Seals have highly sensitive whiskers that can detect vibrations, which they use to hunt their prey. This is due to the twisted cylinder shape of the whiskers that allow the mammals to sense changes in the oceans environment.
“The geometry of seal whiskers is not circular; the whisker’s shape is twisted cylinders,” said Yaqing Jin, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Alongside his research team, Jin tested the whisker-inspired design in a 6ft long clear rectangular water channel. A pump moves water into the tube at different velocities to simulate the ocean environment.
Sensors sensitive to vibration have advantages over the traditional underwater sensing technology using sound waves, which can disturb marine life, Jin said.
This technology can aid in offshore wind energy expansion. Harsh storms in the deep ocean pose a challenge for offshore turbines that are attached to the ocean floor with cables and "floating" platforms that are not fixed to the sea floor.
A sensor that provides warnings about hazardous conditions in the deep sea could save lives by giving technicians time to reach safety, Jin said. The engineer also is developing sensors to protect the parts of offshore turbines above water, including the tower and blades, from wind damage.
“Clean energy has become one of the big topics around the world,” Jin said. “One of the biggest potential sources of clean energy comes from wind energy. In the future, there will be more focus on offshore wind production because it can generate more energy than turbines on land.”
