Flow separation sensing on airfoil using a 3D printed biomimetic artificial hair sensor

Area of Science:

• Micro-engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) require compact, low-power sensors for navigation.
• Flow sensing is crucial for flight control in challenging environments.
• Existing flow sensors often lack the required miniaturization and multi-modal sensing capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a micro-scale artificial hair sensor for precise airflow direction and magnitude measurement.
• To enable enhanced flight control and navigation for small-scale UAVs.
• To demonstrate the sensor's effectiveness in detecting flow separation on an airfoil.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a high-aspect ratio artificial hair sensor using two-photon polymerization.
• Integration of a thin flexible membrane for airflow transduction.
• Capacitive sensing with orthogonal electrodes for directional information.
• Characterization of sensor response to static loading and dynamic airflow.

Main Results:

• Experimental results closely matched simulation predictions.
• The sensor successfully measured both airflow direction and magnitude.
• The sensor demonstrated the ability to detect flow separation on an airfoil.

Conclusions:

• The developed micro-scale artificial hair sensor is a viable solution for UAV flow sensing.
• This technology offers improved flight control and navigation capabilities.
• The sensor's performance in detecting flow separation validates its practical application.