An in-plane cantilever for wall shear stress measurement

A sensor capable of measuring small shear stresses in wind tunnel applications is presented. The sensor utilizes an in-plane cantilever concept for shear stress measurement, designed to minimize intrusiveness into the airflow and allow easy incorporation into wind tunnel test models. The sensor operates independently of input voltage, and can measure <1 Pa shear stresses with a sensitivity of 8.6 (mV V⁻¹) Pa. Altering the geometry of the sensor has a direct effect on the sensitivity and so can be used to adapt the sensor for different applications. (paper)