Session: 5.2.1 - Novel Measurement Techniques in Fluid Engineering I

Paper Number: 155268

155268 - Developments in a High-Resolution Computational Model for the Flow Domain of L-Shaped Five-Hole Probes 

Abstract: 

Pressure probes are a reliable and inexpensive tool capable of measuring a broad range of fluids and velocities. The calibration of multi-hole probes can be complex and time consuming, adding costs and delays to research objectives. Turbulent flow fields add to the flow complexity and require careful and extensive calibration with accurate pressure transducers and flow generation apparatus. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software can reduce the time and expense of calibrating a multi-hole pressure probe. Using CFD to develop calibration maps can achieve similar accuracy to experimental calibration at a fraction of the cost and time.

This study explores a dual mesh technique used to calibrate a five-hole L-shaped probe. The L-shaped probe was studied at Mach 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 and at angles of attack from -30° to 30° in the pitch and yaw directions. The dual mesh technique uses a sphere embedded in a cubic domain. The sphere can be rotated independently of the cube to achieve the desired angle of attack for the probe. The dual mesh domain technique was implemented to remove the need to re-mesh at each angle of attack change. Calibration maps were developed for the stated velocities and angles of attack that showed robust data collection over the domain and velocities studied. The dual domain was validated with data from other studies using straight probes. The dual domain meshing technique does not produce outliers that could affect the quality of the simulations.

This paper will describe the parameters and methods used to create and run the CFD simulations. The methods to create and analyze the computational pressure probe data, and finally generating the calibration map itself, are explained in detail. This paper will provide a robust method to calibrate multi-hole pressure probes across large angles of attack and flow velocity ranges. This method will not only reduce costs for calibration but will allow a greater number of flow situations to be studied in a given time.

Presenting Author: Thomas Christopher Denver Penn State University

Presenting Author Biography: Thomas Denver is a Masters student in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University.