The complex thermophysical property of temperature-sensitive paint (TSP) research is discussed. TSP is used for visualization of the surface temperature distribution in wind tunnel aerodynamic tests. The purpose of this research was to provide reliable, experimental, thermophysical data of the paint applied as a coating. As TSP is applied as thin surface layers, investigation of its final properties is challenging and demands the application of non-standard procedures. At present, most measurements were performed on composite specimens of TSP deposed onto a thin metallic film substrate or on TSP combined with a cellulose sheet support. The studies involved gravimetric,, thermogravimetric, and microcalorimetric analyses, transversal thermal diffusivity estimation from laser flash data and in-plane effective thermal diffusivity measurements done by the temperature oscillation technique. These results were complemented with scanning electron microcopy analysis, surface characterization and the results of dilatometric measurements performed on the TSP bulk specimens obtained from liquid substrate by casting. Complex analysis of the obtained results indicated an isotropic characteristic of the thermal diffusivity of the TSP layer and provided reliable data on all measured thermophysical parameters—they were revealed to be typical for insulators. Further to presenting these data, the paper, in brief, presents the applied investigation procedures.

This paper presents the results of research on the airflow around a multirotor aircraft. The research consisted of the analysis of the velocity field using particle image velocimetry. Based on the tests carried out in a wind tunnel, the distribution of the velocity and its components in the vertical plane passing through the propeller axis were determined for several values of the angle of attack of the tested object for two values of airflow velocity inside the tunnel, i.e., v_wt = 0 m/s and v_wt = 12.5 m/s. Determining the velocity value as a function of the coordinates of the adopted reference system allowed for defining the range of impact of the horizontal propellers and the fuselage of the research object itself. The tests allowed for quantitative and qualitative analyses of the airflow through the horizontal rotor. Particular attention was paid to the impact of the airflow and the angle of attack on the obtained velocity field distributions.

For many years, technological progress has been observed in the field of minimizing energy consumption by devices and increasing the efficiency of energy generation from freely available sources. Energy harvesting (EH) is one of the ways to increase the energy available in vehicles. The manuscript presents the results of a series of laboratory tests carried out in a wind tunnel using a 1:10 scale model of an SUV. The aim of the tests was to measure the air velocity in the footsteps of the car. The speed field has been identified at more than 188,000 points in the space behind or next to the car, considering the symmetry of the vehicle. The total energy was aggregated for 2760 points in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane of symmetry. From the tests carried out, it was found that the highest speed was achieved just behind the trunk of the car, at a distance of about 20% of the length of the car. Interestingly, the speed in this area was higher than the speed of the car.

The paper presents application of Particle Image Velocimetry for determination of an airfoil’s drag coefficient in wind tunnel tests. The purpose of the study was to investigate the feasibility of using PIV as an alternative to pressure rake measurements, especially at high angles of attack. The integral momentum concept was applied for determination of fluid drag from experimental low speed wind tunnel data. The drag coefficient was calculated from velocity and pressure rake data for intermediate angles of attack from 5° to 10°. Additionally, the experimental results were compared to panel method results. After validating the procedures at low angles of attack, the drag coefficient was calculated at close to critical angles of attack. The presented study proved that PIV technique can be considered as an attractive alternative for drag coefficient determination of an airfoil.