Patent ID: 8276463

Claim:
A shear stress sensor for measuring the shear force of a flowing fluid comprising: a base element adapted for placement in a wall along which a fluid flows; a floating member for sensing a shear force of the fluid flowing along the wall; a Fiber Bragg Grating that changes in shape and refractive index in response to a force applied to said Fiber Bragg Grating that changes the resonant frequency of said Fiber Bragg Grating, whereby the spectrum of wavelengths of light introduced to said Fiber Bragg Grating shifts; support means, positioned between said floating member and said Fiber Bragg Grating, for: (a) mounting said floating member to said base element to be flush with the wall, and (b) transmitting a force sensed by said floating member to said Fiber Bragg Grating to change the resonant frequency of said Fiber Bragg Grating; and optical carrier means for: (a) introducing light having a spectrum of wavelengths to said Fiber Bragg Grating, and (b) providing an indication of a shift in the spectrum of wavelengths of the light caused by a change in the resonant frequency of said Fiber Bragg Grating.