Flow diagnostic technique development for industrial-scale experiments.

A PhD project sponsored by the European Space Agency has investigated experimental techniques that can be applied to high-speed wind tunnel tests to investigate the breakup of satellites and other space debris. The work was performed at the University of Manchester Hypersonic wind tunnel at Mach 5 and uses light as the measurement device to investigate objects as they move away from each other. The project outcomes so far have been an increased understanding of specific experimental techniques and their applicability (specifically background-oriented schlieren) and has led to collaborative wind tunnel campaigns being conducted at other European facilities such as the H2K wind tunnel at DLR Cologne.

For more information, click on the links below:

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6501/ab1582/meta

TB Fisher, MK Quinn, KL Smith, “An experimental sensitivity comparison of the schlieren and background-oriented schlieren techniques applied to hypersonic flow”, Measurement Science and Technology 30 (6), 065202