Experimental Fluid Dynamics
M. Muste, S. Ghosh, F. Stern
11/02/21 1
Table of Contents
Definitions
EFD Philosophy
Types of Experiments
EFD Phases
Measurement Systems
EFD Validation
Reporting EFD
A pretty experiment is in
Definitions
itself often more valuable
than twenty formulae
extracted from our
minds."
- Albert Einstein
Experimentation: operation carried out under controlled
conditions with a measurement system for determining or
demonstrating a principle or effect, for testing a hypothesis, or for
acquiring data for specific purposes (design evaluation, validation,
calibration)
Experimental Fluid Dynamics: scientific method based on
dimensional analysis, similarity, and experimentation used for
defining behavior of systems and/or processes in Fluid Dynamics
(FD) that cannot be satisfactory/completely formulated by Analytical
(AFD) or Computational (CFD) approaches
Measurement Systems: facilities, instrumentation,
operational environment, data-acquisition and data-reduction
procedures used in an experiment
EFD Philosophy
EFD general approach:
Establish expected outcome and allowable uncertainties
Define needs (identify variable, establish scale)
Understand the nature of the FD problem (dimensional analysis)
Evaluate physical situation, estimate results, and anticipate
instruments
Understand flow measurement principles
Current trends in EFD methodology:
Synergy between AFD, CFD, and EFD (shift from routine tests
for global variables to detailed tests for local variables)
Implementation of EFD international standard procedures
Integration of UA considerations in all phases of EFD
D E F IN E P U R P O S E O F T E S T A N D
R E S U L T S U N C E R T A IN T Y R E Q U IR E M E N T S
EFD Philosophy S E L E C T U N C E R T A IN T Y M E T H O D
D E S IG N T H E T E S T
- D E S IR E D P A R A M E T E R S ( C D , C R , ... .)
- M O D E L C O N F IG U R A T IO N S (S )
- T E S T T E C H N IQ U E (S )
- M E A S U R E M E N T S R E Q U IR E D
- S P E C IF IC IN S T R U M E N T A T IO N
- C O R R E C T IO N S T O B E A P P L IE D
D E T E R M IN E E R R O R S O U R C E S
UA involved in YES
A F F E C T IN G R E S U L T S
multiple stages E S T IM A T E E F F E C T O F
T H E E R R O R S O N R E S U LT S
of the
experiment IM P R O V E M E N T
N O U N C E R T A IN T Y N O
A C C E P TA B LE ?
P O S S IB L E ?
N O YES
N O TEST IM P L E M E N T T E S T
S TAR T T E ST
M EASU R E-
R E S U LT S N O M EN T
A C C E P TA BLE ? SYSTEM
PRO BLEM ?
YES YES
N O C O N T IN U E T E S T S O LV E P R O B LE M
D O CU M EN T R E S U LT S
YES E S T IM A T E - REFER ENC E C O N D IT IO N
PU RPO SE
A C TU A L D ATA - P R E C IS IO N L IM IT
A C H IE V E D ?
