Pressure Sensitive Paint System for Global Pressure Measurements of Unsteady Flow Fields in Wind Tunnels.

Oxygen sensitive luminescent coatings have been used for simultaneous 2 dimensional pressure measurements on aerodynamic bodies in wind tunnels. The use of these Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP) systems has enabled visualization of previously unseen flow phenomena. Current PSP measurements are limited by temporal resolutions on the order of seconds. The design of a PSP system capable of making pressure measurements with 1 millisecond temporal resolution is proposed. The Phase I research effort will identify the pertinent issues with regards to illumination and detection methods, auxiliary hardware and PSP chemistries. Suitable components for a PSP system capable of making millisecond resolved pressure measurements will be identified. These components will be tested to determine the feasibility of their implementation in wind-tunnel environment.