Stagnation temperature measurement using thin-film platinum resistance sensors

Abstract

The measurement of stagnation temperature in high-speed flows is an important aspect of gas turbine engine testing. The ongoing requirement to improve the accuracy of such measurements has led to the development of probe systems that use a thin-film platinum resistance thermometer (PRT) as the sensing element. For certain aspects of engine testing this type of sensing device potentially offers superior measurement performance to the thermocouple, the temperature sensor of choice in most gas turbine applications. This paper considers the measurement performance of prototype PRT-based stagnation temperature probes, up to high-subsonic flow conditions, using passively aspirated probe heads. The relatively poor temperature recovery performance of a simply constructed probe has led to the development of a new design that is intended to reduce the impact of thermal conduction within the probe assembly. The performance of this so-called dual-skin probe has been measured through a series of tests at a range of Mach numbers, incidence angles and Reynolds numbers. The data reveal that a high probe recovery factor has been achieved with this device, and that the application of this design to engine tests would yield the measurement performance benefits of the PRT whilst requiring small levels of temperature recovery compensation.