Our eyeSTREAM platform is installed at ONERA Toulouse, in the Multi-Physics Department for Energy (DMPE). We went to their premises to get their feedback after a year of use.
eyeSTREAM was used to study the flow of hot air generated by a flame or the propagation of a light gas in the air in 3D through multiple synchronized cameras and a BOS (background-oriented schlieren) post-processing algorithm). Technical references are available at the end of the article. To carry out these observations, ONERA Toulouse installed 12 cameras; perfect synchronization of the cameras is a key element for the study of this phenomenon. This is where our eyeSTREAM imaging platform proved to be the ideal solution for managing the data flow and managing all the cameras.
For ONERA teams, the main advantage is synchronization. “Before we took a lot of time to develop our own solution but it was really time-consuming. What interests us is the processing of the image obtained and not managing its acquisition. Thanks to eyeSTREAM, we have saved considerable time and the 3D image obtained is complete, there are no missing images.”
The choice of eyeSTREAM was also made for its multi-camera management and its functionalities facilitating the observation of the phenomenon. “We* appreciated being able to manage different cameras, multi-resolutions, via a single interface. Having the rendering of each camera on the same screen, being able to click on a camera, enter the desired settings and then switch to another in one click, this really made observation easier.” *ONERA
The know-how of Photon Lines and the in-depth knowledge of technical sales representatives made it possible to truly meet the needs of ONERA. “The exchange was really fluid with all the representatives. It’s nice to have this proximity, they were able to adapt to our application and our needs. We also had real advice on the choice of equipment, whether cameras or lighting.”
The installation and handling of the platform was done hand in hand with the Photon Lines teams. “Mr. Quelin was our contact throughout the sales process. He was also there for the delivery and installation of the platform. We established the recipe together, he checked that the set-up was operational and that the cameras and software responded well. The software is very intuitive, we were autonomous after installation with Mr. Quelin. We were able to compare it to other acquisition software that we have in-house, here the handling is really simple and it centralizes everything which is a notable advantage!”
After more than a year of use, the eyeSTREAM platform is a very profitable investment for ONERA Toulouse. “Our perception of the quality-price ratio is excellent, we have saved engineering time thanks to the elimination of acquisition system development. If we compare to a year ago, we save half a day every time we use this facility. Now we are focusing on the application before it was on acquisition.”
The technical references are available in the ONERA article entitled: “A direct approach for instantaneous 3D density field reconstruction from background‑oriented schlieren (BOS) measurements”.
