To characterize low-pressure, brittle deformation in porous, granular rock, notchcut cylinders (30 mm neck diameter) of Berea Sandstone were extended in a triaxial apparatus from 10 to 160 MPa confining pressure at strain rates of 10-4 s-1 and 10-5 s-1. Acoustic emission counts were monitored when extending samples at a slow strain rate. Stress at fracture is characterized by the least compressive principal stress, ??3, and maximum compressive principal stress, ??1 (??1 = Pc). A change in strength dependence on pressure at Pc = 50 MPa corresponds to a change from pure macroscopic extension fracture to mixed-mode opening and shear fracture, and likely reflects the increase in mean stress that suppresses the propagation of extension fractures and the interaction between closely-spaced stepped cracks. Within the extension fracture regime (Pc < 50 MPa), ??3 at failure becomes slightly more tensile with an increase in Pc. At Pc > 50 MPa, ??3 at failure becomes more compressive with an increase in Pc and follows Coulomb behavior; however, the angle between the fracture surface and ??1 increases continuously with Pc. Fracture surfaces characteristic of the extension to shear fracture transition appear as linked, stepped extension fractures; the length of extensional segments decreases with increasing pressure. The onset of acoustic emissions and inelastic strain at fracture occurs at earlier points in the strain history with pressure, consistent with the Griffith prediction of the beginning of fracture growth.

No description available.

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) are an efficient and inexpensive method of repairing deteriorating infrastructure. FRP sheets can be applied to spalling bridge sections and columns to prevent further deterioration and increase stiffness. However, the effect of the environment on the long-term durability of FRP and how the various damage mechanisms initiate and develop are not known. Systems for structural health monitoring are being sought as a means of managing important components in transportation systems as assets in light of modern life cycle cost concepts. This study characterizes a fiber optic sensor for use in detecting acoustic emissions (AE) in FRP. The results of AE analysis (signal amplitude, frequency spectra, MARSE, and in-plane displacement) caused by simulated fiber fracture experiments and other types of mechanical loading in FRP test coupons are reported. The applications to the development of FRP structural health monitoring systems are also discussed. / Master of Science

The clinical value of oto-acoustic emissions (OAEs) for the identification of the integrity of outer hair cell function has been proven numerous times in research studies, and OAEs are commonly included in the audiological test battery used by audiologists. The technological advances in this field, however, require continuous research to determine the value of new equipment. The main objective of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and transient evoked oto-acoustic emissions (TEOAEs). The subjects were female adults between 18 and 25 years of age, and 30 ears were used for this study. All participants had normal middle-ear function, normal hearing sensitivity (pure tone thresholds) and present OAEs. DPOAEs and TEOAEs were performed at specific time intervals to determine the test-retest reliability, and an OAE-gram was generated by combining DPOAE and TEOAE test results. These measures were performed as an initial measure (M1), after five minutes (M2), after an hour (M3), after a week (M4) and after a month (M5). The test-retest reliability was calculated by analysing the statistics quantitatively. Results were analysed to determine the variance between each participant individually at different time intervals, and also to determine the variance of the group as a whole at different time intervals. Through this analysis high test-retest reliability between the different tests was proven. Inferential statistical Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) proved that the test-retest reliability of DPOAEs, TEOAEs and the OAE-gram (generated through a combination of the DPOAE and TEOAE results) was consistent throughout all periods of testing. The highest correlation existed between immediate re-measurements, while the largest difference was observed between M1 and M3. High test-retest reliability for all tests conducted at different time intervals from original measures were confirmed. Recommendations that arose from this study are further research in the normal hearing population for better generalization, research into specific variables between subjects, research with longer time between different tests, as well as the test-retest reliability in pathologic populations. / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MCommunication Pathology / Unrestricted

