Device and process for determining the flow regime and/or the direction of a fluid flow

Device for determining the flow regime and/or the direction of a fluid flow in the vicinity of an element (7) that is subjected to said flow, such as a sail (7), whereby said device comprises at least one tell-tale (1), such as a strand of wool, a portion of material, a portion of magnetic tape, or a portion of a strip, characterized in that the device also comprises at least one flexible tape (2), such as a plate, preferably made of polymer or thin metal, of which at least one zone (5) is made integral with the element (7) that is subjected to said flow, whereby at least one other zone (15) of the tape (2) is free relative to said element (7) so as to make possible the bending of the tape (2) and whereby said free zone (15) extends approximately parallel to said element (7) at least in the absence of fluid flow, whereby said tell-tale is attached by one of its ends to said free zone of the flexible tape, and in that the device comprises means (3, 3′, 3A, 3B, 3′A, 3′B, 3C, 3D, 3′C, 3′D) for conversion of deformations experienced by said tape (2) into electrical signals, relative to a reference position, and means (4) for processing said electrical signals.