Image processing to quantify the trajectory of a visualized air jet

In a ventilated space, the incoming air jet and the resulting airflow patte rn play key roles in the removal or supply of heat, moisture, and harmful g ases from or to living organisms (man, animal and plant). In this research, an image processing method was developed to visualize and quantify the two -dimensional trajectory and the deflection angle of an air jet in a ventila ted room. The two-dimensional trajectory equation of an air jet describes t he position of the air jet as a function of the distance from the air inlet . The deflection angle of an air jet from the initial path at the air inlet is used to distinguish easily between a falling, unstable or horizontal ai r jet and to quantify the air jet in one number. The deflection angle a is determined with an average standard deviation of 10.6 degrees. The results of the image processing algorithm are in agreement with the criterion of th e corrected Archimedes number. (C) 2000 Silsoe Research Institute.