NASA Model Wing Lights Up During First Pressure Sensitive Paint Tests

Image via NASA

 

NASA is using special paint that glows under ultraviolet light to test airflow and pressure. The paint responds to pressure by glowing brighter. This is first test using the “unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint” that has been in development for a few years.

Via NASA:

Unsteady pressure sensitive paint is a specialized coating that varies in brightness according to how much pressure the air flow applies to the wing. High-speed cameras capture those changes, providing data for computer models. For years, NASA researchers at centers including Langley and the agency’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley have been working to integrate the paint into wind tunnel tests for aircraft and rockets. NASA researchers consider the paint a vital tool and expect to find many more wind tunnel applications in the future.

This test marked the technique’s first use on a large-scale, freely moving model in a low‑oxygen environment, an achievement made possible by the Transonic Dynamic Tunnel’s unique testing capabilities.

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