REAL-TIME FLOW VISUALIZATION SYSTEM

LASER HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR AERODYNAMIC RESEARCH BECAUSE INTERFEROGRAMS PROVIDE QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF THE FLOW FIELD SURROUNDING WIND TUNNEL MODELS. HOWEVER, UNTIL RECENTLY, ROUTINE USE OF HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY HAS BEEN IMPRACTICAL BECAUSE REDUCING FRINGE DATA TO USEFUL ENGINEERING DATA IS AN EXTREMELY LABORIOUS PROCESS. KMSF IS NOW DEVELOPING SOFTWARE THAT ADDRESS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE TYPE OF FLEXIBLE RESEARCH TOOL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR AUTOMATING THE ANALYSIS OF FRINGE DATA. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT STILL DOES NOT ADDRESS A KEY TECHNICAL ISSUE, NAMELY; PROVIDING THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE AND ANALYZE FRINGE DATA IN REAL TIME OR NEAR REAL-TIME. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, KMSF PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A REAL-TIME FLOW VISUALIZATION SYSTEM WITH THE ABILITY TO EITHER A) MEASURE THE FLOW FIELD SURROUNDING AN AIRFOIL AT ONE INSTANT WITH HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY IN REAL-TIME AND PROCESS THE INTERFEROGRAM ON-LINE IN NEAR REAL-TIME OR B) MEASURE THE FLOW FIELD OVER A SEQUENCE OF TIMES IN REAL-TIME AND PROCESS THE INTERFEROGRAMS EFFICIENTLY OFF-LINE. DURING THE PHASE I EFFORT, KMSF WILL DEVELOP THE FUNCTIONAL DESIGN SPECIFICATION REQUIRED FOR IMPLEMENTING A REAL-TIME FLOW VISUALIZATION SYSTEM.