Integrated Real-Time Optical Measurement Techniques for Aeroelastic Testing

Aircraft designs with slender/morphing wings/control surfaces can be difficult to instrument using traditional sensors. Furthermore, data with high spatial resolution, including model geometry, pressure, and skin friction, is necessary for validating numerical models used for aircraft design. Finally, simultaneous measurements of geometry and scalar or field data allow the CFD grid to be modified to match the experimental data, then the CFD can be re-run with this modified geometry. Here we propose a system that combines several existing technologies, Video Model Deformation (VMD), Fast Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP), and Surface Stress Sensitive Films (S3F) for acquiring simultaneous measurements of model geometry pressure and skin friction. Each of these techniques utilize a common set of tools to image the model surface and determining scalar or field information from processing these images. Here we propose a system that combines VMD based model geometry measurements with fast PSP and/or S3F. The proposed system is capable of producing non-intrusive, high spatial resolution distributions of 3D model geometry, unsteady pressure, and skin friction. The bandwidth of the system is limited by the camera, with frequencies of 10-Hz to 1-kHz attainable in standard wind tunnels using off the shelf technology. BENEFIT: There is considerable interest in combined measurements of pressure, skin friction, and geometry in several fields including aircraft manufacturing as well as biomedical applications such as detection of ulcers on diabetic feet. This system will provide an advancement in this technology that should be of value to both fields.