Measurements of Aerodynamic Wall Shear Stress With Heated Thin Film Gauges
Previous publications have demonstrated the method of heated thin film gauge aerodynamic wall shear stress calibration in a laminar flow with a favourable free stream pressure gradient. Further evidence, derived from calibrating a gauge in laminar pipe flow and flow over a wedge, supports both the format of the calibrating equation and the value of the calibration constants. The pipe flow calibration is extended into turbulent flow and it is shown that the format of the calibrating equatinn remains unchanged whilst the value of the first constant changes markedly. The calibration constants are applicable to any such gauges mounted on an aluminium substrate in air flow operated at the same overheat temperature. The calibration constants are then applied to allow measurement of the wall shear stress in a low pressure gradient region of the suction surface of a linear cascade turbine blade. Finally, these measurements are compared favourably with those taken from a calibrated Preston tube mounted on the same blade.