A method for determination and control of the frequency response of the constant-temperature hot-wire anemometer

The theory of the constant-temperature anemometer has been extended in order to obtain quantitative results for the frequency response. A simple electrical test against which to check the theory has been devised, and the validity of the anemometer equations is demonstrated. Important differences in design philo-sophies and modes of operation are indicated, and results are presented for a design in which high d.c. gain is employed in the servo amplifier. The square-wave response is briefly investigated, and it is concluded that commonly used criteria for determining the frequency response from it should be treated with caution. To measure fluctuations with a hot-wire anemometer in flows containing both velocity and temperature perturbations, the hot wire must be operated at more than one temperature. Variation of the mean wire temperature causes, in general, a variation in the frequency response, as does variation of the mean flow conditions. It is shown that, by simultaneous variation of the gain of the servo amplifier in the anemometer, the frequency response may be held nearly constant over a useful range of both overheat and flow conditions.