PSP measurement of Pressure Distribution in a Supersonic Micronozzle

In recent years, the interest in microdevices and systems has increased rapidly. Gaseous flow through and within such devices is a principal consideration in many applications, and its understanding can be crucial for optimization of performance. Most of the sensors applied to MEMS devices measurement have limited resolution restricted by the sensor size and device geometry. Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is one of the options for global distribution measurement in MEMS devices. PSP is a "molecular sensor, " and has an enough resolution for MEMS. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of PSP for quantitative measurement of pressure distribution in a supersonic micronozzle of the nozzle throat 250μm, such as those that might be employed for flow control and/or small satellite orbit maintenance.