IC2 is pleased to announce the launch of DirectShear-2D™, a dual-axis wall shear stress sensor. DirectShear-2D is a derivative of the original capacitive DirectShear sensing system, an industry first direct wall shear stress floating element sensor. Building on the ground breaking technology DirectShear™ sensors introduced in 2017, the 2D, or dual-axis, version of this sensor allows for measurement scientists to obtain point vector measurements of turbulent boundary layers. With their easy-to-use, non-intrusive housing and unprecedented dynamic range, DirectShear-2D sensors pave the way for the future of efficient aircraft.

DirectShear-2D is a dual-axis, instrumentation-grade, robust, high-bandwidth, high-resolution, silicon micromachined differential capacitive wall shear stress sensor for subsonic and transonic applications. The sensor system enables localized, non-intrusive, vector measurement of mean and fluctuating wall shear stress for characterization of complex boundary-layer flows in ground-test facilities. The design of next-generation air vehicles with increased efficiency cannot be developed without considerable research on the character and dynamics of unsteady, complex, three-dimensional flows. Specifically, some of the most difficult problems in the design of high-efficiency subsonic aircraft are associated with flow control technologies for viscous drag reduction. Time-resolved measurements of skin friction are needed to quantify the underlying transition and turbulence physics present in three-dimensional flows occurring on various aircraft that lead to increased drag and fuel consumption.

This new sensor greatly expands the capabilities of our wall shear stress sensors by being able to take wall shear stress measurements both in the direction of the flow and perpendicular to the flow simultaneously. This allows the user to obtain point vector measurements of turbulent boundary layers. More info regarding DirectShear-2D is available on our product page.