FULLY INTEGRATED FRINGE ANALYSIS SYSTEM

LASER HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY CAN PROVIDE THE AERODYNAMICIST WITH QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF THE FLOW FIELD SURROUNDING WIND TUNNEL MODELS. HOWEVER, UNTIL RECENTLY, ROUTINE USE OF HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY HAS BEEN IMPRACTICAL BECAUSE ANALYZING FRINGE DATA IS AN EXTREMELY LABORIOUS PROCESS. KMSF IS NOW DEVELOPING SOFTWARE TO PROVIDE THE TYPE OF FLEXIBLE RESEARCH TOOL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR AUTOMATING THE ANALYSIS OF FRINGE DATA. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT WORK HAS NOT YET ADDRESSED SEVERAL KEY TECHNICAL ISSUES, NAMELY; PROVIDING THE ABILITY TO A) CAPTURE AND ANALYZE FRINGE DATA IN NEAR REAL TIME, AND B) GRAPHICALLY DISPLAY THE RECONSTRUCTED THREEDIMENSIONAL FLOW FIELD. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, KMSF PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A FULLY INTEGRATED FRINGE ANALYSIS SYSTEM WITH THE ABILITY TO A) SIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURE THE FLOW FIELD SURROUNDING AN AIRFOIL FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES, B) RECORD THESE HOLOGRAMS ON A THERMOPLASTIC RECORDER, C) AUTOMATICALLY RECONSTRUCT AND DIGITIZE THESE HOLOGRAMS, D) ANALYZE THE FRINGE DATA, AND E) PROVIDE A THREE-DIMENSIONAL COLOR GRAPHIC DISPLAY OF THE RECONSTRUCTED FLOW FIELD. DURING THE PHASE I EFFORT, KMSF WILL DEVELOP THE FUNCTIONAL DESIGN SPECIFICATION FOR IMPLEMENTING A FULLY INTEGRATED FRINGE ANALYSIS SYSTEM.