Pathway to Non-Intrusive In-Flight Flow Diagnostics with Filtered Rayleigh Scattering

A pathway to in-flight application of filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS) is herein presented, including a viable concept, based on recently published related work. The proposed pathway considers the key technical, operational, and regulatory challenges to enable in-flight measurements using FRS for inlet flow distortion characterization ahead of the aeroengine. Solutions to these challenges are proposed, in particular methods for light delivery, flow imaging and integration of the measurement system in the in-flight environment. This complements the experimental lab-scale demonstration of an FRS concept for flow distortion measurements and provides a route for further exploitation as a diagnostic tool for next-gen aircraft.