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Boundary layer diagnostics by means of an infrared scanning radiometer

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Abstract

A computerized infrared (IR) scanning radiometer is employed to characterize the boundary layer development over a model wing, having a Göttingen 797 cross-section, by measuring the temperature distribution over its heated surface. The Reynolds analogy is used to relate heat transfer measurements to skin friction. The results show that IR thermography is capable of rapidly detecting location and extent of transition and separation regions of the boundary layer over the whole surface of the tested model wing. Thus, the IR technique appears to be a suitable and effective diagnostic tool for aerodynamic research in wind tunnels.

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Abbreviations

c :

airfoil chord

c f :

local skin friction coefficient = 2τ/(ϱ V 2)

c p :

specific heat coefficient at constant pressure

h :

local convective heat transfer coefficient

Nu :

Nusselt number = h x/λ

Nu c :

Nusselt number based on airfoil chord = h c/λ

Pr :

Prandtl number c p μ/λ

Q j :

wall heat flux due to Joule heating

Q l :

heat flux loss

Re :

Reynolds number ϱ V x/μ

Re c :

Reynolds number based on airfoil chord = ϱ V c/μ

St :

Stanton number = h/ϱc p V

T w :

wall temperature

T aw :

adiabatic wall temperature

V :

velocity of the free stream

x :

chordwise spatial coordinate

α :

angle of attack

λ :

thermal conductivity coefficient

μ :

dynamic viscosity coefficient

ϱ :

mass density

τ:

wall shear stress

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de Luca, L., Carlomagno, G.M. & Buresti, G. Boundary layer diagnostics by means of an infrared scanning radiometer. Experiments in Fluids 9, 121–128 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00187411

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