Centrifugal force is indeed the force that acts to push objects outward in the plane of a rotating object. Centripetal force acts to push the object in a perpendicular direction, but as the object is fixed at its axis, this results in a rotation being induced. The effect on the inner ear would occur even with an enormous cylinder - the Sci-Fi standard is 4km in diameter, which is of course totally infeasible as the cost of construction would be greater than any group of nations could bear, and would require dedicating every launch vehicle to the project for decades.