Measurement of the Wall Shear Stress With Sublayer Thin Plate of Thermochromic Liquid Crystal

New optical method for measurement of the local wall shear stress has been developed by using thermo-chromic liquid crystal temperature measurement based on hue [1], [2] of the camera view. The flow field is the fully developed turbulent channel flow. Thin film made of thermo-chromic liquid crystal is placed on the wall. A rectangular shaped obstacle is glued on the film. The obstacle is within a region of buffer layer with height from the wall. Temperature of the film and the obstacle are slightly raised by a heater below the wall. The air flow makes non-uniform temperature distribution and non-uniform color distribution appears on the surface of the film. Relations between hue and local skin friction coefficient were examined in a turbulent air channel flow. It is indicated that a certain hue of a point is varying linearly against the corresponding local skin friction coefficient.