tPA 60Q/2-78-049
Mrch '978
Environmental Protection Technology Series
       DEVELOPMENT OF AN  OPTICAL  CONVOLUTION
        VELOCIMETER FOR  MEASURING STACK FLOW
                                   Environmental Sciences Research Laboratory
                                        Office of Research and Development
                                       U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                                  Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711

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                RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES

Research reports of the Office of Research and Development. U S. Environmental
Protection Agency, have been grouped into nine series. These nine broad cate-
gories were established to facilitate further development and application of en-
vironmental technology. Elimination of traditional grouping was  consciously
planned to foster technology transfer and a maximum interface in related fields.
The nine series are:

      1.  Environmental Health  Effects Research
      2.  Environmental Protection Technology
      3.  Ecological Research
      4.  Environmental Monitoring
      5.  Socioeconomic Environmental Studies
      6.  Scientific and Technical Assessment Reports (STAR)
      7.  Interagency Energy-Environment Research and Development
      8.  "Special" Reports
      9.  Miscellaneous Reports

This report has  been assigned  to the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECH-
NOLOGY series. This series describes research performed to develop and dem-
onstrate instrumentation, equipment, and methodology to repair or prevent en-
vironmental degradation from point and non-point sources of pollution. This work
provides the new or improved technology required for the control and treatment
of pollution sources to meet environmental quality standards.
This document is available to the public through the National Technical Informa-
tion Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161.

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                                                EPA-600/2-78-049
                                                March 1978
 DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTICAL CONVOLUTION VELOCIMETER
              FOR MEASURING STACK FLOW
                          by
                      M.J.  Rudd

             Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.
                 Cambridge, MA 02138
                  Project Officer

                     John Nader
Emissions Measurement and Characterization Division
     Environmental  Sciences Research Laboratory
          Research  Triangle Park, NC 27711
      ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES RESEARCH LABORATORY
          OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
         U.S.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
           RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK,  NC 27711

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                                 DISCLAIMER

    This report has been reviewed by the Environmental Sciences Research
Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and approved for publication.
Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflects the views and
policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of
trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendations
for use.
                                     ii

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                                   PREFACE

     The work reported herein was performed under the auspices of Memorandum
of Agreement (MOA) EPA-1AG-D6-F044, entitled, "Development of the Optical
Convolution Velocimeter."  This MOA was between the Air Force Flight Dynamics
Laboratory located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433, and the
Environmental Sciences Research Laboratory of the U.S. Environmental Protect-
ion Agency (EPA) located at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711.
Mr. Gary A. DuBro was the technical monitor for the Air Force, and Mr. John
Nader the technical monitor for the EPA.

     This report was prepared by Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge,
Massachusetts 02138, under USAF Contract F33615-76-C-3051.  The objective of
this investigation was to design and fabricate a prototype device based on
optical convolution principles for the measurement of gas system velocities
in emission sources and to test its applicability under simulated conditions.
The program at Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc. was performed by Dr. Michael J.
Rudd.
ROBERT F. LOPINA, Col, USAF
Chief, Flight Control Division
Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory
                                     iii

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                                  ABSTRACT

     A new type of instrument has been developed and tested for the measure-
ment of stack flow velocities.  The instrument is optical and generates a
shadowgraph pattern of the wake from a small heater.  This shadowgraph is
projected on a mirror grating of precise dimensions and the reflected light
detected by a photodiode.  The output of the photodiode fluctuates at a
frequency that is related to the velocity with which the turbulence is
convected across the grating.  By measuring this frequency, the flow
velocity is determined.

     A version of this optical convolution velocimeter (OCV), as it is
called has been built to withstand a temperature of 200°C and combustion
gases.  This unit has been tested in both a wind tunnel and EFA's stationary
source simulation facility (SSSF).  The agreement with a pitot tube was close,
1% in the wind tunnel and 2 - 2.5% in the SSSF.  Some difficulty in signal
processing was found at high speeds and high temperatures or dust loadings,
but this can be cured.

     The OCV promises to be a much more accurate and easier to use instrument
than the pitot tube, at little additional cost.

