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Journal Article•DOI•

A nonintrusive laser interferometer method for measurement of skin friction

D. J. Monson1•
Ames Research Center1
01 Jan 1983-Experiments in Fluids (Springer-Verlag)-Vol. 1, Iss: 1, pp 15-22
TL;DR: In this article, a method is described for monitoring the changing thickness of a thin oil film subject to an aerodynamic shear stress using two focused laser beams, which is then simply analyzed in terms of the surface skin friction of the flow, including the effects of arbitrarily large pressure and skinfriction gradients, gravity, and time-varying oil temperature.
Abstract: A method is described for monitoring the changing thickness of a thin oil film subject to an aerodynamic shear stress using two focused laser beams. The measurement is then simply analyzed in terms of the surface skin friction of the flow. The analysis includes the effects of arbitrarily large pressure and skinfriction gradients, gravity, and time-varying oil temperature. It may also be applied to three-dimensional flows with unknown direction. Applications are presented for a variety of flows including two-dimensional flows, three-dimensional swirling flows, separated flows, supersonic high-Reynolds-number flows, and delta-wing vortical flows.

Summary (1 min read)

Jump to: [2.1 Principle] – [2.2 Instrument] – [3.1 AxisymmetricTwo-DimensionalBoundary-LayerFlow] – [I I] and [4. Conclusions]

2.1 Principle

  • A llne of oll is applied ahead of the front beam, the flow is started, and the oil flows downstream past the two beams.
  • The laser beams measure the time rate of change of the oil film's slope by monitoring the tlme-dependent optical interference as discussed in Section 2.2.
  • This information, in turn, is used to compute the average skin friction during the measurementperiod using the oil-flow theory and data-reductionequationsdiscussedin Section 2.3.

2.2 Instrument

  • The two-beam _nstrument cannot be used if wind-tunnel geometries require angles in the range between 30°and 70°..
  • There, the angles are too near the oil Brewster angle of 54°, where the oil reflects the p-polarization poorly.
  • One method of avoiding this problem is to increase the incidence angle to a value beyond 70°.

3.1 AxisymmetricTwo-DimensionalBoundary-LayerFlow

  • The initial verificationexperimentsfor the two-beam laser interferometer method were performedby Monson and Higuchi (1981) and later repeated by Monson (1983) in a simple two-dimensionalboundary-layerflow with no gradients.
  • The tunnel has a cylinder mounted along its centerlineon which the skin friction was measured.
  • (A section of the cylinder can be rotated to produce a swirling boundary layer, but the cylinderwas stationaryfor these tests.).

I I

  • Large plexlglass side windows allow laser beam access in and out of the tunnel.
  • The error bars on the mean laser interferometerdata representconfidencelimits of 95%.
  • Excellent agreement between the two methods and with theory is observed for the axial components.
  • Monson (1983) finds that shallow flow angles result both in long oil-flow path lengthswhich cause a persistenceof oil surfacewaves, and large errors in measured skin friction caused by small errors in applied oil llne direction.
  • As a result, this angle is probably close to the lower limit for which the present method can accurately measure the transverse skin-friction component in threedimensional flows.

4. Conclusions

  • Limitations to the method occur in flows possessing high dust levels, at very high skin-frlctlon levels, or when measuring transverse skin-frlction components in three-dlmensional flows nearly perpendicular to the local flow direction.
  • In spite of these limitations, this method has been used to successfully measure skin-friction levels between O.1 and 120 N/m 2, and transverse components in three-dimensional flows within 3@ of perpendicular to the local flow direction.

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NASA Technical Memorandum 84300
NASA-TM-84300 19830004123
A NonintrusiveLaserInterferometer
Methodfor Measurementof
SkinFriction
Daryl J. Monson
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October 1982
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Lt,[,'GLEY RESEARCH CENTER
L_L_2?,RY,NASA
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IUANA
NationalAeronauticsand
SpaceAdministration
NASA Technical Memorandum 84300
A NonintrusiveLaserInterferometer
Methodfor Measurementof
SkinFriction
Daryl J. Monson, Ames ResearchCenter, Moffett Field, California
NASA
NationalAeronautics and
SpaceAdministration
Ames ResearchCenter
MoffettField,California94035
_/?j---/,_,.37_#-
• !
Abstract
A method is described for monitoring the changing thickness of a thin oil film
subject to an aerodynamic shear stress using two focused laser beams. The measure-
ment is then simply analyzed in terms of the surface skin friction of the flow.
The analysis includes the effects of arbitrarily large pressure and skin-friction
gradients, gravity, and time-varying oil temperature. It may also be applied to
three-dimensional flows with unknown direction. Applications are presented for a
variety of flows including two-dlmensional flows, three-dimensional swirling flows,
separated flows, supersonic high Reynolds number flows, and delta-wing vortical
flows.
Citations
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Journal Article•DOI•
Laser Interferometer/Preston Tube Skin-Friction Comparison in Shock/Boundary-Layer Interaction

[...]

