A Sensor Based on a Spherical Parallel Mechanism for the Measurement of Fluid Velocity: Physical Modelling and Computational Analysis

In this article, a new method was developed to measure the velocity of a fluid using a sensor, based on the use of a spherical parallel mechanism with three degrees-of-freedom (DOF). This sensor transforms the kinetic energy of the fluid into potential energy by deforming the parallel mechanism. This deformation is due to the impact of the fluid on a sphere attached to the platform of the parallel mechanism. Through the acquisition of data from a sensor using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in the sphere, an algorithm calculates the velocity and direction of the fluid. In this article, a mathematical model of the mechanism and an algorithm for correctly measuring the velocity and direction of the fluid is developed; this algorithm is tested through a simulation in the Adams software, and the MATLAB software is used to execute the algorithm. The results show that the algorithm calculates the velocity and the direction of the fluid correctly, demonstrating the technical feasibility of the sensor.