Simplified calibration method for constant-temperature hot-wire anemometry

Abstract

This study proposes a unique approach to convert a voltage signal obtained from a hot-wire anemometry to flow velocity data by making a slight modification to existing temperature-correction methods. The approach was a simplified calibration method for the constant-temperature mode of hot-wire anemometry without knowing exact wire temperature. The necessary data are the freestream temperature and a set of known velocity data which gives reference velocities in addition to the hot-wire signal. The proposed method was applied to various boundary layer velocity profiles with large temperature variations while the wire temperature was unknown. The target flow velocity was ranged between 20 and 80 m/s. By using a best-fit approach between the velocities in the boundary layer obtained by hot-wire anemometry and by the pitot-tube measurement, which provides reference data, the unknown wire temperature was sought. Results showed that the proposed simplified calibration approach was applicable to a velocity range between 20 and 80 m/s and with temperature variations up to 15 °C with an uncertainty level of 2.6% at most for the current datasets.