Airbus Operations Gmbh

Airbus (sas)

Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule

Dominik Berndt

Alois Friedberger

Bruno Stefes

Rupert Schreiner

A method for determining flow properties of a fluid flowing along a surface by: modulating the current through a heating element of a thermal flow sensor located on the surface with at least one modulation frequency, thereby emitting a thermal wave into the fluid flowing along the surface having a penetration depth inversely proportional to the modulation frequency; measuring an amplitude of a voltage across the heating element at the third harmonic of the at least one modulation frequency, the voltage depending on the thermal conductivity and the volumetric heat capacity of the fluid flowing along the surface; determining a flow velocity at the penetration depth from the attenuation value of the determined amplitude of the voltage; and estimating whether the flow at the penetration depth is laminar or turbulent on the basis of the determined flow velocity. Also, a system and an aircraft with such a system.

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Wuppertal, Germany

Dominik Berndt