Patent — available for licensing
Improved Unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint Formulation
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
Modern aerodynamic testing requires capturing high-resolution, unsteady pressure distributions across complex surfaces. Unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP) enables non-intrusive, full-field pressure mapping, by luminescing under excitation light. As local air pressure fluctuates across a test article, the emitted light intensity changes, allowing cameras to record a dynamic visual map of surface pressure. Traditional formulations suffer from rapid photodegradation, non-linear calibration, and high temperature sensitivity. These setbacks hinder accurate, high-frequency measurements in extreme testing environments. In response to this issue, innovators at NASA's Langley Research Center developed an improved uPSP formulation. The invention is an advanced coating utilizing a porous binder with a high titanium dioxide (TiO2) content, which allows for highly accurate, linear, and less temperature sensitive pressure mapping. The result is a more reliable tool for pressure measurement in aerodynamic testing, achieved through careful reengineering of existing materials and processes.