Universal PDV System for Wind Tunnel Tests

In the Phase I program, we evaluated the feasibility of applying Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) to the test section flows of the AEDC 16T wind tunnel, and showed that unprecedented measurements of three-dimensional velocity vectors are possible withtemporal and spatial resolution everywhere in the field of view of a laser light sheet in the flow. Those results were based in part on our past success in applying an initial version of the PDV technology to a full-scale, operating rotor in the NASA 80-by 120-ft. wind tunnel. This Phase II program extends the initial technology to produce an advanced PDV system that incorporates state-of-the-art laser technology, modern imaging capabilities, and refined PDV data analysis methods. The proposed system willmaximize the image intensities, optimize the operational requirements of the instrument and provide image processing software and supporting documentation that enable a complete analysis of the experimental results by new users. The proposed tasks areessential steps leading to a fully developed PDV system that can be routinely applied to full-scale aerodynamics testing programs and subsequently commercialized for a broad range of industrial applications where remote measurements of large-scaleaerodynamic and hydrodynamic flow fields are not practical by other means.