Design and analysis of a new concept fast-response pressure probes

Two cylindrical fast-response pressure probes for unsteady flow measurements in turbomachinery have been designed and tested. Commercially available miniaturized pressure sensors have been used to ensure high reliability and low manufacturing costs. Analytical and numerical models have been applied to the design of the line–cavity system connecting the pressure tap and the (encapsulated) sensor, to improve the dynamic behaviour of the probes. Dynamic calibrations in a low-pressure shock tube have also been carried out to determine the probe transfer function and to extend the probe operating range beyond the resonance frequency of the line–cavity system. One of the new probes exhibits a frequency response of about 80 kHz in the range 0–35 kPa, a suitable value for most turbomachinery applications.