PSP Visualization studies on a convergent nozzle with an ejector system

Abstract

An in-house Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP) formulation has been developed at the Aero-Physics Laboratory at the University of Manchester. The PSP uses Bathophenanthroline Ruthenium as the luminophore molecule and is incorporated in a sol-gel matrix. Excitation occurs at 400-500 nm and emission at 550-650 nm. The Stern-Volmer plot of the PSP reveals small temperature dependence, which has always been an intrinsic drawback of PSPs. As a baseline experiment the PSP has been applied to examine the side-wall pressure field of the flow through a convergent nozzle with an ejector, at fully expanded Mach numbers in the range M-{j} = 0.52-1.36. Simultaneous static pressure measurements were also conducted to ascertain the accuracy of the PSP results. The paint has demonstrated satisfactory capabilities in not only measuring static pressures but also in visualizing key physical elements of the flow, such as the location of the expansion and oblique shock waves present in such flows. © 2009 The Visualization Society of Japan.