     This report was submitted in fulfillment of  interagency agreement
MOA-EPA-IAG-DE-F044  by  Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Dept. of the
Air Force  under the partial sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.  This report covers a period from  July 1976  to  February 1977 ,
and work was completed as of  February 1977 .
                                     iv

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                                   CONTENTS






PREFACE	 iii




ABSTRACT	  iv




FIGURES 	  vi




ACKNOWLEDGMENT	 vii




     1.  INTRODUCTION 	   1




     2.  CONCLUSIONS	   3




     3.  RECOMMENDATIONS 	   4




     4.  DESIGN OF THE STACK OCV	   5




     5.  TESTING AND EVALUATION OF THE STACK OCV	  10

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                                    FIGURES



Number                                                                    Page


   1    Principle of the Optical Convolution Velocimeter ................   2


   2    OCV Sensor (Drawing) ............................................   7


   3    The Sensor Head of the Stack OCV ................................   8


   4    Close-Up of the Mirror-Grating of the Stack OCV .................   9


   5    Calibration in BBN Wind Tunnel ..................................  11


   6    Angle of Incidence Sensitivity ..................................  12


   7    Stack OCV Set Up in the Stationary Source Simulation Facility
        (SSSF) [[[  14


   8    Run 1 - Warm, 105°C .............................................  15


   9    Run 2 - Humid, 8.0% H20 and 105° C ...............................  16


  10    Run 3 - Very Humid, 14.9% H20 and 105°C .........................  17


  11    Run 4 - Ambient, 80°F ...........................................  18


  12    Run 5 - Moderate Dust Loading, 100 - 1400 mg/M  ..................  19

                                                  3
  13    Run 6 — Heavy Dust Loading , 6QO - 4000 mg/M  ......................  20


  14    Run 7 - Hot, 1500°C ..............................................  21L


  15    Run 8 - Combustion Products 4.7% H20 and 150°C ..................  22


  16    Run 10 - Very Hot, 200°C ........................................  23


  17    Run 11 - Fine Dust, 20 - 200 mg/M ...............................  2^

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                               ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
     The author wishes to gratefully acknowledge the help and suggestions from
G. Dubro and D. Kim of the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory of the Wright
Aeronautical Laboratories since they were the original inventors of the Optical
Convolution Velocimeter.  The author also wishes to acknowledge the aid of
J. Nader of the Stationary Source Emissions Branch, EPA,  for the suggestion to
use fiber optics in the stack OCV and for his support during the tests in the
Stationary Source Simulation Facility.
                                     vii

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                                   SECTION  1

                                 INTRODUCTION


THE OPTICAL CONVOLUTION VELOCIMETER (OCV)

     The optical convolution velocimeter was conceived by DuBro and Kim* (U.S.
Patent No. 3,953,126) as a noninvasive method for measuring aircraft speed
that eliminates many of the problems encountered with the Pitot-static tubes
currently used on board aircraft.

     The OCV uses a light-emitting diode (LED) as its light source.  The out-
put of the LED is collimated by the lens, and projected through the turbulence
onto a grating (see Figure 1).  The turbulence is generated by the wake of an
object placed in the flow.  A mirror behind the grating returns the light
through a lens onto a photodiode.  As the light passes through the turbulence,
it is refracted, and a "shadowgraph" pattern of bright and dark bands is
formed on the grating.  As the turbulence is convected with the mean flow, the
shadowgraph pattern is convected over the grating.  We can describe the light
transmitted by the grating as

                          / l(x-y) G(x) dx = F(y)

where I(x-y) is the shadowgraph pattern that is convected in time by distance
y, and G(x) is the grating transfer function.  The function F(y) is the con-
volution of the shadowgraph and the grating.   By Parseval's theorem, the spec-
trum of this convolution is equivalent to the product of the spectra of I(x)
and G(x).  If the spectrum of G(x) is narrow, the spectrum of the convolution
function F(y) is narrow, and it will be sinusoidal with a frequency equal to
that at which the turbulence crosses the grating.  Hence, the velocity can be
found by measuring this frequency.

     The purpose of this report is to describe the development of the OCV for
making in-stack velocity measurements.  The OCV has a number of inherent
advances over the pitot tubes which are currently employed.  First, it is an
absolute instrument and never needs recalibration once it has been set up.
Secondly, it is unaffected by ambient conditions such as pressure and tempera-
ture.  Thirdly, it just measures one component of the velocity.  Fourthly, it
can be given a digital readout very inexpensively:  in fact, the whole OCV
concept leads to a very inexpensive instrument.  Thus the OCV promises to be a
much more accurate and convenient to use instrument than the pitot tube, at
very little additional cost.
*D. Kim and G. DuBro, 1974, "The Optical Convolution Velocimeter" presented at
 the second Project Squid Workshop, Purdue University, Lafayette, IN, March 26-27.

