Algorithms for fast axisymmetric drop shape analysis measurements by a charge coupled device video camera and simulation procedure for test and evaluation

A set of fast algorithms for axisymmetric drop shape analysis measurements is described. Speed has been improved by more than 1 order of magnitude over previously available procedures. Frame analysis is performed and drop characteristics and interfacial tension gamma are computed in less than 40 ms on a Pentium III 450 MHz PC, while preserving an overall accuracy in Delta gamma/gamma close to 1x10(-4). A new procedure is described to evaluate both the algorithms performance and the contribution of each source of experimental error to the overall measurement accuracy. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.