LAMINAR/TURBULENT FLOW DETECTOR

THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BOUNDARY LAYER ACOUSTIC MONITOR (BLAM) PROGRAM PRODUCED BLAM GAUGES WHICH WERE USED ON MINUTEMAN FLIGHTS TO TEST FLOW AROUND RE-ENTRY VEHICLES (RV), AND DETECT THE LOCATION OF THE TRANSITION TO TURBULENT FLOW. IT IS POSTULATED THAT THESE BLAM GAUGES CAN BE RECONFIGURED TO OPERATE TO DETECT TURBULENT FLOW IN WATER TUNNELS. IN ORDER TO EFFECT THIS REDESIGN, THE WATER TUNNEL ENVIRONMENT, AS IT COMPARES TO THE RV ENVIRONMENT AND THE IMPACT THIS DIFFERENCE MAKES, MUST BE EVALUATED. STARTING WITH EXISTING HANDBOOKS, A TYPICAL WATER TUNNEL ENVIRONMENT WILL BE MODELED. THE BLAM GAUGE WILL BE REDESIGNED SO AS TO OPTOMIZE IT'S FUNCTION IN THE WATER ENVIRONMENT.