Issue 8, 2024

Bio-inspired, sensitivity-enhanced, bi-directional airflow sensor for turbulence detection

Abstract

Detecting airflow turbulence precursors promptly is crucial for ensuring flight safety and control. The initial stages of turbulence involve small reverse flows with random velocities and directions, which are not easily detected by existing airflow sensors. In this study, we designed a bionic, sensitivity-enhanced, bi-directional airflow sensor (BSBA) by incorporating bio-inspired circular tip slits and enlarging the central part of the cruciform beam structure. The BSBA exhibits a rapid response time (24.1 ms), high sensitivity (1.36 mV m−1 s−1), consistent detection of forward and backward airflow (correlation coefficient of 0.9854), and a low airflow detection threshold (1 ml). With these features, the proposed sensor can rapidly and accurately measure slight variations in the oscillating airflow, flow field, and contact force. The BSBA also achieves transparent obstacle detection on a quadrotor, even in visually challenging environments, by capturing minute changes in the flow fields produced by the quadrotor when encountering obstacles. The sensor's high sensitivity, consistent bi-directional detection, and fast response give it significant potential for enhancing safety in aircraft control systems.

Graphical abstract: Bio-inspired, sensitivity-enhanced, bi-directional airflow sensor for turbulence detection

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Aug 2023
Accepted
08 Feb 2024
First published
08 Feb 2024

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 4299-4307

Bio-inspired, sensitivity-enhanced, bi-directional airflow sensor for turbulence detection

F. Liu, Y. Zhao, N. Xie, Y. Wang, M. Liu, Z. Han and T. Hou, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 4299 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR03824F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements