Form 9.B Project Summary
Chron:
971169
Proposal
Number:
06.09-5128
Project Title:
Microfabricated, Low Maintenance Skin
Friction Sensor for Highly Transient
Applications
Technical Abstract (Limit 200 words)
Although skin friction measurements have been
made in highly transient facilities in the past,
accurate measurement of wall shear stress with
adequate spatial and temporal resolution has been
difficult to perform due to the physical size of the
instrumentation and due to high maintenance
requirements. Earlier designs required oil to fill the
interior of the gage, but by utilizing new
microfabrication techniques, such as stereo
lithography, new design possibilities will allow skin
friction sensors without the oil and its intendant
high maintenance and care but with higher spatial
and temporal resolution.
This instrumentation is crucial to the development
and operation of affordable, safe, and efficient 21st
century aircraft and other high-speed transportation
systems. The accurate measurement of wall shear
stress in fluid dynamic devices is important for
understanding the basic fluid physics involved and
assessing the performance of the device, leading to
improvements in the design and operation of future
high-speed transportation systems.
An excellent development team has been
assembled including Professor Joseph Schetz of
Virginia Tech, a world leader in wall shear stress
measurements, and F&S, a leader in sensor
development and commercialization. The F&S team
is both qualified and motivated to build upon their
combined demonstrated capabilities.
Potential Commercial Applications (Limit 200 words)
The materials and technology now exist to construct
a microfabricated sensor for the accurate
measurement of skin friction in highly transient
wind tunnels. This instrumentation is crucial to the
development and operation of affordable, safe and
efficient 21st century aircraft and other high-speed
transportation systems. The accurate measurement
of wall shear stress in fluid dynamic devices is
important for understanding the basic fluid physics
involved and assessing the performance of the
device, leading to improvements in the design and
operation of future high-speed transportation
systems.
In addition, research in the wide temperature range
instrumentation area will provide transducers with
commercial uses that will include transportation
system design, development and operation,
semiconductor fabrication, commercial jet engines,
automobile engines, the metal, ceramic and wood
processing industries, and the power generation and
monitoring systems for coal-fired, nuclear and
fuel-cell technologies. F&S has identified many end
users of the microfabricated wall shear stress
sensor within the government such as Air Force,
NASA, NASP, ARPA, Army, Navy, and the DOE.
Name and Address of Principal Investigator (Name,
Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Wade Pulliam
F&S, Inc.
2801 Commerce Street
Blacksburg , VA 24060
Name and Address of Offeror (Firm Name, Mail Address,
City/State/Zip)
Garnett S. Linkous
F&S, Inc.
2801 Commerce Street
Blacksburg , VA 24060