THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SECURITY-SCREENING PORTAL FOR HUMAN AERODYNAMIC WAKE SAMPLING
Open Access
Author:
Frymire, Stephen Paul
Graduate Program:
Mechanical Engineering
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
None
Committee Members:
Gary Stuart Settles, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Gary Stuart Settles, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
Trace Collection Aerodynamic Sampling Impactor
Abstract:
In an effort to increase the throughput of explosive trace sampling in airport security, a trace sampling portal was designed based upon the recirculation region found in the human aerodynamic wake. The human aerodynamic wake has been shown to separate from the body as the human subject turns through an angle while walking briskly. As this wake contains small particles from the skin and clothing of the subject, it can be interrogated and screened for explosive traces. Previous work has been focused on the design of a device to collect and extract these traces for investigation.
The effectiveness and efficiency of the portal system components was the primary focus of this investigation. Characterizing the efficiency of a large-scale particle impactor required the development of several independent experimental and computational approaches to confirm that the impactor was performing to specifications. Laser sheet and wall-tuft flow visualization techniques were employed to diagnose the flow behavior at the impactor inlet, to demonstrate the human wake being carried to the inlet, and to optimize the jet impact timing and location on an average-size human subject.
Through the results of these experiments, the aerodynamic wake sampling portal performance and efficiency have been established and characterized.
