Mark Sheplak University of Florida
A 3-year research and curriculum project in the development and use of silicon-micromachined, floating-element, shear-stress sensors is carried out at the University of Florida. Specifically, a new research and education thrust is focused on the design, fabrication, rigorous characterization, and use of miniature floating-element sensors that enable the direct, quantitative measurement of time-resolved, fluctuating wall shear stress. Such measurement technology is crucial to gain a fundamental understanding of and ultimately to enable the control of the three-dimensional, unsteady separated flow phenomena that prevents the controllable flight of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). The accurate measurement of fluctuating wall shear stress is currently not possible and the realization of this capability not only inhibits MAV development, but impacts a broad application spectrum that ranges from fundamental scientific research to biomedical applications. The focus of the education plan is to prepare students for engineering in the 21st century through the incorporation of interdisciplinary design and problem-solving techniques into both the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Specifically, a laboratory course and several course modules that focus on the development of interdisciplinary problem-solving skills are established. In addition, educational opportunities for students will be established via government laboratory internships and distance-learning community outreach.
This project is supported under the Sensors Initiative NSF 04-522.