U N C E R T A IN T Y - B IA S L IM IT
- TO TA L U N C E R T A IN T Y
EFD Philosophy
Use UA in all experimental phases to ensure maximum
efficiency (time, effort, and financial resources)
Types of Experiments
Grouped by field/purpose:
Science & Technology: understand and investigate a
phenomenon/process, substantiate and validate a theory
(hypothesis)
Research & Development: document a process/system,
provide benchmark data (standard procedures, validations),
calibrate instruments, equipment, and facilities
Industry: design optimization and analysis, provide data for
direct use, product liability, and acceptance
Teaching: Instruction/demonstration
Types of Experiments
Grouped by methodology:
Timewise (data collected over a period of time)
Sample-to-sample (data analyzed over several realizations/samples)
Grouped from UA perspective:
Repeated
Replicated (repetition carried over in a very specific manner)
Replication levels:
– zeroth order (one experiment, multiple measurements,
same instrumentation)
– first order (multiple experiments, multiple measurements,
same instrumentation)
– N-th order (multiple experiments, multiple
measurements, multiple instrumentation of the same
type)
EFD Phases
Planning: formulate objectives and allowable uncertainties, define
needs, identify pertinent process variables (targeted, independent,
controlled, extraneous, parameters), evaluate model scale and various
MS and experimental approaches
Design: understand the nature of the FD problem (dimensional
analysis), select MS and UA methodologies, evaluate physical situation
(understand the MS interaction with the process under investigation),
establish data-acquisition pattern, estimate results, budget, and timeline
Construction: assembly of individual components and calibration of
instruments (use available standard procedures)
Debugging: trial runs
Execution (setup experiments, acquire & process data, UA, analysis)
Reporting
EFD Process
D a ta D a ta U n c e r ta in ty D a ta
T e st S e t-u p A c q u is tio n R e d u c tio n A n a ly s is
A n a ly s is
P re p a re C o m p a re R e s u lts
F a c ility & S ta tis tic a l E s tim a te B ia s w ith B e n c h m a rk
C o n d itio n s E x p e rim e n ta l A n a ly s is L im its D a ta , C F D ,
P ro c e d u re s a n d /o r A F D
I n itia liz e D a ta D a ta R e d u c tio n E s tim a te E v a lu a te
In s ta ll M o d e l A c q u is itio n E q u a tio n s P r e c is io n F lu id P h y s ic s
S o f tw a r e L im its
E s tim a te
R u n T e sts & P re p a re
C a lib r a tio n T o ta l
A c q u ire D a ta R ep o rt
U n c e r ta in ty
P re p a re
M e asu re m en t S to re D a ta
S y ste m s
Measurement Systems
MS components: facilities, instrumentation, operational
environment, data acquisition, data reduction
Measurement Systems
MS behavior:
Initial condition
y(0)
Measurement
system
Input signal Output signal
F(t) y(t)
Zero-order systems: y (t ) KF t
(no inertia or damping)
First-order systems: y t y t KF t
(inertia)
1 2
Second-order systems: y
t y t y t KF t
n2
n
(inertia and damping)
Measurement Systems
Facilities
Scales: small-, model-, and full-scale (in-situ experiments)
Selection of the model scale: governed by similitude
analysis
Special considerations:
similitude distortion (geometric, kinematic, dynamic)
scale-induced effects (test of family of models)
facility-induced effects (wall interference, model-induced
perturbation, replication of boundary conditions)
Measurement Systems
Instrumentation
Components: sensors, transducers, signal conditioning, display
Calibration: trace of the instrument accuracy to a primary or secondary standards
(end-to-end procedure)
Selection:
function of the nature of the measured physical quantity (mono, multi-phase,
scalar, vector, static, fluctuating, local, field)
function of temporal and spatial scales of the flow
satisfaction of the UA requirements
minimization of flow-sensor and flow-facility interferences
Measurement Systems
Environmental conditions
Control MS parameters and variables
Document MS parameters, operating conditions, and test
observations in chronological order
Quantify characteristics for MS noise, interference, drift (e.g.,
temperature increase during the experiments)
Use checks to guard against unnoticed, unwanted, and
hazardous changes in the instrumentation and operating
conditions
Armfield table-top experiment (armfield.co.uk) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Measurement Systems
Data Acquisition (digital)
General scheme (one channel):
Current trends: multi-channel, microprocessor-controlled
Special considerations:
Correlate sampling type, sampling frequency (Nyquist criterion),
and sampling time with the dynamic content of the signal
Correlate the resolution for the A/D converters (bias error = ± ½
LSB) with the magnitude of the signal
Document through calibration or manufacturer’s specs: system-
sensor, quantization, saturation, and conversion (hysteresis, gain,
linearity, zero) errors
