In nature, there are several examples of sophisticated sensory systems to sense flows, e.g., the vibrissae of mammals. Seals can detect the flow of their prey, and rats are able to perceive the flow of surrounding air. The vibrissae are arranged around muzzle of an animal. A vibrissa consists of two major components: a shaft (infector) and a follicle–sinus complex (receptor), whereby the base of the shaft is supported by the follicle-sinus complex. The vibrissa shaft collects and transmits stimuli, e.g., flows, while the follicle-sinus complex transduces them for further processing. Beside detecting flows, the animals can also recognize the size of an object or determine the surface texture. Here, the combination of these functionalities in a single sensory system serves as paragon for artificial tactile sensors. The detection of flows becomes important regarding the measurement of flow characteristics, e.g., velocity, as well as the influence of the sensor during the scanning of objects. These aspects are closely related to each other, but, how can the characteristics of flow be represented by the signals at the base of a vibrissa shaft or by an artificial vibrissa-like sensor respectively? In this work, the structure of a natural vibrissa shaft is simplified to a slender, cylindrical/tapered elastic beam. The model is analyzed in simulation and experiment in order to identify the necessary observables to evaluate flows based on the quasi-static large deflection of the sensor shaft inside a steady, non-uniform, laminar, in-compressible flow.

Lorentz force velocimetry (LFV) is a highly feasible method for measuring flow rate in a pipe or a duct. This method has been established for liquid metal flows but also for electrolytes such as saltwater. A decrease in electrical conductivity of the medium causes a decrease of the Lorentz force which needs to be resolved, affecting the accuracy of the measurement. We use an electrical force compensation (EFC) balance for the determination of the tiny force signals in a test channel filled with electrolyte solution. It is used in a 90°-rotated orientation with a magnet system hanging vertically on its load bar. The thin coupling elements of its parallel guiding system limit the mass of the magnets to 1 kg. To overcome this restriction, which limits the magnetic flux density and hence the Lorentz forces, a weight force compensation mechanism is developed. Therefore, different methods such as air bearing are conceivable, but for the elimination of additional horizontal force components which would disturb the force signal, only compensation by lift force provided by buoyancy is reasonable. We present a swimming body setup that will allow larger magnet systems than before, because a large amount of the weight force will be compensated by this lift force. Thus the implementation of this concept has to be made with respect to hydrodynamical and mechanical stability. This is necessary to avoid overturning of the swimming body setup and to prevent inelastic deformation. Additionally, the issue will be presented and discussed whether thermal convection around the lifting body diminishes the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) significantly or not.

Thermal energy storages (TES) are increasingly important for storing energy from renewable energy sources. TES that work with liquid storage materials are used in their most efficient way by stratifying the storage fluid by its thermal density gradient. Mixing of the stratification layers during stand-by periods decreases the thermal efficiency of the TES. Tank sidewalls, unlike the often poorly heat-conducting storage fluids, promote a heat flux from the hot to the cold layer and lead to thermal convection. In this experimental study planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and background-oriented schlieren (BOS) temperature measurements are performed in a model experiment of a TES to characterise the influence of the thermal convection on the stratification and thus the storage efficiency. The PIV results show two vertical, counter-directed wall jets that approach in the thermocline between the stratification layers. The wall jet in the hot part of the thermal stratification shows compared to the wall jet in the cold region strong fluctuations in the vertical velocity, that promote mixing of the two layers. The BOS measurements have proven that the technique is capable of measuring temperature fields in thermally stratified storage tanks. The density gradient field as an intermediate result during the evaluation of the temperature field can be used to indicate convective structures that are in good agreement to the measured velocity fields.