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Credit: NASA
Filtered Ronchi Rulings for Enhanced Schlieren Imaging
The first optic is a 1D Ronchi ruling, where shortpass or longpass filters replace the traditional opaque lines in the grid pattern. The second optic is a 2D Ronchi ruling, where one set of lines is made from shortpass filters and the orthogonal set from longpass filters. By using two colors of light and a color camera in the focusing schlieren system (or a dichroic mirror with two monochrome cameras), the 1D optic enables simultaneous focusing schlieren and other co-linear techniques, while the 2D optic allows for the unambiguous measurement of two orthogonal density gradients in focusing schlieren images. Unlike standard optical filters, which typically cover an entire substrate, these Ronchi rulings feature alternating clear and filtered regions in structured 1D or 2D patterns. By leveraging color filtering and a color camera, the 1D ruling enables simultaneous focusing schlieren and complementary optical diagnostics, such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP), and Thermal-Sensitive Paint (TSP). The 2D ruling enables simultaneous and unambiguous measurement of two orthogonal density gradients, a capability not possible with conventional Ronchi rulings. This advancement significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of schlieren-based flow measurements. The types of filters are not just limited to shortpass and longpass coatings, but could include notch, bandpass, and multiple-bandpass filter coatings as well. This design expands the utility of schlieren imaging in high-speed aerodynamics, combustion diagnostics, and other fluid dynamics applications. This Ronchi ruling methodology is at TRL 4 (component and/or breadboard validation in a lab environment) and is available for patent licensing.
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