Harbor seal whiskers possess an undulated surface morphology that can effectively modify the vortex street behind the whiskers and suppress vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs). In this study, we propose a novel piezoresistive flow sensor that mimics the function of seal whiskers. The sensor consists of a bionic whisker with an undulated morphology and integrated out-of-plane piezoresistors. The piezoresistors are formed using a novel directional liquid spreading method to deliver a conductive nanocomposite ink into four Ω-shaped microchannels. Steady flow experiments indicate that the undulated morphology of the artificial whisker significantly reduces the drag forces and VIVs of the whisker at an angle of attack of 0°. Moreover, the whisker sensor can measure the oscillatory flow, which reaches a threshold detection limit of 8 mm/s. In addition, we demonstrate the function of the artificial whisker sensor to distinguish various wakes induced by upstream cylinders. Therefore, the facile fabrication and preliminary experiments of the artificial whisker sensor demonstrate its potential application in diverse flow analyses.

中文翻译：

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具有波状形态和自扩散压敏电阻的人工晶须传感器，用于多种流量分析

斑海豹胡须具有起伏的表面形态，可以有效地改变胡须后面的涡街并抑制涡激振动 (VIV)。在这项研究中，我们提出了一种模仿密封晶须功能的新型压阻式流量传感器。该传感器由具有波状形态的仿生晶须和集成的平面外压敏电阻组成。压敏电阻是使用一种新颖的定向液体扩散方法形成的，可将导电纳米复合墨水输送到四个 Ω 形微通道中。稳流实验表明，人造晶须的波状形态显着降低了晶须在 0° 攻角下的阻力和 VIV。此外，晶须传感器可以测量振荡流，达到 8 mm/s 的阈值检测极限。此外，我们演示了人工晶须传感器区分上游气缸引起的各种尾流的功能。因此，人工晶须传感器的简便制造和初步实验证明了其在各种流动分析中的潜在应用。