Measurement of unsteady surface pressure on a slender wing undergoing a self-induced oscillation

Summary

The methodology outlined here was shown to be an effective means by which detailed unsteady surface pressure measurements may be obtained on a wing undergoing a self-induced oscillation in a wind tunnel study. Previous methods have relied on forcing the wing through a sinusoidal motion at a fixed amplitude and frequency. The advantage of the technique outlined here is that pressure measurements are obtained for the exact motion time history, including all transient motions. In fact, almost any self-induced or forced motion may be implemented by the system. The method also has the advantage of a significant reduction in the cost of pressure transducers due to the repeatability of the unsteady flowfield.