Acquiring accurate, transient measurements in harsh environments has always pushed the limits of available measurement technology. Until recently, the technology to directly measure certain properties in extremely high temperature environments has not existed. Advancements in optical measurement technology have led to the development of measurement techniques for pressure, temperature, acceleration, skin friction, etc. using extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometry (EFPI). The basic operating principle behind EFPI enables the development of sensors that can operate in the harsh conditions associated with turbine engines, high-speed combustors, and other aerospace propulsion applications where the flow environment is dominated by high frequency pressure and temperature variations caused by combustion instabilities, blade-row interactions, and unsteady aerodynamic phenomena. Using micromachining technology, these sensors are quite small and therefore ideal for applications where restricted space or minimal measurement interference is a consideration. In order to help demonstrate the general functionality of this measurement technology, sensors and signal processing electronics currently under development by Luna Innovations were used to...
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