The Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint System

In the future, the complete picture of air flow will need to be accurately measured in detail, so vehicle designs can minimize the effects of unsteady air. NASA’s Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office (AETC) is addressing this challenge. AETC together with industry stakeholders, have developed the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint System. This system utilizes state of the art technology to measure and visualize unsteady air flows, in near-real time, for wind tunnel vehicle tests. Additionally, this method allows for increased accuracy and data to be processed 10, 000 times faster.