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Aerodynamics Lab-Ii (SUB CODE-AE39001) Under The Guidance of Dr. Sandeep Saha
Aerodynamics Lab-Ii (SUB CODE-AE39001) Under The Guidance of Dr. Sandeep Saha
(SUB CODE-AE39001)
Under the guidance of Dr. Sandeep Saha
Experiment 5
Flow visualization with SCHLIEREN
By-
Abhishek Sinha(14AE10002),Aerodynamics Lab,Aerospace Engg. Dept.,
I.I.T Kharagpur,
Date of completion: 8th September 2016
1. DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT
1.1Aim
(i) To perform flow visualization using Schlieren technique and determine inlet Mach number
in a supersonic wind tunnel using 𝜃−𝛽−𝑀 relationship and a wedge.
(ii) Determination of stagnation conditions from the inlet Mach number.
1.3 Introduction
Supersonic wind tunnel is a wind tunnel that produces supersonic speeds. As a subsonic
flow is contracted, the velocity and Mach number increase. When the velocity reaches the
speed of sound (M = 1), the flow chokes and the Mach number cannot be increased beyond M
= 1. We want the highest possible velocity in the test section of the wind tunnel. For a
supersonic wind tunnel, we contract the flow until it chokes in the throat of a nozzle. We then
diffuse the flow which increases the speed supersonically. The test section of the supersonic
tunnel is placed at the end of the diffuser.
Schlieren photography is a visual process that is used to photograph the flow of fluids of varying
density. Invented by the German physicist August Toepler in 1864 to study supersonic motion,
it is widely used in aeronautical engineering to
photograph the flow of air around objects. The light is
focused with a converging optical element (usually a
lens or curved mirror), and a knife-edge is placed at
the focal point, positioned to block about half the light.
In flow of uniform density this will simply make the
photograph half as bright. However, in flow with
density variations the distorted beam focuses
imperfectly, and parts which have been focused in an
area covered by the knife-edge are blocked. The result
is a set of lighter and darker patches corresponding to
positive and negative fluid density gradients in the
direction normal to the knife-edge
Theory
Schlieren Setup:
The schlieren system shown in this figure uses two concave mirrors on either side of the test
section of the wind tunnel. A mercury vapor lamp or a spark gap system is used as a bright
source of light. The light is passed through a slit which is placed such that the reflected light
from the mirror forms parallel rays that pass through the test section. On the other side of the
tunnel, the parallel rays are collected by another mirror and focused to a point at the knife
edge. The rays continue on to a screen.
Now if the parallel rays of light
encounter a density gradient in
the test section, the light is
bent, or refracted. In the
schematic, a shock wave has
been generated by a model
placed in the supersonic flow
through the tunnel test section.
Shock waves are thin regions of
high gradients in pressure,
temperature and density. A ray
of light passing through the
shock wave is bent as shown by
the dashed line in the figure. This ray of light does not pass through the focal point, but is
stopped by the knife edge. The resulting image recorded by the camera has darkened lines
that occur where the density gradients are present. The model completely blocks the passing
of the light rays, so we see a black image of the model. But more important, the shock waves
generated by the model are now seen as darkened lines on the image. We have a way to
visualize shock waves
The test section at the nozzle exit: It is the basic element of wind tunnel on which
all other designs are generally made. All the aerodynamic models are mounted in the
test section when the tunnel is operated with desired flow velocity. Various shapes for
the test section are considered for constructing the wind tunnel viz. hexagonal,
octagonal, rectangle etc. The test section is generally designed on the basis of utility and
aerodynamic considerations since cost of construction depends on the test section area.
Length of the test section is mostly equal to major dimension of the cross-section of the
same or twice of it
1.6 Procedure
The compressor was run, compressing the air and storing in the high
pressure tank.
The wedge/test model was secured in place inside the test section of the
wind tunnel.
The Schlieren was setup consisting of two convex lenses, a halogen lamp, a in
hole in front of the lamp, pinhole on screen with three different colors
(instead of knife edge) and screen.
Using the regulator, the stagnation pressure was maintained at p0 = 220.6
kpa.
The flow over the wedge was photographed and measurements were carried
on the photograph.
2. EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS
2.1 Observations
The second throat is used in the supersonic wind tunnel to obtain a sonic condition and
thus reducing the speed to subsonic in the diffuser. This helps to reduce the power
required to maintain the supersonic wind tunnel running if it has an infinite source of
high stagnation pressure.
The errors that might have aroused due to the following possible reasons:
1. The viscosity of the air has been neglected while deriving the shock relations and
theta beta M relation. Due to this the boundary layer interaction with the shock was
ignored. Thus producing error.
2. The flow was assumed to be isentropic while using the relations for stagnation
pressure. This might not be the case while performing the experiment. Thus the values
obtained were different
3. The angles used were approximates of the actual angle produced in the oblique
shock. Furthermore there also were shock interactions with each other creating
stronger and weaker shocks, which was neglected while getting the angles or deriving
the different relationships.
4. Parallax error- This error might have aroused due to wrong placement of the camera
while taking of the photograph of the Schlieren. Thus it may have resulted in the wrong
calculation of the angles and hence wrong results.
2. Mach meter-A Mach meter is an aircraft pitot-static system flight instrument that
shows the ratio of the true airspeed to the speed of sound. Mach meters use an
altitude aneroid and an airspeed capsule which together convert pitot-static
pressure into Mach number. Modern electronic Mach meters use information
from an air data computer system.
3. Theta Beta M relation-Though this relation is not perfect , still it give a broad
overview of the actual changes in the static and stagnation pressures,
temperatures and densities.
5. CONCLUSIONS