Methods to improve pressure, temperature and velocity accuracies of filtered Rayleigh scattering measurements in gaseous flows

Abstract

Frequency scanning filtered Rayleigh scattering is able to simultaneously provide time-averaged measurements of pressure, temperature and velocity in gaseous flows. By extending the underlying mathematical model, a robust alternative to existing approaches is introduced. Present and proposed model functions are then characterized during a detailed uncertainty analysis. Deviations between the analytical solution of a jet flow experiment and measured results could be related to laser-induced background radiation as well as the Rayleigh scattering’s spectral distribution. In applying a background correction method and by replacing the standard lineshape model by an empirical formulation, detrimental effects on pressure, temperature and velocity accuracies could be reduced below 15 hPa, 2.5 K and 2.7 m/s.