Experimental comparison of two hot-wire techniques for resolution of turbulent mass flux and local stagnation temperature in supersonic flow

The performance of two constant-temperature normal hot-wire techniques in a supersonic flow is examined. The first technique uses a single-wire and rapid scanning of multiple overheat ratios. Time averages of the signals at all overheats are used to separate the mean and rms mass flux, stagnation temperature and their cross-correlation. The second technique uses a dual-wire probe with each wire operating at different overheat ratios, giving instantaneous mass flux and stagnation temperature. Preliminary results indicate that the separation distance (0.18 mm) between the two hot wires in the dual-wire probe does not introduce significant error. However, the rms mass flux inferred from the dual-wire technique is a factor of two higher than that from the single-wire technique.