Pressure-sensitive Paint Data Research Articles

Pressure-Sensitive-Paint-Driven Hybrid Unsteady Compressible Flow Simulation

A hybrid unsteady compressible computational fluid dynamics simulation (CFD) driven by pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) data is proposed, and the concept is demonstrated in two dimensions. By imposing the wall pressure acquired with PSP as the Dirichlet boundary condition, an unsteady compressible Euler equation solver is marched together with integral boundary-layer equations in time. As a result, an entire flowfield that fits the PSP measurement is created in the CFD domain. This concept is tested by taking PSP data from a past article of a wind-tunnel test using the NASA CRM65 airfoil and the steady and unsteady capabilities of this data-driven hybrid simulation are demonstrated for transonic flows in two dimensions, and the convergence characteristics are also investigated. It is found that a steady shock position, which cannot be accurately predicted by the Euler equation solver with a boundary layer, can be rectified by the hybrid simulation. Moreover, unsteady shock motion due to buffeting can also be captured well by the hybrid simulation.

Triple decomposition and sparse representation for noisy pressure-sensitive paint data

Triple decomposition is a powerful analytical method for a deep understanding of the flow structure by extracting the mean value, organized coherent motion, and stochastic part from a fluctuating quantity. Here, we perform the triple decomposition of the spatial two-dimensional data, especially pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) data, since the PSP method is widely used to measure the pressure distribution on a surface in wind tunnel testing. However, the PSP data measuring near atmospheric pressure contain significant noise, and this makes it difficult to conduct the decomposition. To construct phase-averaged data representing an organized coherent motion, we propose a relatively simple method based on a multi-dimensional scaling plot of the cosine similarity between each PSP datum. Then, the stochastic part is extracted by selecting phase-averaged data with an appropriate phase angle based on the similarity between the measurement and phase-averaged data, and the PSP data are successfully decomposed. Moreover, we consider sparse optimal sensor positions, in which the data are effectively represented, based on the stochastic part as a data-driven approach. The optimal sensor positions are determined as a combinatorial optimization problem and estimated using Fujitsu computing as a service digital annealer. We reconstruct the pressure distribution from the pressure data at the optimal sensor positions using the mean value, organized coherent motion, and stochastic part obtained from the triple decomposition. The root mean square error between the pressure measured by a pressure transducer and the reconstructed pressure obtained by the proposed method is small, even when the number of modes and sensor points is small. The application of PSP measurement is expected to expand further, and the framework for calculating triple decomposition and sparse representation based on the decomposition will be useful for detailed flow analysis.

Modal analyses of double pulsed pressure-sensitive paint data of impinging supersonic jet

Modal analyses of double pulsed pressure-sensitive paint data of impinging supersonic jet

Experimental investigation of the supersonic cavity by spectral-POD of high-sampling rate pressure-sensitive paint data

Experimental investigation of the supersonic cavity by spectral-POD of high-sampling rate pressure-sensitive paint data

Sound-source distribution in the bogie section of a train determined by simultaneous measurement by pressure-sensitive paint and a microphone

Sound-pressure level of acoustic waves from the flow around a 1/8-reduced-scale simplified train model and pressure-fluctuation distribution of the bottom surface of the bogie were measured simultaneously by a microphone and a pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). A high-pressure-fluctuation area was observed on the upstream side on the bogie bottom surface at the peak sound frequency. The phase distribution of the peak frequency of the PSP data was observed to be uniform in the spanwise direction and delayed in the downstream direction. This result indicates that propagation speed of peak surface pressure fluctuation was 66 % of the freestream wind velocity. Thus, the measured peak sound frequency was found to be the same as the theoretical cavity peak frequency given by the Rossiter equation with that propagation speed as a vortex convection velocity. Therefore, the peak sound is concluded to be generated from acoustic feedback in the cavity, which is the gap between the upstream cavity edge and the bogie. Moreover, the difference between the measured and correlated peak sound levels of the bottom surface of the bogie, was no more than 3 dB, where the correlated sound level was calculated by using the Lighthill-Curle equation with coherent output power data.

