are provided to demonstrate its capabilities and versatility. Besides its efficiency, implementing it in a spectroscopic arrangement comes at virtually no added experimental complexity.

Reliable LIF/Mie droplet sizing in sprays using structured laser illumination planar imaging

In this article, Structured Laser Illumination Planar Imaging (SLIPI) is used in combination with the LIF/Mie ratio technique for extracting a reliable two-dimensional mapping of the droplets Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD). We show that even for the case of a fairly dilute spray, where single scattering events are in majority, the conventional LIF/Mie technique still remains largely affected by errors introduced by multiple light scattering. To remove this unwanted light intensity on both the LIF and Mie images SLIPI is used prior to apply the image ratio. For the first time, the SLIPI LIF/Mie results are calibrated and compared with measurement data from Phase Doppler Interferometry (PDI).

Extinction coefficient imaging of turbid media using dual structured laser illumination planar imaging

We demonstrate a technique, named dual structured laser illumination planar imaging (SLIPI), capable of acquiring depth-resolved images of the extinction coefficient. This is achieved by first suppressing the multiply scattered light intensity and then measuring the intensity reduction caused by signal attenuation between two laser sheets separated by Δz mm. Unlike other methods also able to measure this quantity, the presented approach is based solely on side-scattering detection. The main advantages of dual SLIPI is that it accounts for multiple scattering, provides two-dimensional information, and can be applied on inhomogeneous media.

Thermometry in aqueous solutions and sprays using two-color LIF and structured illumination

In imaging, the detection of light originating from multiple scattering, indirect reflections and surrounding backgrounds are known to produce errors especially in intensity-ratio based measurements. SLIPI (Structured Laser Illumination Planar Imaging) is an imaging technique that significantly reduces the impact of such issues. In this study, SLIPI is combined with the two-color LIF (Laser Induced Fluorescence) ratio thermometry approach for measuring water temperature in both a cuvette and a hollow-cone spray. By removing the unwanted background interferences using SLIPI, we observe both significant improvements in terms of temperature sensitivity as well as more pronounced temperature gradients within the spray.

Spatially resolved, single-ended two-dimensional visualization of gas flow phenomena using structured illumination

A method for 3D mapping of scattering particle concentration in a gaseous medium based on the backscattered light in a single direction has been demonstrated. The technique is originally developed for microscopy but now implemented on larger-scale samples. The technique used is known as structured illumination, where a sinusoidal grid pattern is projected onto the medium, thus marking the in-focus plane. This makes it possible to discriminate against light originating from the out-of-focus parts of the sample, which usually makes it difficult to detect inner structures of the medium. In this study a flow of nitrogen was introduced into a flow of water droplets, with the aim to optically select only the plane where nitrogen was present. The results indicate that the technique could be used to study, e.g., combustion devices with limited optical access.

Monte Carlo simulations of optical human sinusitis diagnostics

We investigate the feasibility of using diode laser gas spectroscopy for sinusitis diagnostics. We simulate light propagation using the Monte Carlo concept, as implemented by the Advanced Systems Analysis Program (ASAPTM) software. Simulations and experimental data are compared for a model based on two scattering bodies representing human tissue, with an air gap in-between representing the sinus cavity. Simulations are also performed to investigate the detection geometries used in the experiments, as well as the influence of the optical properties of the scattering bodies. Finally, we explore the possibility of performing imaging measurements of the sinuses. Results suggest that a diagnostic technique complementary to already existing ones could be developed.