Calibration of a four-hole mini probe in sub-, trans- and supersonic flow

Abstract

The intrusive measurement probes such as pneumatic probes need to be calibrated prior to the measurements, in order to investigate flow fields within turbomachines and any other aerodynamic facility. The aim of my placement was to calibrate a four-hole mini-probe for 3D flow measurements in the probe calibration facility SEG. In a Mach number range from 0.1 to 1.8, the yaw angle α and the pitch angle β vary from -21° to +21°. During the calibration process, some coefficients are used in order to determine the flow quantities in wind tunnels, like the Mach number, the pressures and the direction of the flow. These calibration coefficients are extrapolated and interpolated through Fortran programs and a software named Tecplot. An error analysis is then performed to find the field of insensitivity of the probe. Finally, all the characteristics of the probe are known and can be used in further wind tunnel measurements.