Two-color dual-beam backscatter laser Doppler velocimeter

A laser Doppler velocimeter has been developed that uses two of the colors emitted from an argon-ion laser for the simultaneous measurement of orthogonal velocities. Designed for use in a 2.13-m by 3.05-m wind tunnel, it is capable of traversing its focal volume across spatially unstable flows at scan speeds of up to 1.5 m/sec. Its optical layout and principles of operation are discussed, and the data from a typical traversal of a trailing wing-tip vortex are presented.