Calibration Service
PIV Flow Calibration
Measure the real velocity in your test section — and program trials in cm/s, not pump percentage.
Particle image velocimetry (PIV) maps the true water velocity in your flume or swim tunnel and builds a setpoint-to-velocity calibration curve inside Aquafab Control. Delivered as a factory calibration on new systems or as a kit your lab runs, with optional setup support.
True velocity in cm/s — not pump percentage
Automated in Aquafab Workbench — recording, analysis and calibration in one place
Works with third-party chambers with clear optical access
How PIV calibration works
Measure the water, not the pump
A pump setting isn't a flow speed. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measures the real water velocity inside your test section — so the speed you program is the speed your animals experience and the speed you report.
Seed the water
Neutrally buoyant fluorescent beads are added to the chamber. They follow the flow exactly, so tracking them tracks the water.
Light a thin sheet
A high-power green laser is spread into a thin plane through the test section, making the beads in that plane glow.
Record automatically
Aquafab Workbench steps the pumps through your velocity range and records bead motion with the camera at each setpoint.
Analyze & calibrate
The software converts particle displacement into velocity fields, builds the setpoint-to-velocity curve and stores it with your system.
What it can do
Calibration today, flow science tomorrow
High-accuracy flow calibration
A setpoint-to-velocity calibration curve across your whole working range, so trials run in true cm/s.
Full flow-field analysis
Velocity maps across the test section show where flow is uniform, where boundary layers begin and how flow moves around organisms or models.
Uniformity & turbulence
Summary statistics for methods sections, facility QA and comparisons over time.
Fully automated in Aquafab Workbench
Recording, processing and analysis run inside the same software that runs your trials — no separate PIV package.
Science and engineering
Use the same setup to study flow around organisms, test devices and models, or validate new chamber designs.
Repeatable checks
Re-run the same calibration routine to detect drift or pump wear and keep your data defensible.
The PIV calibration kit
Everything you need to calibrate in-house
The kit lets your team calibrate on its own schedule — for Aquafab chambers and most third-party flumes and swim tunnels with clear optical access.
- Fluorescent seeding beads
- High-power green laser (light-sheet optics)
- Laser safety glasses
- USB camera
- Calibration grid
- Automated PIV recording and analysis in Aquafab Workbench
Options explained
Factory calibration or your own kit
| Details | Why it matters | |
|---|---|---|
| Factory calibration | ||
| What it is | We PIV-calibrate your new Aquafab system in our workshop before it ships. | The calibration is loaded into Aquafab Workbench — ready on day one. |
| Best for | New Aquafab flumes and swim tunnels | Labs that want calibrated flow without handling lasers |
| PIV calibration kit | ||
| What it is | The complete kit plus automated PIV in Aquafab Workbench, used by your team. | Recalibrate whenever you need to, and run flow-field studies. |
| Best for | Existing Aquafab chambers and most third-party flumes and swim tunnels | Labs doing ongoing QA or flow-field research |
| Optional setup support | ||
| Remote or on-site | A remote walkthrough or an on-site visit to set up the kit and train your team. | Add it in the builder below. |
Build your quote
Choose your calibration option
Choose how you want your flume or swim tunnel calibrated. An Aquafab engineer confirms the setup and deliverables in an itemized quote.
Know the velocity your organisms actually experience. A pump setting is not a flow speed. PIV (particle image velocimetry) Flow Calibration measures the real water velocity inside your test section and ties it back to the controller, so the speed you program in Aquafab Workbench is the speed you report in your paper.
How it works
- Neutrally buoyant fluorescent beads are added to the water and lit by a thin sheet from a high-power green laser.
- Aquafab Workbench steps the pumps through your working range and automatically records particle motion with the camera at each setpoint.
- The software converts particle displacement into velocity fields and builds a setpoint-to-velocity calibration curve.
- The calibration is stored with the system, so trials are programmed in cm/s rather than pump percentage.
More than calibration
The same automated PIV recording and analysis maps the full flow field — velocity, uniformity and turbulence across the test section and around organisms, models or devices. That makes it a tool for marine science and engineering work, not just a one-time setup step.
The PIV calibration kit includes
- Fluorescent seeding beads
- High-power green laser with light-sheet optics
- Laser safety glasses
- USB camera
- Calibration grid
- Automated PIV recording and analysis in Aquafab Workbench
Options
- Factory calibration — we calibrate your new Aquafab system before it ships.
- PIV calibration kit — for existing Aquafab chambers and most third-party flumes and swim tunnels with clear optical access.
- Optional setup support — a remote walkthrough or an on-site visit to set up the kit and train your team.
| Method | |
| Technique | Particle image velocimetry (PIV) |
| Analysis | Automated PIV recording and analysis in Aquafab Control |
| Output | Calibration curve, velocity maps, uniformity and turbulence summary |
| Kit contents | |
| Seeding | Fluorescent beads |
| Illumination | High-power green laser with light-sheet optics |
| Safety | Laser safety glasses |
| Imaging | USB camera and calibration grid |
| Compatibility | |
| Aquafab systems | Flow chambers, swim tunnels, respirometry systems |
| Third-party | Most flumes and swim tunnels with optical access |
| Delivery | Factory calibration, or kit for your lab (optional remote or on-site setup) |
Specifications describe standard builds. Every Aquafab system can be adapted — ask us about dimensions, materials or performance outside these ranges.
| Option | Choice | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Calibration option | Factory calibration on a new Aquafab system | Your chamber is PIV-calibrated in our workshop before it ships, and the calibration is loaded into Aquafab Control. |
| PIV calibration kit | Fluorescent seeding beads, high-power green laser, laser safety glasses, USB camera and calibration grid — run calibrations yourself with Aquafab Control. | |
| Chamber to calibrate | Aquafab flow chamber or swim tunnel | |
| Another manufacturer's flume or swim tunnel | The PIV kit works with most chambers that have clear optical access. Tell us the make and model below. | |
| Setup support (optional) | Remote setup session | A video call to walk your team through the first calibration. |
| On-site setup & training | An Aquafab engineer visits to set up the kit and train your team. |
- Swimming performance and critical swimming speed (Ucrit) trials
- Intermittent-flow respirometry in swim tunnels
- Biomechanics and drag measurements
- Facility QA and periodic recalibration
- Calibrating third-party flumes and swim tunnels
Manuals, quick-start guides and Aquafab Workbench software are delivered with every system and are available to owners in our Resource Library.
Every Aquafab system is backed by the people who designed and built it.
- Warranty: standard systems include a 2-year warranty on Aquafab-fabricated components and electronics.
- Lifetime support: phone, email and remote support for as long as you own the system.
- Installation & training: optional on-site installation, commissioning and hands-on training for your lab or teaching staff.
- Maintenance: on-site maintenance visits and replacement parts on request.
Questions?
Questions about calibrating your chamber?
Tell us about your flume or swim tunnel and we'll confirm the best option.