PROPOSAL NO.: CTS-0432478 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: JOHN EATON INSTITUTION: STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry and Thermometry for Study of Complex Turbulent Flows
The goal is to develop a velocity measurement technique known as Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry (MRV) that can provide unprecedented access to detailed information in technologically and naturally occurring complex flows, and also to evaluate the potential for making temperature measurements. MRV uses standard medical magnetic resonance imaging systems and the 4D phase-contrast imaging technique to provide spatially-resolved, three-component velocity measurements. Mean velocity measurements can be acquired at millions of spatial points in less than one hour. The approach involves performing experiments that will resolve open questions about the use of 3D and 4D MRV sequences in turbulent flows and to assess the potential for using similar sequences for the measurement of the temperature in flowing fluids. If the research shows that properly optimized MRV can be used accurately for a wide range of turbulence parameters, this would lead to great contributions in understanding complex flows. Development of MRV will have a broad impact in the scientific, engineering, and medical fields. MRV combined with rapid prototyping offers a new paradigm for engineering design of internal flow systems. The rapid turnaround time from concept to full-field measurements means that design in the future will be based on full flow field information instead of approximate analysis or flow visualization. In the medical arena, the quantitative assessment of measurement uncertainty will help to move MRV into the realm of accepted clinical practice. With the improvements in turbulent flow measurements and the addition of temperature measurement, the range of applications will expand significantly. In the scientific arena, MRV and MR thermometry offer unprecedented measurement capability for complex internal flows encountered in both engineered and natural systems. Training of graduate and undergraduate students in these advanced multidisciplinary measurement techniques represents a significant educational impact.