                                       1

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                                                    I FLOW
PHOTO-DIODE
   LED
                                       TURBULENT
                                          WAKE
                                                                       MIRROR
          Figure 1.  Principle of the Optical  Convolution Velocimeter.

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                                 SECTION 2

                                CONCLUSIONS
     An optical convolution velocimeter has been built which will success-
fully operate in the hostile environment of a stack.  It operated in an
environment of 200°C and 4000 mg/m  of dust loading with little difficulty.
The general standard deviation of the differences between the OCV and the
Pitot tube was 1% in the Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN) wind tunnel and 2 - 2.5%
in the SSSF.

     The OCV had demonstrated itself as an accurate and easy to use flow
measuring instrument for use in stacks.

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                                 SECTION 3

                              RECOMMENDATIONS

     As a result of this program, a number of improvements to the OCV are
suggested

     1.  Incorporate a high pass filter into signal processor.  This will
cure the difficulties encountered at high speeds with high temperatures and
dust loadings.

     2.  Increase velocity range to 45 m/sec.  The current unit was designed
for 20 m/sec and with some modifications to the electronics this can be
increased.

     3.  Combine signal processor and sensor head power supplies.

     4.  Calibrate against a Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV).  An LDV is a
more accurate instrument than a pitot tube and it provides a better and more
reliable check on the calibration of the OCV.

     One nice point about the operating principle of the OCV is that it is
not restricted to making point measurements in the flow, but can be used to
integrate across the whole stack.  Such a system would have a collimated
light source on one side of the stack and the grating and detector on the
other.  The development of such an instrument could consist of several stages.

     a.  Fabricate a cross-stack OCV.

     b.  Test the cross-stack OCV in the SSSF and investigate whether a mark-
         ing heater was still required.

     c.  A theoretical and experimental investigation of the effects of a
         skewed velocity distribution in the stack on the OCV reading.  This
         will determine whether the OCV can operate in one direction across
         the stack or must be used in both directions.

     d.  Design of a cross-stack OCV for field operation.  This would include
         such features as an air curtain over the optical windows.

     e.  Reporting on the above activities.

     This would generate a design for an OCV which would be capable of
continuously monitoring the flow in a stack.

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                                   SECTION  4

                            DESIGN  OF  THE STACK OCV
     At the request of the EPA, BBN has designed a high temperature version of
the OCV which is suitable for insertion into a chimney stack.  The main
changes required for the instrument to operate under hot and corrosive condi-
tions were to eliminate semiconductor devices from the hot end of the OCV,
make it long enough to insert in the stack and use corrosion resistant materials.
The main changes were:

     1.  Replace light emitting diode with a tungsten halogen lamp.

     2.  Move the photodiode into a cool area and couple it to the head with
fiber optics.

     3.  A 2 m extension to insert the OCV into the flow.

     4.  Casing made from stainless steel instead of aluminum.

     5.  A high temperature grating.

We are greatly indebted to Mr. John Nader, of the EPA, whose suggestion it was
to couple the cool photodiode to the hot region with fiber optics.  A drawing
of the OCV is shown in Figure 2 and views in Figures 3 and 4.

     The grating was made by first photographically forming a Ronchi grating
and removing the gelatin from the clear areas.  The grating was then coated
with vacuum deposited chromium in order to make it reflective.  The grating
was then bonded into its holder, chromised side on the back, with a high
temperature silicone rubber.

     The hot end of the stack OCV was required to be placed in a 200°C air-
stream.  Accordingly, it was designed to withstand about 260°C.  The tungsten
halogen lamp likes an envelope temperature of more than 250°C, but the base
temperature must not exceed 350°C.  The high temperature stainless steel clad
fiber optics from Dyonics was rated at 320°C  (although we later found this to be
optimistic).  A Teflon holder for the lamp and fiber optics was employed.  A
Teflon washer also held the collimating lens in place.

     At the cold end of the stack OCV, the body was made of anodised aluminum.
The electronics was mounted on a circular printed circuit card and rated at

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120°C-  A 5-pin electrical connector couples the OCV head with the signal pro-
cessor.  The signal processor was the same as that which was used in the pre-
vious program with the U.S. Air Force and is described fully in Technical
Report AFFDL-TR-76-132.*  The processor is a special device for which BBN has
applied for a patent and is called a "correlation discriminator."  It measures
accurately the frequency of a noisy and widely fluctuating signal.
*Rudd, M.J., "Development of Prototype Optical Convolution Airspeed Sensor,"
 Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory Report AFFDL-TR-76-132.

