Ray tracing modeling of corner reflection effect in pressure-sensitive paint measurement

Abstract Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) measurements in geometrically complex aerodynamic configurations are susceptible to systematic errors induced by surface reflections of photoluminescence, particularly near corner regions. While prior studies have acknowledged such artifacts, rigorous quantification remains challenging due to limitations in existing simulation tools and experimental methodologies. To address this gap, this study developed a novel luminescence ray-tracing (LRT) model that simulates excitation and emission light propagation based on the optical properties of PSP-coated surfaces. The LRT model was validated through benchmark experiments, demonstrating intensity simulation deviations below 6.74% within regions of interest. Using this model, we quantitatively assessed corner reflection effects on one surface (S1) across corner angles ranging from 60° to 120°, considering varying pressure magnitudes (60–140 kPa) and applied locations on the adjacent surface (S2). Generally, the reflection-induced error on S1 follows a non-monotonic dependence on distance from the corner. Pressure changes on S2 below the reference level induce greater errors than pressure changes of equivalent magnitude above the reference level. As for the corner angle effect, when the location of pressure change is near the corner (location A on S2), the peak relative pressure error (PRE) on S1 decreases monotonically with increasing corner angle up to 110°. However, when the pressure changes move away from the corner (location B and C on S2), the PRE remains constant for acute angles, due to similar corner angle dependency of overall PSP signal and reflection-induced error. These findings provide a valuable reference for improving PSP measurement accuracy on models with multi-face geometry.