Uncertainty and validation of unsteady pressure-sensitive paint measurements of acoustic fields under aero engine-like conditions

Fast response pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) allows optical measurements of pressure fluctuations on a surface with high spatial and temporal resolution. This technique is evaluated for aeroacoustic measurements inside an aeroacoustic wind tunnel (AWT). The AWT is a test rig especially designed for investigating the excitation and propagation of sound under conditions typical for turbomachinery. The aim of this work is to compare the results of sound pressure measurements of tonal sound fields in a circular duct conducted with PSP and microphone arrays in order to assess the applicability of PSP in turbomachinery acoustics applications. A data analysis process is presented, which projects the camera image of the PSP data onto a given surface. To analyze the spatial pressure fluctuations, the PSP data are transformed in the frequency domain using pixel-wise fast Fourier transform. Measurements with a mean Mach number up to 0.109 and 5 kHz excitation frequency are conducted. An acoustic mode generator is used to excite the sound field with specific circumferential mode order. The pressure fluctuations obtained with the PSP measurement visualize the measured acoustic field well and allow early interpretation. The pressures of PSP and microphones are in good agreement; for example, the maximum detected deviation in pressure at 2700 Hz is 30 Pa. A preview on using radial mode analysis to decompose the acoustic field, measured by PSP, into acoustic modes is provided. The results are confirmed by a decomposition using conventional arrays of flush-mounted microphones.Graphical

Pressure-sensitive paint measurements on the cavity with passive control devices under transonic flow

Abstract In this study, the pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique, specifically the mesoporous-particle-based PSP, was employed to compare rectangular cavities with varying length-to-depth ratios (L/D) and different trailing edge shapes under transonic conditions. By utilizing PSP, comprehensive and quantitative pressure data were obtained, enabling the simultaneous observation of surface flow field distribution. The results obtained using PSP were found to be consistent with those obtained from conventional pressure sensors. The study revealed that the pressure distribution within the cavities changed with increasing L/D, and cavities with different trailing edge shapes demonstrated a reduction in pressure at the bottom region. Furthermore, the comparison of results obtained through the oil flow method corroborated the PSP findings, indicating that a beveled or sawtooth-shaped trailing edge of the cavity induced air flow deflection, effectively disrupting the upstream shear flow structure and altering the pressure distribution at the cavityʼs bottom.

Time-resolved pressure-sensitive paint measurements for cryogenic wind tunnel tests

A first time-resolved pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) test campaign at the European Transonic Wind Tunnel (ETW) was conducted within the research initiative “Unsteady flow and interaction phenomena at High Speed Stall conditions”. One of the objectives of this wind tunnel campaign was to resolve time-series of surface pressure distributions caused by complex 3-D buffet phenomena on a full-span airplane model XRF-1 transport aircraft configuration. At higher angle-of-attack and high Mach number, pressure fluctuations with a frequency of several hundred Hertz are expected to occur on the main wing and the horizontal tail plane (HTP) caused by the buffet effect. To capture the expected buffet phenomena by PSP, the German Aerospace Center developed a time-resolved PSP measurement and data acquisition system as well as a post-processing method for measurements in ETW. The measurements were conducted on the main wing and HTP simultaneously, with a camera frame rate of up to 2 kHz. The transonic buffet phenomena were observed at the flight relevant Reynolds number Re = 12.9 × 106 and Re = 25.0 × 106. The time-varying surface pressure distribution on the model was successfully captured by PSP. The time-series and spectra of both PSP and pressure transducer data match very well.

Time-series image denoising of pressure-sensitive paint data by projected multivariate singular spectrum analysis

Time-series data, such as unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) measurement data, may contain a significant amount of random noise. Thus, in this study, we investigated a noise-reduction method that combines multivariate singular spectrum analysis (MSSA) with low-dimensional data representation. MSSA is a state-space reconstruction technique that utilizes time-delay embedding, and the low-dimensional representation is achieved by projecting data onto the singular value decomposition (SVD) basis. The noise-reduction performance of the proposed method for unsteady PSP data, i.e., the projected MSSA, is compared with that of the truncated SVD method, one of the most employed noise-reduction methods. The result shows that the projected MSSA exhibits better performance in reducing random noise than the truncated SVD method. Additionally, in contrast to that of the truncated SVD method, the performance of the projected MSSA is less sensitive to the truncation rank. The projected MSSA achieves denoising effectively by extracting smooth trajectories in a state space from noisy input data. Expectedly, the projected MSSA will be effective for reducing random noise in not only PSP measurement data, but also various high-dimensional time-series data.Graphic abstract