Acoustic emissions (AE) can provide information relating to the internal state of a deforming rock sample during laboratory testing and have been utilised to quantify damage progression for time-dependent failure modeling. However, the underlying physical mechanisms that produce AE in different materials and their evolution during the process of damage localisation are not fully understood, particularly in porous media. In order to investigate the sources of laboratory acoustic emissions, a moment tensor inversion was applied to data from triaxial compression experiments on Aue granite and Clashach sandstone. The moment tensor inversion was verified for granite, by comparison with results obtained using a more simplistic source analysis technique. In the non-porous Aue granite, AE sources exhibited a predominantly tensile behaviour in the early stages of AE activity. However, shear sources become dominant in the vicinity of the peak stress. In contrast, during deformation of the Clashach sandstone, which has a significant pre-existing porosity, AE sources are dominated by a collapse signature and generally involve a notable shear component. AE that have a predominantly shear mechanism are also a major contributor to the microscale deformation imaged by the technique, and dominate during shear localisation. A combination of correlation analysis and source analysis was used to elucidate the temporal and spatial evolution of the AE source mechanisms involved in the localisation process, as well as during a temporary hiatus in the progression to failure. The results support the concept that the cascade to failure requires the simultaneous involvement of a range of micromechanical behaviours to maintain the progression of localised damage, and eventual formation of a fault. Localisation of collapse mechanisms was not observed until the final approach to failure. Finally, AE sources produced during brittle deformation of the Clashach sandstone were characterised in detail and compared to microstructural observations representing the integrated effect of all times up to the end of the test, and including smaller structures that may have been formed insufficiently dynamically to produce AE. Equivalent focal mechanisms for these events are presented and the relative proportions of their volumetric and shear components considered. The results indicate that AE sources display a wide spectrum of micromechanical behaviour that is consistent with microstructural observations, indicating that AE mechanisms are representative of ongoing deformation processes within the sandstone. It is argued that moment tensor inversion of acoustic emissions is a powerful tool for elucidating the micromechanical evolution of damage, during the brittle deformation of rock.

Reliable and inexpensive methods of in-situ stress measurement have been sought for more than 40 years. A number of non-destructive core-based methods of in-situ stress determination are currently available, among which Deformation Rate Analysis ' DRA ' and Acoustic Emissions ' AE ' method have the most promising potential due to their ability to measure stress as opposed to strain, which is measured by strain recovery techniques. The DRA and AE method are similar in their utilisation of a phenomenon termed Kaiser effect in the case of AE and deformation memory effect in the case of DRA. The KE/DME is defined as a recollection of a maximum stress a rock core had been subjected prior to its retrieval from the in-situ environment. The physical nature of this phenomenon has not however been universally established. In this study, interaction of microcracks as the most probable cause of the KE/DME, was investigated. To reproduce the damage that occurs to rock at the micro level, a discrete element modelling code was required, which enabled dynamic failure propagation to be modelled. Commercially available code PFC [ superscript 2D ] was found to be suitable for this purpose due to its ability to explicitly model mechanical damage in rocks. The numerical model was based on a real prototype - a sandstone rock core, which had also been previously subjected to the DRA. Although the bulk of the numerical tests were conducted on intact rock models, it was found that changes in the lithology and introduction of discontinuities did not have significant effect on the DME. Influence of the confining stress on the DME was confirmed. It was assumed that only the highest historical stress could be determined reliably using the DRA technique. The ability of the numerical model to reproduce the DME was validated. The link between the DME and development of microcracks was established. The results of the study encourage further use of the code for understanding the micromechanical behaviour of rocks under loading. / Thesis (M.Eng.Sc.)--Australian School of Petroleum, 2004.

The origin of the acoustic emissions from a bed of musical grains, impacted by a pestle, is sought in a boundary layer at the leading front of the pestle. The frequencies of the shear modes of vibration in such a layer are compared with the observed frequencies. It is assumed that such a layer is the result of the fluidization of the grain asperities due to the high stress level at the front end. Such a boundary layer can also account for the emissions from plates of sand sliding on a dune surface and from grains shaken in a jar.

