An Array of Miniature, Conformal and Waterproof Optical Shear Stress Sensors for Naval and Marine Vehicle Applications

"The time-averaged wall-shear stress is related to a number of important aerodynamic parameters such as viscous drag and flow separation, which in turn determines the performance of moving bodies such as naval and marine vehicles. Measurement of the wallshear at many points of a maneuvering vehicle provides needed data for the development of current and future designs. Existing thermal and optical shear stress sensors are not suitable for the operational environments of marine vehicles. We propose todevelop an array of miniature, conformal and waterproof shear stress sensors based on a promising new Optical MEMS technology. The unique design of the proposed array of compact optical shear stress sensors allows for its application to submerged vehiclesfor operation in both fresh and saltwater. During the Phase I effort, a prototype array of four sensors will be manufactured for test and validation. During the phase II of the proposed effort, an integrated array of sensors will be developed anddemonstrated on a captive submarine model at NSWCCD. Plans for the transition to larger scale surface ships and submarine vehicle and large-scale autonomous submarine models will be provided. These compact, robust and non-intrusive shear stress sensorswill have numerous applications in both military and commercial markets. Potential applications include:1. Wind tunnel, water tank, and flight testing in commercial and governments laboratories,2. Mon