A distributed data acquisition and centralized data reduction system for flexible and efficient measurements

The Diagnostic instrumentation and analysis Laboratory (DIAL) at Mississippi State University (MSU) is developing nonintrusive optical diagnostic instrumentation to characterize a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) gas stream. The optical instrumentation systems are being developed, as part of the Us Department of Energy (DOE) development program for the MHD power process, to measure gas temperature profiles, gas velocity and turbulence intensity profiles, and average particle size and particle size distribution, etc. since these instruments are primarily intended for field use, most of them have been developed as stand-alone systems, providing for ease of operation. Each stand-alone system, also called a target system, has the capability to acquire data, do a preliminary analysis, and display the result. The data from various instrumentation systems are logged to a central computer for detailed analysis, and to trace the history of instrument operation through an IEEE 488 based network. This system has been used with success for over five years in our field measurements at different locations in the US. Although the implementation presented here is based on a particular environment, the principles described are applicable in a variety of situations.