Two-Line Focused Laser Differential Interferometry of a Flat Plate Boundary Layer at Mach 6
Flat plate models are often used in wind tunnel testing to make measurements of the boundary layer, but preclude the use of conventional focused laser differential interferometry (FLDI) measurements, particularly for measurements at the surface of the model. By instead focusing light in only one direction using cylindrical optics, as opposed to two directions using only spherical optics, FLDI measurements can be made without truncating the beam at the model edges. Measurements at discrete points along a line can also be acquired, effectively acting as many individual FLDI instruments in a single measurement. Here, a two-line FLDI system has been constructed that allows for the measurement lines to be easily oriented at any azimuthal angle about the optical axis since the optics are housed in rotation mounts. Velocity measurements at points along a line or between two lines are also possible, since the beams are split similar to the two-point FLDI instrument. The system was first characterized in the laboratory using a laser-induced breakdown spark to provide a well-defined density fluctuation, along with high-speed schlieren measurements for comparison. The system was then installed at the NASA Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel to make measurements through the boundary layer of a flat plate model and in the tunnel freestream.