K.-S. Kim1, Yeol Lee2, Gary S. Settles2•
Ames Research Center1, Pennsylvania State University2
01 Jun 1991-AIAA Journal
TL;DR: In this article, an evaluation of the accuracy of the "Preston tube" surface pitot pressure skin friction measurement method relative to the already proven laser interferometer skin-friction meter in a swept shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction was conducted.
Abstract: An evaluation is conducted of the accuracy of the 'Preston tube' surface pitot-pressure skin friction measurement method relative to the already proven laser interferometer skin-friction meter in a swept shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction. The Preston tube was used to estimate the total shear-stress distribution in a fin-generated swept shock-wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction. The Keener-Hopkins calibration method using the isentropic relation to calculate the Preston-tube Mach number produces the best results.

9 citations

Skin friction measurement and transition detection techniques for the Ludwieg-tubes at DLR

[...]

Erich Schülein, Stefan Koch, Henning Rosemann
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: In this paper, three different skin friction measurement and transition detection techniques have been developed and adapted to the specific test conditions in the Ludwieg-Tube facilities of DLR at Gottingen.
Abstract: Three different skin friction measurement and transition detection techniques have been developed and adapted to the specific test conditions in the Ludwieg-Tube facilities of DLR at Gottingen. The latter are: short run time and thin boundary layers for both, the hypersonic Ludwieg-Tube facility (RWG) and the Cryogenic Ludwieg-Tube (KRG), and low temperatures for the KRG, which can be operated down to 120 K to achieve high Reynolds numbers. An oil film technique has been developed and applied to measure skin friction and transition on a flat plate in the RWG at M = 5. Surface mounted hot-films, directly deposited on the model surface, have been used to study shock oscillations on a laminar-type airfoil in the KRG down to cryogenic conditions. Further improvements of the deposition quality will make sensor arrays with about 20 sensors on an airfoil section with 150 mm chord available. It could be demonstrated that wall mounted thermocouples provide a simple method to determine transition on airfoils in the KRG by detecting the difference in heat flux between laminar and turbulent boundary layers

8 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Laminar-Flow Instrumentation for Wind-Tunnel and Flight Experiments

[...]

Wolfgang Nitsche1, Joachim Szodruch2•
Technical University of Berlin1, Airbus2
01 Mar 1993-Journal of Aircraft
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on selection, adaptation, and integration of advanced measuring techniques for laminar wing testing in wind-tunnel and flight experiments, and perform high quality experiments with results of sufficient detail and resolution which can be used for theoretical code development and verification.
Abstract: This article reports on selection, adaptation, and integration of advanced measuring techniques for laminar wing testing in wind-tunnel and flight experiments. The aim was to perform high quality experiments with results of sufficient detail and resolution which can be used for theoretical code development and verification as well as for design criteria of laminar wing concepts. Results from various wind-tunnel and flight tests fully support and confirm the quality and potential of the testing techniques employed.

8 citations

Proceedings Article•DOI•
Shear and pressure measurements on an airfoil at angle of attack

[...]

George G. Mateer, Daryl J. Monson, Florian R. Menter
19 Jun 1995

7 citations

Proceedings Article•DOI•
Development of two multisensor hot-film measuring techniques for free-flight experiments

[...]

F. Feyzi, M. Kornberger, N. Rachor, B. Ilk
18 Sep 1989
TL;DR: In this article, two multisensor hot-film techniques were developed and tested in a wind tunnel and on a power glider in free-flight conditions to detect the transition region and also to measure the skin friction for laminar wings.
Abstract: Measuring techniques are being developed which can be used in free-flight conditions to detect the transition region and also to measure the skin friction for laminar wings. A description is given of two multisensor hot-film techniques that are being developed and tested in a wind tunnel and on a power glider in free-flight conditions. The techniques are a multisensor technique based on constant temperature anemometry (CTA) and a technique based on constant current anemometry (CCA). The CTA-multisensor probe is composed of commercially available hot films. Fast Fourier transformation analysis of the signals makes it possible to determine laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow in the boundary layer and to detect instabilities such as Tollmien-Schlichting waves. The possibility of measuring the skin friction can be envisioned if a suitable calibrating method can be found. The CCA technique is being developed in order to increase the number of sensors for simultaneous measurements in wind tunnels. >

7 citations

References
More filters
Journal Article•
Describing Uncertainty in Single Sample Experiments

[...]

