About PTV

Main Features

Main Features:

Particle Tracking Algorithms:
* Particles detection based on Binary correlation, Gaussian mask and Dynamic Threshold Binarization techniques.
* Cross-correlation and Relaxation algorithms for solution of temporal matching problem.
* Particle labelling and tracking of individual trajectories.

Pre and Post-processing:
* Extraction of image background to improve SNR.
* Multiple vector validation methods.
* Data smoothing
* Extraction of time series.
* Interpolation of the results on a regular mesh for standard Eulerian analysis.
* Calculation of streamlines

Graphical User Interface (adapted from PIVlab):
* Extensive data extraction tools.
* Synthetic PIV/PTV image generator.
* Several data export features.
* Import bmp/ tiff/ jpeg image pairs/ series
* Individual image masking and region of interest.
* Multiple colormaps.

Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) is a non-intrusive image based technique used to determine the velocity associated to individual tracer particles in turbulent and laminar flows. The method works in a Langrangian frame of reference, an important difference compared with the standard and Eulerian Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) method. PIV calculates the associated velocity to group tracer particles at fixed spatial positions, while PTV, depending on the experimental conditions, allows the determination of the velocity associated to individual particles trajectories. Hybrid implementations of both techniques have been proposed in the past. An example can be found in case of the so-called "super resolution PIV" (Stitou A, Riethmuller, 2001)

An alternative project for PTV, offering an excellent implementation of a high performance three-dimensional algorithm can be found on the website of the project 3DPTV (http://3dptv.github.io).