Christiaan Schinkel

My name is Christiaan Schinkel, I studied applied physics at the Hague University of Applied Sciences and within this group I am specialised in optical flow measurement techniques.The most important techniques that I spend my time on is Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Laser Induced Fluorescense (LIF) and high speed imaging.

I make sure PhDs and students learn how to use the setup in a responsible and safe way and I try them to have useful results. Besides that I provide for practicals and trainings, I design setups and I sometimes conduct experiments myself.

Expertise

PIV is a measurement technique that is used to measure the flow velocity field of a liquid or gas.The basic principle is that very tiny particles (~10 um) are added to the liquid. These particles have almost the same density as the fluid and will follow its velocity almost perfectly.Then a laser lightsheet is used to illuminate one plane in the fluid, all the particles in this plane are now illuminated and can be photographed.Two photographs are taken with a small time difference in between so that between the photos all the particles have shifted a little bit.Once the displacement and the time difference is known a velocity vector field can be calculated. The technique starts simple as that, but it can be upgraded by using a microscope (micropiv), highspeed camera’s (highspeed PIV), stereoscopic view (stereoPIV or SPIV) and even tomographic view (with 4 cameras) (tomoPIV).

With LIF a dye is used that has a certain sensitivity to some parameter like pH or temperature.The higher the pH, the higher the fluorescense. This allows us for example to visualize the dissolving of CO2 bubbles in water. My function is mainly to facilitate research and practicals within the department.