CHAPTER 5
                       CONCLUSIONS AND) FUTURE WORK

    The University of Florida air-water shear-layer facility is unique for testing algorithms and characterizing XVIMS sensors related to supercavitating vehicles. The facility allows for sensor characterization and algorithm testing by emulating supercavitating conditions satisfactorily.

    Velocity profiles measured for the air stream and the water stream are found to be uniform. The mean flow quality is very good in both the sections. Future work can be done for more accurate measurements of the velocity profile, variations in speed as well as angular using more precise measurement tools such as particle image velocimetry and LASER Doppler velocimetry. Also, influence of fan and pump vibration on the fluctuating flow quantities has to be assessed.

    Operation of the air tunnel at high speeds, with free surface condition, entrains significant amount of water from the water tunnel thereby rapidly reducing the water level in the water tunnel. As a remedy to this problem, a feedback-based system should be employed to maintain desired water levels in the water tunnel. Such a feedback system would comprise of a variable throughput pump, a water level sensor with very low reaction time and a feedback circuit.