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                                               TUNGSTEN HALOGEN
                                               LAMP
rCONNECTOR
MIRROR
GRATING
                     FIBER OPTIC CABLE
      L PHOTODIODE
                                                           LENS
                    Figure 2.  The Stack Optical Convolution Velocimeter.

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Figure 3.   The Sensor Head of the Stack OCV.

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Figure 4.   Close-Up of the Mirror-Grating of the Stack OCV.

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                                 SECTION 5

                   TESTING AND EVALUATION OF THE STACK OCV
PURPOSE OF TESTS
     Tests have been performed to evaluate the performance of the stack OCV.
These tests were of two types.  First, the accuracy of the OCV was ascertained
in BBN's own wind tunnel as a function of tunnel speed and angle of incidence.
The second set of tests were performed at the EPA's Simulated Stationary
Source Facility (SSSF) at Research Triangle Park and were to evaluate the
performance of the stack OCV under adverse environmental conditions.  These
tests would show if, or how, hot and dirty flows would affect the accuracy
of the OCV.
CALIBRATION OF TIME BASE

     The OCV is inherently an absolute instrument in the sense that it does
not need calibration.  The grating lines on the OCV are each 1 mm wide and,
therefore, a 10 kHz crossing frequency corresponds to a speed of 20 m/sec.
In the OCV display, the frequency is counted for an appropriate period to
give a number which corresponds to this speed.  Thus, the time base of the
counter was adjusted so that an input frequency of 10 kHz (from a signal
generator) gave a reading of 20.  This was the only adjustment made to the
unit.  All subsequent readings were taken without any further adjustments.

CALIBRATION OF OCV IN BBN WIND TUNNEL

     The stack OCV was set up in the BBN low speed wind tunnel and compared
with a pitot tube whose pressure was read on a slant tube manometer,  Figure
5 compares the OCV readings with the pitot tube readings, which had to be
corrected for atmospheric temperature and pressure.  Two heater wire diameters
were tested (.375 and .21 mm diameters) but no significant difference was
found.  There was no difference in the mean readings of the OCV and pitot
tube and the standard deviations was 1.1%.  The largest differences were at
low speeds where the pitot tube was difficult to read.

     The second series of measurements was to determine the sensitivity of the
OCV to its angle of incidence.  The OCV was rotated about its axis and the
readings recorded at a constant tunnel speed.  We would expect the OCV to
vary as the cosine of the angle of incidence since it measures the velocity
perpendicular to the grating lines.  Figure 6 shows the results obtaining at
four tunnel speeds.  The root-mean-square difference between the measured
result and the cosine response was computed for each speed and the results
shown in Figure 6.

                                      10

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         CALIBRATION
                                                                       .37 mm HEATER

                                                                       .21 mm HEATER
                                                                         MEAN-0.0%

                                                                      STANDARD
                                                                      DEVIATION" 1.1%
                                        PI TOT (m/sec)
                        Figure 5.  Calibration in  BBN Wind Tunnel

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0)
o
o
                            RMS ERROR
                          FROM COSINE = 1.9%
                            RMS ERROR
                          FROM COSINE = 1.0%
                           RMS ERROR
                           FROM COSINE = 2.0%
                            RMS ERROR
                           FROM COSINE =15%
     -30
-20
-10        0         10
  ANGLE OF INCIDENCE
20
                 Figure 6.  Angle of Incidence Sensitivity.
                                12

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EVALUATION  IN THE  SSSF

     After  the  stack OCV had been tested at BBN, it was shipped to the EPA
laboratory  at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina for tests in the SSSF.
During  these tests, the SSSF simulated combustion conditions with respect to
temperature, humidity and dust.  The OCV was inserted into the test duct
through a port  and located close to the center of the duct, where a pitot
tube was also mounted, for comparison purposes.  The pitot tube output was
monitored with  a "Magnehelic" instrument.  The standard tunnel instrumen-
tation  was  used to measure tunnel temperature and dust loading.  Separate
instrumentation was used to measure humidity.  The equipment set up is shown
in Figure 7.

     Tests  were performed under a wide range of conditions and these are sum-
marized in  Table 1.  Twelve tests were conducted.  The speed range covered
was generally 3-20 m/sec except at elevated temperatures where the speed
could not be allowed to drop below 11 m/sec or the electric heaters will
become  too  hot.

