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Title: Liquid crystals for surface shear stress visualization on wind turbine airfoils

Abstract

Experiments were conducted on the Sandia 17-m vertical axis wind turbine to test the liquid-crystal/surface-shear-stress visualization technique in field environments. A Sandia natural-laminar-flow airfoil served as the test surface. Initial feasibility experiments were conducted under high-tip-speed-ratio, high-Reynolds-number conditions, which resulted in low angle-of-attack, quasi-steady flow fields. Data acquisition was accomplished with a tower-mounted movie camera and 35mm color film. Liquid crystal coatings sensitive only to surface shear stress, and insensitive to temperature changes for temperatures below 50/degree/C, were utilized. Observations of coating color changes showed the liquid crystal technique capable of visualizing surface shear stress distributions, including (by contrast) regions of separated flow, under field-test conditions. 10 refs., 3 figs.

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
7054483
Report Number(s):
SAND-88-0541C; CONF-880916-1
ON: DE88017117
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76DP00789
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 18. national conference of the American Wind Energy Association, Honolulu, HI, USA, 19 Sep 1988; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
17 WIND ENERGY; VERTICAL AXIS TURBINES; STRESSES; DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS; LIQUID CRYSTALS; SHEAR; TELEVISION CAMERAS; TESTING; TURBINE BLADES; WIND TURBINES; CAMERAS; CRYSTALS; FLUIDS; LIQUIDS; MACHINERY; TURBINES; TURBOMACHINERY; 170602* - Wind Energy Engineering- Turbine Design & Operation

Citation Formats

Reda, D C, Smith, R W, Bryant, T C, and Schluter, L L. Liquid crystals for surface shear stress visualization on wind turbine airfoils. United States: N. p., 1988. Web.
Reda, D C, Smith, R W, Bryant, T C, & Schluter, L L. Liquid crystals for surface shear stress visualization on wind turbine airfoils. United States.
Reda, D C, Smith, R W, Bryant, T C, and Schluter, L L. 1988. "Liquid crystals for surface shear stress visualization on wind turbine airfoils". United States.
@article{osti_7054483,
title = {Liquid crystals for surface shear stress visualization on wind turbine airfoils},
author = {Reda, D C and Smith, R W and Bryant, T C and Schluter, L L},
abstractNote = {Experiments were conducted on the Sandia 17-m vertical axis wind turbine to test the liquid-crystal/surface-shear-stress visualization technique in field environments. A Sandia natural-laminar-flow airfoil served as the test surface. Initial feasibility experiments were conducted under high-tip-speed-ratio, high-Reynolds-number conditions, which resulted in low angle-of-attack, quasi-steady flow fields. Data acquisition was accomplished with a tower-mounted movie camera and 35mm color film. Liquid crystal coatings sensitive only to surface shear stress, and insensitive to temperature changes for temperatures below 50/degree/C, were utilized. Observations of coating color changes showed the liquid crystal technique capable of visualizing surface shear stress distributions, including (by contrast) regions of separated flow, under field-test conditions. 10 refs., 3 figs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7054483}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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