Optical multichannel transducer array for wind tunnel applications

Castracane, James; Clow, Lawrence P.; Seidler, Gernot

doi:10.1117/1.600862

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…To address this issue, MEMS pressure sensors integrated arrays offer a solution. Castracane et al (1996) presented a compact and fast response optical multichannel transducer array (OMTA) for real-time pressure measurements of the flow field with high spatial and temporal resolutions over an aerodynamic surface. Optical interferometer senses the deflection of silicon diaphragms and decipher the diaphragm movements into pressure values.…”

Section: Aerospace Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of principles of MEMS pressure sensing with its aerospace applications

Javed

Mansoor

Shah

2019

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Purpose Pressure, being one of the key variables investigated in scientific and engineering research, requires critical and accurate measurement techniques. With the advancements in materials and machining technologies, there is a large leap in the measurement techniques including the development of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors. These sensors are one to two orders smaller in magnitude than traditional sensors and combine electrical and mechanical components that are fabricated using integrated circuit batch-processing technologies. MEMS are finding enormous applications in many industrial fields ranging from medical to automotive, communication to electronics, chemical to aviation and many more with a potential market of billions of dollars. MEMS pressure sensors are now widely used devices owing to their intrinsic properties of small size, light weight, low cost, ease of batch fabrication and integration with an electronic circuit. This paper aims to identify and analyze the common pressure sensing techniques and discuss their uses and advantages. As per our understanding, usage of MEMS pressure sensors in the aerospace industry is quite limited due to cost constraints and indirect measurement approaches owing to the inability to locate sensors in harsh environments. The purpose of this study is to summarize the published literature for application of MEMS pressure sensors in the said field. Five broad application areas have been investigated including: propulsion/turbomachinery applications, turbulent flow diagnosis, experimentalaerodynamics, micro-flow control and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/micro aerial vehicle (MAV) applications. Design/methodology/approach The first part of the paper deals with an introduction to MEMS pressure sensors and mathematical relations for its fabrication. The second part covers pressure sensing principles followed by the application of MEMS pressure sensors in five major fields of aerospace industry. Findings In this paper, various pressure sensing principles in MEMS and applications of MEMS technology in the aerospace industry have been reviewed. Five application fields have been investigated including: Propulsion/Turbomachinery applications, turbulent flow diagnosis, experimental aerodynamics, micro-flow control and UAV/MAV applications. Applications of MEMS sensors in the aerospace industry are quite limited due to requirements of very high accuracy, high reliability and harsh environment survivability. However, the potential for growth of this technology is foreseen due to inherent features of MEMS sensors’ being light weight, low cost, ease of batch fabrication and capability of integration with electric circuits. All these advantages are very relevant to the aerospace industry. This work is an endeavor to present a comprehensive review of such MEMS pressure sensors, which are used in the aerospace industry and have been reported in recent literature. Originality/value As per the author’s understanding, usage of MEMS pressure sensors in the aerospace industry is quite limited due to cost constraints and indirect measurement approaches owing to the inability to locate sensors in harsh environments. Present work is a prime effort in summarizing the published literature for application of MEMS pressure sensors in the said field. Five broad application areas have been investigated including: propulsion/turbomachinery applications, turbulent flow diagnosis, experimental aerodynamics, micro-flow control and UAV/MAV applications.

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Section: Aerospace Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of principles of MEMS pressure sensing with its aerospace applications

Javed

Mansoor

Shah

2019

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“…Besides, this PSP technique requires expensive equipment such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Another nonintrusive technique for measuring aerodynamic forces is using a fibre optic sensor [17][18][19][20][21]. Castracane et al [17] used the optical multi-channel transducer array designed for measuring pressure profiles with a high spatial resolution for wind tunnel applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another nonintrusive technique for measuring aerodynamic forces is using a fibre optic sensor [17][18][19][20][21]. Castracane et al [17] used the optical multi-channel transducer array designed for measuring pressure profiles with a high spatial resolution for wind tunnel applications. MacPhercon et al [18] and Gander et al [19] developed high-resolution point pressure measurement techniques with a pressure sensor consisting of an optical fibre, a copper-diaphragm, and an air-gap cavity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of local thrust coefficients of an aerospace component with the fibre Bragg grating array

Kim

Kwon

Yoon

et al. 2009

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G:

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This paper describes a novel thrust measurement on a rotating wooden blade using the fibre Bragg grating (FBG) array. Five FBG sensors created in a single fibre were installed on the surface of a blade along the radial direction and one FBG sensor was placed in the middle of a rotor shaft. Measurements were performed with two wooden blades under loading in hover and with a dynamic FBG interrogator maintaining six channels for analysing optic signals. Distributed forces normal to the surface of a blade were determined with the assumptions of the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, and local thrust coefficients were calculated with blade element momentum theory (BEMT). Direct comparison between measured local thrust coefficient values and calculated ones was performed and good agreement was obtained on the local thrust coefficient versus the dimensionless radial distance chart. Additionally, the deflection shape of the blade in the flapwise direction was determined at various rotational speeds. Theoretical and experimental procedures described in this article offer an effective and improved method for the measurement and analysis of thrust coefficients for blade design as well as maintenance.

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“…In addition to their use in civil engineering applications fibre optic sensors have been utilised in other fields in which these devices have advantages over the more traditional electrical sensors. Some examples of studies in areas related to the current paper are the development of fibre optic pressure sensors for wind tunnel studies 6,7 , distributed optical flow sensing 8 , the measurement of flow induced structural vibration 9 and sensors to measure the forces on a sting balance used to test models in a wind tunnel 10 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fibre Bragg grating use in fluid dynamic studies

et al. 2008

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The application of fibre Bragg grating sensors for strain and force measurements in fluid dynamic experimental studies is presented. In the first example, a fibre Bragg grating is used as both a tether and a strain gauge for studies of neutrally buoyant spheres. The measured strains on the tether were found to agree well with the theory for the flow rates tested (0.14 to 0.33 m/s). In the second example a Bragg grating sensor has been used to monitor the forces acting on a cylinder as a function of flow rate and when the cylinder is translated in a stationary fluid. Excellent agreement was found between the vibration frequencies of the cylinder as measured by the Bragg grating and with a camera use to record the motion of the cylinder.

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Optical multichannel transducer array for wind tunnel applications

Cited by 11 publications

References 6 publications

A review of principles of MEMS pressure sensing with its aerospace applications

A review of principles of MEMS pressure sensing with its aerospace applications

Determination of local thrust coefficients of an aerospace component with the fibre Bragg grating array

Fibre Bragg grating use in fluid dynamic studies

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