An opto-mechanical anemometer is particularly adapted to measure
fluctuations in the flow of a turbulent fluid such as can be applied in
the measurement of wind turbulence for meteorological purposes, the
turbulent flow of fluid through a pipe or conduit, or the flow of air
through a tube from the breath of a patient for medical diagnostics. An
optical fiber is positioned in the flow path of the fluid and fixed
motionless at one end. The free end is caused to bend in response to
fluctuations in the flow. A beam of light is projected out the free end
of the optical fiber toward a stationary optical detector placed in the
path of the beam, which is sensitive to the point of maximum intensity of
the beam of light. Deflection of the optical fiber translates into
movement of the light beam over the detector, allowing measurement of the
speed and direction of the fluid flow in two orthogonal planes.