INTRODUCTION

Among the photo-optical techniques available to the photo-instrumentation specialists,

schlieren photography is perhaps one of the simplest and the most precise methods in
use today.

Aerodynamicists use wind tunnels and different imaging techniques to test models of
proposed aircraft and engine components. During a test, the model is placed in the test
section of the tunnel and air is made to flow past the model. These tests are used to
measure the aerodynamic forces and to provide diagnostic information about the flow of
air around the model. Such as to measure density variations, boundary layer formations
and to determine shock wave formation.

Five flow visualization techniques that are used in testing are:-

Smoke
Tufts
Laser sheet
Surface oil flow visualization
Schlieren photography.

Tufts and surface oil flow are used to provide information about the state of
the boundary layer on the surface, particularly to detect flow separation and re-
attachment. Boundary layer separation is a source of drag and the cause of wing stalls.
Some engineers try to determine where the external flow is going by studying the flow
along the surface. A more accurate way to visualize free stream flow is to use smoke or
laser sheets. The assumption is made that the smoke or seed particles for the laser
move exactly with the flow and therefore gives some indication of how the flow moves
around the model.

Schlieren Photography, which is a simpler flow visualization technique, similar to the

shadowgraph technique, relies on the bending of light rays across density gradients to
produce a photographic image that locates the gradients. Wind tunnel engineers use
the schlieren system to locate shock waves, which are very thin regions with high
density gradients. The system can also be used to study combustion.

There are several ways of making a Schlieren system. The most common are single
mirror and the z-style. Spherical mirror are used, but often a parabolic is used due to
their easy availability.
Now if you shift the light source just a tiny bit to the side, what will happen is you will be
projecting an image of the light source right next to itself.

In Schlieren photography, the light source will be as tiny as you can make it, and so the
projected image will be a thin line or a tiny dot. LEDs are the most commonly used light
source.
Now imagine that patch of air in front of the mirror. Any light passing through it will be
refracted, but only a tiny amount, normally invisible. But because all the light is aimed at
such a tiny spot, even the minor refraction will cause the ray to miss.

If you were to block half of the image right at the projection point you will now produce
an image where light refracted in one direction is blocked, but is passed and added to
the image in the other direction. This is what causes the light and dark patterns in the
final image. A color slide will do the same, coloring light that misses the target.

The setup consists of only four elements.

1. A concave mirror with a long focal distance. The longer the focal length the better
image you will get. The mirror must be optical grade like from a telescope.

2. A camera. This can be tricky for larger mirrors, but for a small one pretty much any
digital camera or video camera will do. The best case is a DSLR with a fixed telephoto
lens.

3. A point light source. We need the brightest, smallest light we can make. In our case
we are using an LED sanded down and some silver tape with a pinhole.

4. A knifes edge or color filter. We need something to partially block or color the light at
the focal point. For a knifes edge, a razor blade will work. A razor is needed because if
there is any thickness it will scatter the light and produce flaring.

The schlieren technique combines relatively low cost with high sensitivity. Its principal
limitations are field sizes limited by the diameter of the optical field elements and that it
is usually only a qualitative visualization process.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_visualization

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/tunvis.html