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A three-dimensional, incompressible, Rayleigh damped magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) material property reconstruction algorithm capable of reconstructing the spatial distribution of both the real and imaginary parts of the shear modulus, density and bulk modulus from full-field MR-detected harmonic motion data was developed. The algorithm uses a subzone-based implementation of motion error minimization techniques, using 27 hexahedral finite elements, and is written in FORTRAN to run on high performance distributed computing systems. The theory behind the methods used is presented in a form that is directly applicable to the code's structure, to serve as a reference for future research building on this algorithm. Globally defined Rayleigh damping parameter reconstructions using simulated data showed that it is possible to reconstruct the correct combination of Rayleigh parameters under noise levels comparable to MR measurements. The elastic wave equation is used to demonstrate that use of a one parameter damping model to fit a Rayleigh damped material can lead to artefacts in the reconstructed damping parameter images, a prediction that is verified using simulated reconstructions. Initial results using MR-detected motion data from both gelatine phantoms and in-vivo cases produced good reconstructions of real shear modulus, as well as showing promise for successful imaging of damping properties. An initial investigation into an alternative elemental basis function approach to supporting the material property distribution produced some promising results, as well as highlighting some significant issues with large variations across the elements.

The magnetization damping properties of square permalloy elements were characterized. These 20 nm-thick permalloy squares were deposited by the electron beam evaporation. Time resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect microscopy (TR-MOKE) was used to measure the magnetization evolution in the sample. By curve fitting in Matlab, I obtained the value of damping constant that is consistent with the reference paper. A Landau confi guration in the square permalloy sample leads to the different trends of the damping constant with external bias field. The damping constant in the bottom domain is found to decrease with increasing bias field while the damping constant in the top domain has been saturated into the minimum value. The decreasing tendency of magnetization precession frequencies is consistent with the Kittel equation modi fied with an anisotropic energy term. Additionally, FePt thin films and patterned CoFeB disks were investigated but neither yielded conclusive dynamic data. / Graduate / 0611 / 0607 / 0752 / leizhang.summer@gmail.com

Previous work on modal analysis of mooring lines has been performed from different theoretical formulations. Most studies have focused on mooring lines of a single homogeneous material, and the effect of added mass and damping produced by the water has not been examined deeply. The variational formulation approach, employed in this research to perform a modal analysis, has been useful to study the behavior of several realistic mooring lines. The cases presented are composed from segments of materials with different mechanical characteristics, more similar to those in current offshore projects. In the newly proposed formulation, damping produced by transverse motion of the mooring line through the surrounding water has been added to the modal analysis. The modal analysis formulation applied in this work has been verified with calculations from commercial software and the results are sufficiently accurate to understand the global behavior of the dynamics of mooring lines with the damping produced by the sea water. Inclusion of linearized drag damping in the modal analysis showed that the modal periods of the mooring systems studied depend on the amplitude of the transverse motion of the mooring line. When more amplitude in the motion is expected more damping is obtained. Two realistic designs of mooring lines were compared: one made up with a main insert of steel rope, called “Steel System”, and one composed by a main insert of polyester, named “Polyester System”. Comparing the natural periods of both systems, the Steel System appears to be safer because its fundamental natural period is more distant from the wave excitation periods produced by storms. The same happens considering the wave excitation periods produced by prevailing seas. In this case the natural periods of the Polyester System are nearer to the wave excitation periods causing fatigue loads. The transverse mode shapes for lateral motions of the mooring lines are observed to be continuous and smooth across material transitions, such as transitions between chain and wire rope and transitions between chain and polyester rope. This behavior is not always observed in the tangential mode shapes for the Polyester System where significant differences in dynamic tension seem to be present in the specific cases studied.

This thesis reports on a design and modeling of a micro-machined gyroscope. The proposed sensor is a dual mass type, electro-statically driven to primary mode oscillation and senses, capacitively, the output signal. Full decoupling between drive and sense modes minimizes the mechanical crosstalk and based on this a novel gyroscope is designed and modeled which has separate sensing and driving masses. The dual mass gyroscope is designed such that driving and sensing resonant frequency is 23101 Hz with 0% mismatch (in simulation)with quality factor of 31.6227 and bandwidth of 730.51Hz. The gyroscope when actuated in simulation with 25V ac and 10V dc showed sensing capacitance variation of 126aF for 1 rad/s with base capacitance of 244.16fF. To the design of the gyroscope a new semi automatic tool was formulated for the noise analysis and noise based optimization of the resonant MEMS structures. Design of a sensitive gyroscope needs to take into account the noise shaping induced by damping phenomena at micro scale and is critical for optimization. The analysis was further extended to the design of the gyroscope and estimation shows that there is a trade of between the S/N ratio and the sensitivity and the design could be made much better in-terms of S/N by tuning its resonant frequency to 10⁶Hz.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (ℓ. 169-178)

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007. / "May, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-77). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2007]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.

Thesis (M. E.)--University of New South Wales, 2005. / Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-114). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-271). Also available via the Internet.