Optimization of sparse sensor placement for estimation of wind direction and surface pressure distribution using time-averaged pressure-sensitive paint data on automobile model

This study proposes a method for predicting the wind direction against the simple automobile model (Ahmed model) and the surface pressure distributions on it by using data-driven optimized sparse pressure sensors. Positions of sparse pressure sensor pairs on the Ahmed model were selected for estimation of the yaw angle and reconstruction of pressure distributions based on the time-averaged surface pressure distributions database of various yaw angles, whereas the symmetric sensors in the left and right sides of the model were assumed. The surface pressure distributions were obtained by pressure-sensitive paint measurements. Three algorithms for sparse sensor selection based on the greedy algorithm were applied, and the sensor positions were optimized. The sensor positions and estimation accuracy of yaw angle and pressure distributions of three algorithms were compared and evaluated. The results show that a few optimized sensors can accurately predict the yaw angle and the pressure distributions.

Skin Friction Extracted from Surface Pressure in Incident Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction

High-resolution skin-friction fields are extracted from pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) data obtained in shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI). The method of extracting skin friction from surface pressure is described, including the fundamental relation between skin friction and surface pressure, the variational method, error analysis, and an approximate iterative method. The proposed method is based on a coupling relation between skin friction and surface pressure, where the boundary enstrophy flux is suitably modeled or approximated. This method is applied to unsteady PSP data obtained in incident SWBLIs at Mach 2.5 for different Reynolds numbers, revealing the skin-friction structures of the flows: particularly, the separation bubble induced by the incident shock wave. The extracted results are in good agreement with the data obtained by the surface-stress-sensitive film.

Data-driven approach for noise reduction in pressure-sensitive paint data based on modal expansion and time-series data at optimally placed points

We propose a noise reduction method for unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) data based on modal expansion, the coefficients of which are determined from time-series data at optimally placed points. In this study, the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) mode calculated from the time-series PSP data is used as a modal basis. Based on the POD modes, the points that effectively represent the features of the pressure distribution are optimally placed by the sensor optimization technique. Then, the time-dependent coefficient vector of the POD modes is determined by minimizing the difference between the time-series pressure data and the reconstructed pressure at the optimal points. Here, the coefficient vector is assumed to be a sparse vector. The advantage of the proposed method is a self-contained method, while existing methods use other data, such as pressure tap data for the reduction of the noise. As a demonstration, we applied the proposed method to the PSP data measuring the Kármán vortex street behind a square cylinder. The reconstructed pressure data agreed very well with the pressures independently measured by pressure transducers. This modal-based approach will be applicable not only to PSP data but other types of experimental data.

Pressure-sensitive paint measurements with temperature correction on the wing of AGARD-B under transonic flow conditions

This study experimentally examined the flow phenomena and pressure distribution on the wing of Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development Model B (AGARD-B) at a Mach number of 0.83. For simultaneous pressure and temperature measurement, a mesoporous pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) sensor was applied to one of the wings of AGARD-B at an angle of attack (AOA) of 0°–8° and a temperature-sensitive paint sensor was applied to the other wing. The collected temperature data were used for pixel-by-pixel temperature correction in a PSP experiment. The pressure distribution obtained on the AGARD-B wing through the PSP experiment with temperature correction agreed well with that obtained through computational flow dynamics (CFD) simulation and accurately indicated the low-pressure regions introduced by the vortex generated from the leading edge at an AOA larger than 4°. The lift coefficient calculated using the PSP data agreed well with that calculated using CFD.

Global Visualization of Compressible Swept Convex-Corner Flow Using Pressure-Sensitive Paint

This study used pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) and determined the surface pressure distributions for a compressible swept convex-corner flow. The freestream Mach numbers were 0.64 and 0.83. The convex-corner angle and swept angle were, respectively, 10–17° and 5–15°. Expansion and compression near the corner apex were clearly visualized. For the test case of shock-induced boundary layer separation, there were greater spanwise pressure gradient and curved shocks. The acquired PSP data agree with the experimental data measured using the Kulite pressure transducers for a subsonic expansion flow. For a transonic expansion flow, the discrepancy was significant. The assumption of a constant recovery factor is not valid in the separation region, and temperature correction for PSP measurements is required.

