Abstract
Abstract This article describes the design, calibration, and testing of new calorimetric microsensors for the measurement of wall shear stress in low-speed aerodynamic flows. The sensors are made of three beams of platinum-plated silicon nitride suspended over a small cavity. Their range of operation and their bandwidth are of the order of ± 10 Pa and 1 kHz, respectively. Results from experimental campaigns in a laminar separation bubble, a turbulent separation bubble, and on a NACA 0015 airfoil at low Reynolds number indicate a high sensitivity and an inherent capacity to measure instantaneous backflow. This demonstrates the capability of the new sensors to accurately determine the mean and fluctuating wall shear stress in laminar, transitional, and turbulent separating and reattaching flows.