Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements in a water film, application to a tire rolling through a puddle

A measurement method based on Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) with refraction of the laser sheet at a window/water interface is proposed for the measurement of the velocity field of a flow, inside a water puddle, due to a tire rolling on. This study focuses on the feasibility and repeatability of this optical measurement method. The characterization of the optical properties of this measurement technique defines its accuracy. The analysis of the overall features of the flow is focused on two main flow zones in front of and around the tire. The flow inside the first zone is characterized by a global velocity of the water displaced in an area located in front of the tire. In the second zone a velocity representative of the flow in the vicinity of the tire shoulder is also defined. Correlations of both characteristic velocities with the car speed and water film height are established. New and the corresponding worn tires were tested in this work.