                       TABLE  1.   TEST  MATRIX  FOR  SSSF.
Run Temperature
No. °C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

105
105
105
27
28
28
152
147
170
198
25
25

Humidity
% by Vol
Dust
Feed
Rate
kg/hr
0.5 0
8.0(?) 0
14. 9(1
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
4.7
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5

) 0
0
5-10
23
0
0
0
0
.7,1.
1.4

Dust
Loading
mg/m
0
0
0
1400
100-1400
600-4000
0
0
0
0
4 20-200
40-200

Velocity Range
m/sec Comments
11
11 -
11 -
3.5 -
3.5 -
3 -
12 -
12.5 -
13.5 -
12 -
3.5 -
3.5 -

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
16.5
20
20
20

Warn
Humid
Very Humid
Ambient
Moderate Dust
Heavy Dust
Hot
Combustion Gases
Hot
Hot
Fine Dust
Electric Arc
Furnace Dust
     Figures 8 through 17 show the results of the tests.  Each figure compares
the OCV and pitot tube, computes the mean difference and the standard devia-
tion of the differences.  The pitot tube had to be corrected for the facility
temperature and humidity (the dust loadings used should not have affected the
                                      13

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Figure 7.   Stack OCV Set Up in the Stationary Source Simulation Facility
           (SSSF).
                                    i i

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     20
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            RUN 2
      15
3    10
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        10              15

           PI TOT (m/sec)

Figure 8.   Run 1  - Warm 105°F.
                                                                        MEAN=+26%

                                                                      STANDARD

                                                                      DEVIATION* 2.0 %
                                                                     20
25

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«J
     20
      15
^     10
            RUN 2
                        Figure 9.
     10               15
        PITOT (m/sec)
Run  2 - Humid,  8.0% H20 and 105°C.
                                                                           ME AN =-1-5.5%
                                                                         STANDARD
                                                                         DEVIATION = 2.2%
                                                                       20
25

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     20
      15
.3   10

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o
o
            RUN 3
                                      10
                                                                         ME AN =+6.6%

                                                                        STANDARD

                                                                        DEVIATION'2.5%
15
20
25
                                          PITOT (m/sec)
                      Figure 10.  Run 3  - Very Humid, 14.9% H20 and 105°C

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       (A
      O
      o
                                                                                MEAN = -0.8%

                                                                              STANDARD
                                                                              DEVIATION* 2.1%
                                            10               15

                                                PITOT (m/sec)

                                   Figure 11.  Run 4 - Ambient,  27°C.

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O
O
                                                                       MEAN = -6.8%
                                                                    STANDARD
                                                                    DEVIATION* 1.5%
                                                                     • HEATER
                                                                     O DUST ALONE
                                    10              15
                                        PI TOT (m/sec)
                     Figure 13.  Run 6 -  Heavy Dust Loading,  600- 4000 mg/MJ

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o
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O
O
                                                                         MEAN' 1.6%
                                                                      STANDARD
                                                                      DEVIATION '2.0%
                                     10              15
                                         PITOT (m/sec)
                              Figure 14.  Run  7 - Hot, 152°C,

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O
O
                                                                            ME AN =1.7%
                                                                         STANDARD
                                                                         DEVI AT ION* 4.2%
                                          PITOT(m/sec)
                  Figure 15.   Run 8 - Combustion Products, 4.7% H20 and  147°C.

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N3
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     o
    O
    O
                                                                              MEAN»-15%
                                                                          STANDARD
                                                                          DEVIATION* 4.3%
                                          10             15
                                             PITOT(m/sec)
                                 Figure 16.  Run  10 - Very Hot,  170°C,

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                                                  ME AN = -1.3%
                                               STANDARD
                                               DEVIATION* 4.9%
                                               • HEATER
                                               O DUST ALONE
               10             15
                  PI TOT (m/sec)
Figure 17.  Run 11 - Fine Dust, 20 - 200 mg/MJ

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     20
           RUN 12
     15
     10
>
o
o
  5              10              15

                    PI TOT (m/sec)

Figure 18.  Run 12 - Electric Furnace Dust, 40 - 200
                                                                      MEAN =+3.4%

                                                                    STANDARD

                                                                    DEVIATION »6.5%

                                                                    • HEATER

                                                                    ODUST ALONE
                                                                   20


                                                                   3
25

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pitot readings).  The mean differences for the humid runs 2 and 3 of 5.5% and
6.6%, respectively, are larger than can be accounted for by statistical errors.
However, the differences can be accounted for by humidities of 23% and 32.5%
by volume instead of the 8% and 14.9% measured.  This discrepancy could have
arisen from condensation in the line to the humidity measuring instrument,
causing an erroneously low reading for the humidity.

