WSEAS Transactions on Fluid Mechanics
Print ISSN: 1790-5087, E-ISSN: 2224-347X
Volume 20, 2025
The use of Calibrated Liquid Crystals for Measuring Shear Stress at Mach 4
Authors: , ,
Abstract: A mechanical calibration rig has been used to calibrate shear stress-sensitive liquid crystals and to use this calibration for the measurement of the shear stress around a protuberance on the floor of a Mach 4 wind tunnel. The protuberance is of an equilateral triangular planform with a side dimension of 5.5mm, and with the apex pointing upstream. Two heights of protuberances were investigated, one being 1.5mm in height, and the other 3.0mm in height. The resulting bow shock and the trailing wake have been identified and the result shows how the magnitude of the shear stress diminishes immediately behind the bow shock. Furthermore, it is also shown how the shear stress increases on either side of the shock structure, as well as the rapid changes in the shear stress magnitude within the wake.
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Pages: 1-9
DOI: 10.37394/232013.2025.20.1