S. J. Kline
01 Jan 1953-Mechanical Engineering

7,568 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
An outline of the techniques available for the measurement of skin friction in turbulent boundary layers

[...]

K.G. Winter1•
Royal Aircraft Establishment1
01 Jan 1979-Progress in Aerospace Sciences
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss force-measurement balances, the use of the velocity profile, pressure measurements by surface pitot tubes or about obstacles, and the analogies of heat transfer, mass transfer or surface oil flow.

337 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
A study of the motion of oil films on surfaces in air flow, with application to the measurement of skin friction

[...]

L H Tanner, L G Blows
01 Mar 1976-Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple relation is obtained between the film thickness variation and the skin friction distribution, and the results confirm the theory and show that the method gives reasonably accurate measurements of skin friction distributions in low speed flows.
Abstract: An oil film on a solid surface moves under the action of gravity or of the pressure gradient and skin friction resulting from the flow of air over the oil surface. Such oil flows are studied experimentally and theoretically. If the film is thin enough, the dominant force is the skin friction, and a simple relation is obtained between the film thickness variation and the skin friction distribution. The other forces give a perturbation which may be estimated and which decreases with time. The appropriate film thickness is of the order of 10 mu m and so is conveniently measured by interferometry. Experimental results confirm the theory and show that the method gives reasonably accurate measurements of skin friction distribution in low speed flows.

246 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
A skin friction meter, using the viscosity balance principle, suitable for use with flat or curved metal surfaces (based on thickness measurement)

[...]

L H Tanner
01 Mar 1977-Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments
TL;DR: In this paper, a laser beam focused at position x, reflects partly from the oil surface and partly from a metal substrate, and the reflected beams are focused on a photocell and the pen recorder output gives an interferometric record of y against t.
Abstract: An oil film is placed on a surface over which gas is flowing, and moves under the influence of skin friction. The skin friction meter to be described makes use of the fact that, at time t after the start of the flow with skin friction tau , the thickness y of oil of viscosity mu at a point x close downstream of the leading edge is y= mu x/ tau t. A laser beam focused at position x, reflects partly from the oil surface and partly from the metal substrate. The reflected beams are focused on a photocell and the pen recorder output gives an interferometric record of y against t. To permit accurate setting of the position x, a second laser beam is used which is set at the upstream oil edge, x=0. The results obtained show good agreement with theory, repeatability and consistency. The meter can be used with any polished metal surface, whether flat or curved, and provides versatile and potentially accurate method for skin friction measurement.

59 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Skin Friction Measurements by a Dual-Laser-Beam Interferometer Technique

[...]

Daryl J. Monson1, H. Higuchi•
Ames Research Center1
01 Jun 1981-AIAA Journal
TL;DR: In this article, a portable dual-laser-beam interferometer that nonintrusively measures skin friction by monitoring the thickness change of an oil film subject to shear stress is described.
Abstract: A portable dual-laser-beam interferometer that nonintrusively measures skin friction by monitoring the thickness change of an oil film subject to shear stress is described. The method is an advance over past versions in that the troublesome and error-introducing need to measure the distance to the oil leading edge and the starting time for the oil flow has been eliminated. The validity of the method was verified by measuring oil viscosity in the laboratory, and then using those results to measure skin friction beneath the turbulent boundary layer in a low speed wind tunnel. The dual-laser-beam skin friction measurements are compared with Preston tube measurements, with mean velocity profile data in a "law-of-the-well" coordinate system, and with computations based on turbulent boundary-layer theory. Excellent agreement is found in all cases. (This validation and the aforementioned improvements appear to make the present form of the instrument usable to measure skin friction reliably and nonintrusively in a wide range of flow situations in which previous methods are not practical.)

50 citations

Related Papers (5)
A study of the motion of oil films on surfaces in air flow, with application to the measurement of skin friction

[...]

01 Mar 1976-Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments
L H Tanner, L G Blows
An outline of the techniques available for the measurement of skin friction in turbulent boundary layers

[...]

01 Jan 1979-Progress in Aerospace Sciences
K.G. Winter
Skin Friction Measurements by a Dual-Laser-Beam Interferometer Technique

[...]

01 Jun 1981-AIAA Journal
Daryl J. Monson, H. Higuchi
Boundary-layer transition and global skin friction measurement with an oil-fringe imaging technique

[...]

01 Jan 1993
Daryl J. Monson, George G. Mateer, Florian R. Menter
A skin friction meter, using the viscosity balance principle, suitable for use with flat or curved metal surfaces (based on thickness measurement)

[...]

01 Mar 1977-Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments
L H Tanner