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Nanoscale sensing devices for turbulence measurements

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Abstract

A collection of nanoscale sensing devices developed specifically for high-frequency turbulence measurements is presented. The new sensors are all derived from the nanoscale thermal anemometry probe (NSTAP), which uses a free-standing platinum wire as active sensing element. Each sensor is designed and fabricated to measure a specific quantity and can be customized for special applications. In addition to the original NSTAP (for single-component velocity measurement), the new sensors include the T-NSTAP (for temperature measurement), the x-NSTAP (for two-component velocity measurement), and the q-NSTAP (for humidity measurement). This article provides a summary of the NSTAP family including details of design and fabrication as well as presentation of flow measurements using these sensors. Also, a custom-made constant-temperature anemometer that allows proper operation of the NSTAP sensors will be introduced.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof. Lex Smits for making all of the above-described sensors possible by pioneering MEMS-based turbulence measurements and for his many helpful comments and suggestions. This work was made possible through ONR grants N00014-12-1-0875 and N00014-12-1-0962 (program manager Ki-Han Kim) and the Fondation pour l’Etude des Eaux du Léman (FEEL). The development of the T-NSTAP and the q-NSTAP is part of the international, interdisciplinary research project elemo (http://www.elemo.ch) whose objective is to study and preserve freshwater resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Y. Fan, G. Arwatz, T. W. Van Buren, D. E. Hoffman & M. Hultmark

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  1. Y. Fan
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  2. G. Arwatz
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  3. T. W. Van Buren
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  4. D. E. Hoffman
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  5. M. Hultmark
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Correspondence to Y. Fan.

Additional information

This article belongs to a Topical Collection of articles entitled Extreme Flow Workshop 2014. Guest editors: I. Marusic and B. J. McKeon.

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Fan, Y., Arwatz, G., Van Buren, T.W. et al. Nanoscale sensing devices for turbulence measurements. Exp Fluids 56, 138 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-2000-0

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