Contactless Localization of Premature Laminar–Turbulent Flow Transitions on Wind Turbine Rotor Blades in Operation

Thermographic flow visualization enables a noninvasive detection of the laminar–turbulent flow transition and allows a measurement of the impact of surface erosion and contamination due to insects, rain, dust, or hail by quantifying the amount of laminar flow reduction. The state-of-the-art image processing is designed to localize the natural flow transition as occurring on an undisturbed blade surface by use of a one-dimensional gradient evaluation. However, the occurrence of premature flow transitions leads to a high measurement uncertainty of the localized transition line or to a completely missed flow transition detection. For this reason, regions with turbulent flow are incorrectly assigned to the laminar flow region, which leads to a systematic deviation in the subsequent quantification of the spatial distribution of the boundary layer flow regimes. Therefore, a novel image processing method for the localization of the laminar–turbulent flow transition is introduced, which provides a reduced measurement uncertainty for sections with premature flow transitions. By the use of a two-dimensional image evaluation, local maximal temperature gradients are identified in order to locate the flow transition with a reduced uncertainty compared to the state-of-the-art method. The transition position can be used to quantify the reduction of the laminar flow regime surface area due to occurrences of premature flow transitions in order to measure the influence of surface contamination on the boundary layer flow. The image processing is applied to the thermographic measurement on a wind turbine of the type GE 1.5 sl in operation. In 11 blade segments with occurring premature flow transitions and a high enough contrast of the developed turbulence wedge, the introduced evaluation was able to locate the flow transition line correctly. The laminar flow reduction based on the evaluated flow transition position located with a significantly reduced systematic deviation amounts to 22% for the given measurement and can be used to estimate the reduction of the aerodynamic lift. Therefore, the image processing method introduced allows a more accurate estimation of the effects of real environmental conditions on the efficiency of wind turbines in operation.

Feeling Machine for Process Monitoring of Turning Hybrid Solid Components

The realization of the increasing automation of production systems requires the guarantee of process security as well as the resulting workpiece quality. For this purpose, monitoring systems are used, which monitor the machining based on machine control signals and external sensors. These systems are challenged by innovative design concepts such as hybrid components made of different materials, which lead to new disturbance variables in the process. Therefore, it is important to obtain as much process information as possible in order to achieve a robust and sensitive evaluation of the machining. Feeling machines with force sensing capabilities represent a promising approach to assist the monitoring. This paper provides, for the first time, an overview of the suitability of the feeling machine for process monitoring during turning operations. The process faults tool breakage, tool wear, and the variation of the material transition position of hybrid shafts that were researched and compared with a force dynamometer. For the investigation, longitudinal turning processes with shafts made of EN AW-6082 and 20MnCr5 were carried out. The results show the feeling machine is sensitive to all kinds of examined errors and can compete with a force dynamometer, especially for roughing operations.

Chaotic photon spheres in non-Euclidean billiard

With the advancement in understanding of the physics inside chaotic systems, chaos has been harnessed from a nuisance to a beneficial factor in optical devices. Light–matter interaction in chaotic systems has been utilised for improving broadband energy harvesting and momentum transformations, achieving light localization beyond diffraction limit and even stabilizing the dynamics of high power laser. While extensive study about wave chaos has been made in deformed microcavities, investigation of how chaos dynamics evolves in curved space manifold remains elusive. Here, we study the non-Euclidean billiard of a torus-like manifold, which is a closed 2D cavity system with effective periodic boundaries. The ray chaotic behaviours on the deformed toroidal surface are explored using the geodesic equation. By tuning the deformation parameter of the torus, we observe the transition of the billiard from the ordered phase state to mixed phase states and then complete ray chaos. The photon sphere of the torus is identified as the transition position from ordered states to chaotic states. Compared with other chaotic behaviours resulted from the random scattering inside deformed cavities, we demonstrate chaotic dynamics purely on a curved surface, which may shed light on the better understanding of chaos in optics.

Helicopter Rotor Boundary Layer Transition Measurement in Forward Flight Using an Infrared Camera

Boundary layer transition measurement was demonstrated using differential infrared thermography (DIT) on the top side of a helicopter rotor in forward flight, which detects the difference in the convective heat transfer at the boundary layer transition position. The tests used a FLIR X8500xc SLS long wave infrared camera to observe the DLR EC135 test helicopter rotor. The boundary layer transition was detected for hover out of ground effect (150 ft) and for forward flight at 80 kt (1700 ft). The measured boundary layer transition positions are consistent with previous measurements of the EC135 hovering in ground effect, and with predicted boundary layer transition positions. A method for the analysis of DIT images for a rotor in forward flight is shown, based on computational analysis of a pitching airfoil with varying inflow.

Shape optimization and experimental research of near space airship

Shape optimization has important effects on drag reduction of the near-space airship. This paper uses the Bezier curve to parameterize the hull of the airship. Based on multiple island genetic algorithms, the optimization platform combined with different programs is established, and a kind of low drag hull is obtained by optimization. Force measurement and flow observation wind tunnel test are used to research the aerodynamic characteristics of the ellipsoid hull and the optimized hull. Results show that, optimization mainly increases the volume ratio and the favorable pressure gradient region of the hull, therefore the surface area is reduced and transition position of the hull can be delayed. Compared with the LOTTE shape, transition position of the optimized shape moved backward by 13.78%, and the volume drag coefficient is reduced by 11.1%. It is known from the wind tunnel test that compared with the ellipsoid hull, transition position of the optimized shape moves backward obviously. Under the condition that the volume Reynolds number is 2.97 × 106, compared with the ellipsoid hull, volume drag coefficient of the optimized shape can reduce by 39.0%.