     Run 6, heavy dust loading, had a mean difference of 6.8%.  This probably
arose from the large low frequency component of the signal from the OCV due to
obscuration by dust.  This is thought to cause distortion in the signal analy-
zer.  However, this only occurred at very heavy dust loadings.

     This same effect was noticed, to a lesser extent, at moderate dust load-
ings and elevated temperatures, particularly at higher tunnel speeds.  The low
frequency components in the signal tends to pull the signal processor down
below the true frequency.  These low frequency components arise from clouds of
dust or refraction effects in the hot flow.  These components could be removed
by a high pass filter.

     We also examined whether the dust was, by itself, sufficient seeding for
the flow and whether or not a heater was required.  To do this we rotated the
OCV 180° so that the heater was downstream.  The reading was then taken in
that position as well as with the heater upstream.  However, as Figures 12,
13, 17, and 18 show, the accuracy with dust alone was not as good as with the
heater.  The reason for this was probably the weaker signal with dust alone
and the large low frequency component present.  No significant difference in
the accuracy was noted with the different size dust particles.

VISUAL INSPECTION

     After all the tests had been completed in the SSSF, the stack OCV was
dismantled to see if there was any significant deterioration.  In fact, the
inside of the OCV proved to be in very good condition.  The teflon plastic
lamp and fiber optic hold was in good condition and the electrical wiring
showed no deterioration.  However, the end of the fiber optic cable did show
some blackening, indicating that the epoxy used to cement the ends of the
fibers together had decomposed.  This, however, did not interfere with the
performance of the instrument.
                                      26

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                                   TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
                            (Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing)
1. REPORT NO.
  EPA-600/2-78-049
                              2.
                                                           3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION NO.
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
  DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTICAL  CONVOLUTION VELOCIMETER  FOR
  MEASURING STACK FLOW
             5. REPORT DATE
               March  1978
             6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHOR(S)
  M.  J.  Rudd
                                                           8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

  Bolt Beranek and Newman,  Inc.
  Cambridge, MA  02138
             10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.

                  1AD712   RA-?Q  fFY-77'
             11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.
                                                              EPA-IAG-D6-F044
12.
          in Ancwr*v MAMC AMI-* A rtnoccc
  Environmental Sciences Research Laboratory-RTP, NC
  Office of Research and Development
  U.S.  Environmental Protection  Agency
  Research Triangle Park. North  Carolina  27711	
             13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
                Final   7/76 - 1/77
             14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
                 EPA/600/09
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES   BBN  executed the development under  an  interagency agreement  that
  EPA had with the Air Force  Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Dept.  of the Air Force.
  Wright-Patterson Air Force  Base,  OH  45433
16. ABSTRACT

       A new type of instrument has been developed and  tested for the measurement of
  stack flow velocities.  The  instrument is optical and generates a shadowgraph pattern
  of the wake from a small  heater.   This shadowgraph  is projected on a mirror grating  of
  precise dimensions and the reflected light detected by a  photodiode.  The output  of
  the photodiode fluctuates at a frequency that is related  to the velocity with which
  the turbulence is converted  across the grating.  By measuring this frequency, the
  flow velocity is determined.

       A version of this optical  convolution velocimeter (OCV), as it is called has
  been built to withstand a temperature of 200°C and combustion gases.  This unit has
  been tested in both a wind tunnel and EPA's stationary source simulation facility
  (SSSF).  The agreement with  a pitot tube was close, 1% in the wind tunnel and
  2 - 2.5% in the SSSF.  Some  difficulty in signal processing was found at high
  speeds and high temperatures or dust loadings, but this can be cured.

       The OCV promises to  be  a much more accurate and  easier to use instrument than
  the pitot tube, at little additional cost.
17.
                                KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
                  DESCRIPTORS
                                              b.IDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS
                           c. COSATI Field/Group
 * Air  pollution
 * Development
 * Optical  equipment
 * Speed  indicators
   Flue gases
   Tests
                                13B
                                20F
                                14B
                                21B
18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
   RELEASE TO PUBLIC
                                              19. SECURITY CLASS (ThisReport!

                                                UNCLASSIFIED	
                                                                         21. NO. OF PAGES
                               35
20. SECURITY CLASS (This page)
  UNCLASSIFIED
                                                                         22. PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (Rev. 4-77)   PREVIOUS EDITION Is OBSOLETE
                                            27

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