Response of Jointed Structures in Shock-Induced Flow: Surface Pressure and Structural Measurements with Finite Element Modeling

Experiments, modeling, and simulation were used to study the nonlinear dynamics of a jointed structure in a shock tube. The structure was a full-span square cylinder with internal bolted connections excited by fluid loading. The Reynolds number based on width was . The cylinder was exposed to an impulsive force associated with the incident shock followed by transverse loading imposed by vortex shedding. Experimentally, aerodynamic loading was characterized with high-speed pressure sensitive paint (PSP). Digital image correlation concurrently measured the structural response. Maximum displacement occurred when the vortex shedding frequency most closely matched the structural mode of the beam associated with a rocking motion at the joint. A finite element model was developed using Abaqus, where Coulomb friction modeled the nonlinear contact in the joint. The PSP data supplied the input load to the model as a one-way-coupled interaction. The simulations matched well the trends observed in the experiment. Overall, the root-mean-square values of the transverse displacement agreed to within 24% of the experiment. The modeling showed rocking about the joint during vortex shedding was critical to the nonlinear damping and energy dissipation observed in the structure. This highlights the importance of jointed connections to energy dissipation in structures under aerodynamic loading.

Global flow visualization of transonic cavity flow with various yaw angles

This study experimentally investigated transonic cavity flows with different length-to-depth ( L/ h) ratios and yaw angles. Two rectangular models with L/ h = 6.14 and 21.5 were examined with yaw angles of 10°, 30°, and 45° under a flow of Mach 0.83. The flow was visualized using pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) to obtain the detailed pressure distribution inside the cavity models. The acquired PSP data were compared with experimental data measured using Kulite transducers, and these data showed favorable agreement. Gradual pressure increases inside the cavity model with L/ h = 6.14 were observed from the PSP measurements as open cavity flow. The flow impingement at the bottom of the cavity and the significant pressure rise inside the cavity model with L/ h = 21.5 were observed as closed cavity flow. The present study quantitatively visualized the evolution of the pressure distribution from symmetric to asymmetric for different yaw angles using porous PSP sensors.

Analysis of a civil aircraft wing transonic shock buffet experiment

The physical mechanism governing the onset of transonic shock buffet on swept wings remains elusive, with no unequivocal description forthcoming despite over half a century of research. This paper elucidates the fundamental flow physics on a civil aircraft wing using an extensive experimental database from a transonic wind tunnel facility. The analysis covers a wide range of flow conditions at a Reynolds number of around . Data at pre-buffet conditions and beyond onset are assessed for Mach numbers between 0.70 and 0.84. Critically, unsteady surface pressure data of high spatial and temporal resolution acquired by dynamic pressure-sensitive paint is analysed, in addition to conventional data from pressure transducers and a root strain gauge. We identify two distinct phenomena in shock buffet conditions. First, we highlight a low-frequency shock unsteadiness for Strouhal numbers between 0.05 and 0.15, based on mean aerodynamic chord and reference free stream velocity. This has a characteristic wavelength of approximately 0.8 semi-span lengths (equivalent to three mean aerodynamic chords). Such shock unsteadiness is already observed at low-incidence conditions, below the buffet onset defined by traditional indicators. This has the effect of propagating disturbances predominantly in the inboard direction, depending on localised separation, with a dimensionless convection speed of approximately 0.26 for a Strouhal number of 0.09. Second, we describe a broadband higher-frequency behaviour for Strouhal numbers between 0.2 and 0.5 with a wavelength of 0.2 to 0.3 semi-span lengths (0.6 to 1.2 mean aerodynamic chords). This outboard propagation is confined to the tip region, similar to previously reported buffet cells believed to constitute the shock buffet instability on conventional swept wings. Interestingly, a dimensionless outboard convection speed of approximately 0.26, coinciding with the low-frequency shock unsteadiness, is found to be nearly independent of frequency. We characterise these coexisting phenomena by use of signal processing tools and modal analysis of the dynamic pressure-sensitive paint data, specifically proper orthogonal and dynamic mode decomposition. The results are scrutinised within the context of a broader research effort, including numerical simulation, and viewed alongside other experiments. We anticipate our findings will help to clarify experimental and numerical observations in edge-of-the-envelope conditions and to ultimately inform buffet-control strategies.

