This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project involves the development of a commercial optical patternator, based on Statistical Absorption Tomography. The mathematical deconvolution procedure that forms the basis for optical patternation of turbulent flows was developed and evaluated during the Phase I research. Local absorptances, resolved to less than 1/10th of the integral length scale were obtained in a turbulent spray, using the deconvolution algorithm, in conjunction with an optical patternator, suited for constant temperature, axisymmetric flows. During the Phase II, three research issues that affect the commercialization of the optical patternator will be addressed. The three issues that will be addressed during the Phase II research are: (1) obtaining local transmittances in turbulent flows with temperature gradients, (2) obtaining spatially resolved mass flux in turbulent sprays, and (3) obtaining patternation factors for turbulent flows issuing from non-axisymmetric nozzles.
Two broad areas of commercial applications for the optical patternator are for obtaining pattern factors in commercial nozzles and for monitoring smoke stack emissions. The immediate market for the patternator is as an on-line quality control instrument for spray nozzle manufacturers. The estimated annual market size is approximately 150 million dollars.
