Sensor Fusion for Measurement of Transonic Flow and Structural Dynamic Response

This proposal addresses development of techniques that support experimental modeling, simulations, ground testing, wind tunnel tests, and flight experiments, with primary emphasis on ground testing requirements. Advanced System and Technologies Inc. proposes to develop a dual-function, non-contact sensor designed to support simultaneous dynamic Doppler imaging of flow-induced structural vibration (FISV) and flow-field visualization (FFV). The ability to capture full-field non-stationary structural dynamics and correlate these data with the unsteady flow fields which drive them could elucidate, for the first time, the complex mechanisms involved in limit cycle oscillation and transition to flutter in the transonic regime. The comprehensive spatio-temporal content of data captured by the dynamic Doppler imaging system (DDIS) will be compared with predictions from computational models in the transonic regime in support of efforts to more fully address the complex interdependent relationship between structural, aero-dynamic and aero-acoustic phenomenon. We describe the core technology behind the DDIS, provide a detailed description of a practical design for deployment and show experimental data which conclusively demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. A structured work plan is presented leading to practical implementation of a demonstrator prototype in a robust and compact instrument architecture suited to ground testing, wind-tunnel and ultimately flight-test deployment.