Οι ακουστικές εκπομπές χρησιμοποιούνται για την παρακολούθηση της υγείας σε διάφορες κατασκευές και υλικά, καθώς εντοπίζουν συμβάντα ΑΕ, τα οποία συνήθως προκαλούνται από διάφορους τύπους ζημιάς και με την αφαίρεση του ανεπιθύμητου θορύβου έχουμε χρήσιμα δεδομένα για το προς εξέταση αντικείμενο. Η παρακολούθηση μέσω ακουστικών εκπομπών είναι ένας μη καταστροφικός τρόπος ελέγχου (NDT) και έτσι δεν επηρεάζει τις κατασκευές σε αντίθεση με τους παραδοσιακούς τρόπους ελέγχου. Οι ΑΕ διακρίνονται σε δυο τύπους τα συνεχή σήματα ΑΕ και τα εκρηκτικά σήματα ΑΕ. Η συνεχής ΑΕ παρουσιάζει σχεδόν σταθερά χαρακτηριστικά γνωρίσματα καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια του σήματος ενώ στην εκρηκτική ΑΕ είναι σαφής ο διαχωρισμός της φάσης ανύψωσης και πτώσης του πλάτους του. Στη παρούσα μελέτη εξετάζονται πολλές εφαρμογές της παρακολούθησης ΑΕ. Οι γέφυρες είναι το πιο συχνό πεδίο εφαρμογής της παρακολούθησης ΑΕ εξαιτίας της ανάγκης τους για συνεχή και αξιόπιστη μέτρηση της δομικής υγείας τους λόγω και της κρισιμότητας της ακεραιότητάς τους. Η ΑΕ φαντάζει η ιδανική επιλογή για γέφυρες λόγω της μη αναστολής της λειτουργίας αυτών για την διεξαγωγή των διάφορων δοκιμών. Η δημιουργία ασύρματων κόμβων ΑΕ είναι ένα πεδίο που χρήζει περαιτέρω μελέτης και διερεύνησης. Η ασύρματη παρακολούθηση έχει πολλά πλεονεκτήματα όπως οικονομία,αποδοτικότητα,συνεχής παρακολούθηση σε σχέση με την ενσύρματη παρακολούθηση και σίγουρα θα είναι ένα απαραίτητο στοιχείο των συστημάτων ΑΕ στο μέλλον. Παρόλα τα προβλήματα σχετικά με την επάρκεια ενέργειας σε αυτά τα συστήματα. Επίσης οι ΑΕ έχουν την δυνατότητα της χρησιμοποίησης ευφυών συστημάτων για την επεξεργασία δεδομένων κάτι που βοηθάει στην καλύτερη αξιολόγηση των αποτελεσμάτων των δοκιμών. Ιδιαίτερη αναφορά γίνεται στο αυτό-οργανωμένο νευρωνικό δίκτυο Kohonen.Τέλος μελετάται και η χρήση ΑΕ στην παρακολούθηση φθοράς εργαλείων και σε σύνθετα υλικά με φυσικές ίνες. / The acoustic emissions are used for monitoring health in different structures and materials, as well as identify AE occurrence usually caused by various types of damage and by removing unwanted noise we could obtain useful data. Monitoring using acoustic emissions is a non-destructive way of testing (NDT) and thus does not affect the construction unlike traditional ways of testing. AE are divided into two types the continuous AE signals and burst AE signals. Continuous AE shows almost constant characteristics throughout the duration of the signal while the burst AE indicate clear separation of the lifting phase and falling of the amplitude. This study examined many monitoring applications on AE. The bridges are the most common field of application of AE tracking because of their need for continuous and reliable measurement of their structural health because of the criticality of their integrity. The AE seems the ideal choice for bridges due to non-suspension of the operation of these for the conduct of the various tests. Creating wireless AE nodes is an area that merits further study and investigation. Wireless monitoring has many advantages such as economy, efficiency, continuous monitoring compared to wired monitoring and will definitely be a essential element of AE systems in the future. Despite all problems with regard to energy efficiency in such systems. Also AE are capable of using intelligent systems for data processing which provides a better evaluation of test results. Particular reference is made to self-organized neural network Kohonen.Finally it is studied the use of AE in monitoring tools and wear of composites with natural fibers.

No description available.

ABSTRACT Many unusual phenomena in nature were recorded from the regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea from the second millennium BC up to AD 600. The ancient sources interpreted these as prodigies, messages from the gods, but rarely discussed their causes. Numerous reports of these portents were viewed as the illusions of eyewitnesses or the fabrications of ancient literary sources. Many modern authors have interpreted these portents as fabulous, or as astronomical or meteorological events. This thesis examines the portents that occur in the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere and proposes that many are geophysical phenomena caused by tectonic activity, in particular earthquakes and volcanoes. Modern research on these incidents is examined to identify characteristics and causes, and texts from ancient philosophers and natural historians are investigated to see whether they were aware of these natural occurrences and if so, how they were produced. Portents that possess the characteristics of seismically-induced lights, cloud, fog, storms, anomalous animal behaviour, noises, and hydrological changes are collated in order to discuss individual events. Where possible, ancient examples are compared with modern well-documented episodes with the same features. In a majority of cases, these events have recurred in the same locations at later times. The proposal that many of these phenomena are caused by seismic activity offers an alternative to the suggestions of many modern scholars, who ascribe many of the luminous events to lightning, meteors or comets and some sonics to exploding meteors or thunderstorms. This reappraisal of the ancient portents vindicates the seemingly fantastic reports that occur in the ancient texts, especially some of the poetic or religious sources, and rehabilitates the reputation of the authors who have documented these events. In the process it also adds to the catalogue of geophysical phenomena caused by earthquakes in the classical world.