Harbor seal whisker inspired flow sensors to reduce vortex-induced vibrations

A. G P Kottapalli, M. Asadnia, J. M. Miao, M. S. Triantafyllou

Research output: Contribution to journalConference paperpeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Some of the biological sensors found in nature portray the best designs with incomprehensible sensing features. Recent studies reveal that Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are capable of performing underwater wake tracking using their vibrissae alone. It is believed that the unique geometry of the whiskers may play a role in suppressing vortex-induced vibrations. In this work, we developed piezoelectric MEMS flow sensors that utilize high aspect ratio micro-whiskers to sense flows underwater with high sensitivity. Through a comparative experimental study, the contribution of a whisker-like geometry towards the reduction of vortex-induced vibrations as compared to a cylindrical geometry is validated.

Original languageEnglish
Article number7051102
Pages (from-to)889-892
Number of pages4
JournalProceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
Volume2015-February
Issue numberFebruary
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Feb 2015
Externally publishedYes
Event 27th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS 2015) - Estoril, Portugal , Estoril
Duration: 18 Jan 201522 Jan 2015

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