Investigation of Direct and Alternating Current Glow Anemometers

The glow anemometer is particularly suited for the measurement of turbulence in applications for which the hot-wire is unsuitable. This is especially the case in supersonic air streams where the strength and frequency response of the hot-wire are limiting factors. The experimental work, so far, has been directed towards the perfection of a workable instrument with the characteristics desired for the above-mentioned applications. A resume of this work is given in the present report and divides itself naturally into three sections: 1. The Direct Current Glow 2. The intermittent Glow 3. The Alternating Glow (a) Low Frequency (b) High Frequency Because of the confusion in terminology which exists in the present-day literature on the anemometric applications of glow discharges, it was thought expedient to define our terms in the introduction.