Pressure Scanners for Unsteady Pressure Measurements in Wind Tunnel Applications

What is it about?

As our understanding of flight vehicles grows, we increasingly focus on the unsteady aspects of the flows around them. To better understand the unsteady flow and validate numerical models, instrumentation that captures these unsteady features is needed. Unsteady pressure systems have traditionally been measured using flush-mounted, fast-response pressure sensors. Although these sensors are highly capable, they are costly, fragile, and require special installation procedures. A significant improvement over this current approach would be enabled using the same tap/tubing/transducer setup used for steady pressure measurements. This work evaluates the utility of pressure scanners for unsteady pressure measurements in wind tunnel testing applications.

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Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In recent years, advantages such as small form factor, ruggedness, cost efficiency, and stability have increased the demand for pressure scanner modules in various unsteady aerodynamic applications. However, the major drawback to the application of remotely mounted sensors is the attenuation and resonance effects in the pressure signal due to the tubing between the pressure taps on the surface and the pressure-sensing unit. This issue has limited the use of pressure scanners for unsteady pressure measurements in wind tunnel and field-testing applications.