Iterative Blind Deconvolution Algorithm for Deblurring a Single PSP/TSP Image of Rotating Surfaces.

Imaging of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) for pressure measurement on moving surfaces is problematic due to the movement of the object within the finite exposure time of the imager, resulting in the blurring of the blade edges. The blurring problem is particularly challenging when high-sensitivity PSP with a long lifetime is used, where the long luminescence time constant of exponential light decay following a burst of excitation light energy results in blurred images. One method to ameliorate this effect is image deconvolution using a point spread function (PSF) based on an estimation of the luminescent time constant. Prior implementations of image deconvolution for PSP deblurring have relied upon a spatially invariant time constant in order to reduce computational time. However, the use of an assumed value of time constant leads to errors in the point spread function, particularly when strong pressure gradients (which cause strong spatial gradients in the decay time constant) are involved. This work introduces an iterative method of image deconvolution, where a spatially variant PSF is used. The point-by-point PSF values are found in an iterative manner, since the time constant depends on the local pressure value, which can only be found from the reduced PSP data. The scheme estimates a super-resolved spatially varying blur kernel with sub-pixel resolution without filtering the blurred image, and then restores the image using classical iterative regularization tools. A kernel-free forward model has been used to generate test images with known pressure surface maps and a varying amount of noise to evaluate the applicability of this scheme in different experimental conditions. A spinning disk setup with a grazing nitrogen jet for producing strong pressure gradients has also been used to evaluate the scheme on a real-world problem. Results including the convergence history and the effect of a regularization-iteration count are shown, along with a comparison with the previous PSP deblurring method.

Detection of small-amplitude periodic surface pressure fluctuation by pressure-sensitive paint measurements using frequency-domain methods

Image measurement using pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is an effective tool for analyzing the unsteady pressure field on the surface of a body in a low-speed air flow, which is associated with wind noise. In this study, the surface pressure fluctuation due to the tonal trailing edge (TE) noise for a two-dimensional NACA 0012 airfoil was quantitatively detected using a porous anodized aluminum PSP (AA-PSP). The emission from the PSP upon illumination by a blue laser diode was captured using a 12-bit high-speed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera. The intensities of the captured images were converted to pressures using a standard intensity-based method. Three image-processing methods based on the fast Fourier transform (FFT) were tested to determine their efficiency in improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the unsteady PSP data. In addition to two fundamental FFT techniques (the full data and ensemble averaging FFTs), a technique using the coherent output power (COP), which involves the cross correlation between the PSP data and the signal measured using a pointwise sound-level meter, was tested. Preliminary tests indicated that random photon shot noise dominates the intensity fluctuations in the captured PSP emissions above 200 Hz. Pressure fluctuations associated with the TE noise, whose dominant frequency is approximately 940 Hz, were successfully measured by analyzing 40,960 sequential PSP images recorded at 10 kfps. Quantitative validation using the power spectrum indicates that the COP technique is the most effective method of identification of the pressure fluctuation directly related to TE noise. It is possible to distinguish power differences with a resolution of 10 Pa $$^2$$ (4 Pa in amplitude) when the COP was employed without use of another wind-off data. This resolution cannot be achieved by the ensemble averaging FFT because of an insufficient elimination of the background noise.

Experimental Verification of Buffet Calculation Procedure Using Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint

Typically, a limited number of dynamic pressure sensors is employed to determine the unsteady aerodynamic forces on large, slender aerospace structures. This paper describes a robust calculation procedure based on frequency-specific correlation lengths and validation from an experiment conducted on a flat panel coated with fast-response pressure-sensitive paint. The first part of the paper describes the procedure used to analyze the pressure-sensitive paint images and a calibration method using dynamic pressure transducers. Excellent comparison in spectra, coherence, and phase, measured via pressure-sensitive paint and dynamic pressure sensors, validates the pressure-sensitive paint data. The second part of the paper describes the buffet validation process, the first step of which was to use pressure histories from all pixels to determine the true force fluctuations. In the next step, only a selected number of pixels was chosen as virtual sensors, and a correlation-length-based buffet calculation procedure was applied to determine modeled force fluctuations. By progressively decreasing the number of virtual sensors, it was observed that the present calculation procedure was able to make a close estimate of the true unsteady forces only from eight sensors. It is believed that the present work provides the first validation of a buffet calculation procedure.