Time-resolved surface pressure and model deformation measurements in an industrial transonic wind tunnel

This paper presents the advanced optical diagnostics techniques deployed in a recent proving test of the Gust Generation Facility in the ARA TWT. A porous polymer-ceramic pressure-sensitive paint was used to record the pressure on both the upper and lower surfaces of ARA’s reference civil half-model as a gust passed, and stereographic digital image correlation was used to obtain the corresponding structural response. The difficulties of applying these methods in an industrial facility is addressed, along with an overview of the results acquired and a discussion of the ways in which such data can be used to validate fluid-structure interaction simulations and to improve aircraft design.