Measurement Systems
Data acquisition optimization:
Select sufficient number of variables to be measured (at least two
concomitant methods for estimating the result)
Minimize and control experimental parameters
Ensure that the measured variable is the only dependent process
variable
Ensure that instrument sensor responds only to the variable to be
measured
Minimize probe-to-output path of the signal
Randomize the effect of extraneous variables
Measurement Systems
Procedures:
Adoption of international standard EFD procedures (e.g., wind-
tunnel AIAA standard S-071-1995)
Use concomitant methods for measurement of the main variables
Adopt a comprehensive scheme for controlling the MS operation and
environmental conditions
Establish chronological sequence for MS operation (data acquisition,
reduction, storage)
Establish appropriate number of test replications and density for
measured data points to fulfill EFD and UA requirements
Adopt a random sequence for the data acquisition
Set appropriate test scheme to counteract MS noise (e.g., time
between replications longer than the period of variation in the
extraneous variables), interference, drift in facility and instrument
operation
Measurement Systems
0.10
F ilte re d P I V da ta
4 th - ord e r re gre ssio n cu rve fit
F S o f cu rve fit
T h e ory
0.05
c
U
- 0.00
U
-0.05
z= -2 5 mm, (i,j) = (1 ,1 )
-0.10
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
x (m)
Data Reduction
Components: data-reduction equations, curve fitting,
interpolations, data visualization
Special considerations:
Eliminate conceptual bias errors: verify data-reduction
equations and algorithms for parameter estimation
Use spectral analysis (discrete Fourier transform) to reconstruct
the amplitude and frequency of the measured signals; check for
appropriateness of the selection of the instrument
characteristics
Check for stability of the statistics (first and second order) and
establish the appropriate sample size for reporting the data
Use least-square method for curvefitting and determine
regression uncertainty
Measurement Systems
Real-Time Data Acquisition Systems
Labview is a programming software used for data acquisition,
instrument control, data reduction and visualization
Graphical programming language that uses icons instead of text
Allows to build user interfaces with a set of tools and objects
The user interface is called the front panel and a block diagram
controls the front panel
The program is written on the block diagram and the front panel is
used to control and run the program.
Measurement Systems
LabVIEW - objects
Measurement Systems
LabVIEW
assembled objects
Block
diagram
Front panel
EFD Validation
Uncertainty Analysis (UA)= Data Quality= Confidence in the reported results
Standardized UA: rigorous methodology for uncertainty assessment using statistical
and engineering concepts
E LE M EN TA L
ERRO R SO UR CES
IN D IV ID U A L
1 2 J M EASUREM ENT
SYSTEM S
X X X M EASUREM ENT
1 2 J O F I N D IV ID U A L
B , P B , P B , P V A R IA B L E S
1 1 2 2 J J
D A T A R E D U C T IO N
r = r ( X , X ,......, X ) E Q U A T IO N
1 2 J
r E X P E R IM E N T A L
B , P R E S U LT
r r
EFD Validation
Conduct uncertainty analysis for the results:
Identify and estimate errors considering all the steps of the
measurement process and the environmental factors
Use 95% confidence large-sample (multiple tests) uncertainty
methodology
EFD result: A ±UA 2.1
Experimental Result (UA= 3%)
Benchmark or EFD 2.0 Benchmark data (UB = 1.5% )
data: B ± UB 1.9
Define Result R
1.8
1.7
E = B- A
1.6
UE2 = UA2+UB2 1.5
Validation: 1.4
1.3
Validated data Data not validated
|E| < UE 20 25 30 35 40 45
Independent variable X i
Reporting Results
Report types: oral, written, exec summary, lab report, formal report,
journal articles, tutorial reports
Report format: tabular, graphic, text, mathematical expression
Report general outline:
Abstract
Introduction (purpose, background, theoretical considerations)
Experimental program (test design, measurement systems – facilities,
instrumentation, operational environment, data acquisition, data
reduction- experimental procedure)
Analysis (results, uncertainty analysis, comparison, interpretation)
Discussion (conclusions, recommendations)
Acknowledgements
References
Appendix materials
Reporting Results
Hints for graphs:
Use non-dimensional coordinates for reporting results (for
generalization purposes)
Independent variables on x axis, dependent variables on y axis
Select proper type for coordinates (linear, semilog, log-log)
Use symbols for the EFD data; use lines for benchmark data (CFD,
reference, analytical, theoretical)
Plot results, total uncertainties and confidence level
Graphs should be stand-alone presentation elements:
Label plots, axes, and provide units for the plotted variables
Insert legends for graphs (direct on graph, indirect & explanations)
Use visualization software packages for display (including animation) of
multi-variable dependencies
